My reponse to La Misma Luna Questions:
Rosario left her son in Mexico to be with his Granny, to find a better life in America for him. Opportunities are available in America and it is very difficult for an illegal immigrant to get a VISA for one person, let alone a mother and son. Rosario had the intention of obtaining her VISA and then bringing her son into America, so he can live the life of opportunity. It was difficult for Rosario to find work as an illegal immigrant, which took the process of saving money and paying for a lawyer longer.
I think this was a very hard decision for Rosario to make. She wants to provide the best life for Carlito, but is limited on time due to her mother being sick. As a mother, she is faced with the decision to be there for him as a child or leave him to get into America, to make his future a better life. For Carlito, this is very hard to understand, because he doesn't think about the future; he misses and wants his mother now.
Carlito was lonely without his mother, and he had never met his father, so the only person he had was his Granny. Carlito's Granny was very sick and he took care of her on a daily basis. Carlito's neighbors (who turn out to be his Aunt Joseana and Uncle Manuel), place pressure on Carlito to come live with them. Carlito works with Carmen to save money for his future. His highlight of the week is waiting for Rosario's phone call from a phone booth.
Rosario decision was one of the toughest decisions she has had to make in her life. She missed Carlito, and he was her life. She would do anything she could to make his life better for him, even if that meant sneaking into America and working illegally. Rosario was taken advantage of, and did not have the same rights as Americans because she was an immigrant. Rosario might have been thousands of miles away from Carlito's but she worked every second for him. She pushed aside the chance of meeting a man and falling in love to concentrate on saving her money. Carlito was her world and she was determined to be a good mother by providing him with better opportunities.
I don't think a mother in the United States would have to make the same choice, unless in extreme circumstances, such as placing the child in danger if she didn't leave the country. Some Americans do not realize that in other countries food, water, shelter, education, medicine, and not to mention out luxury items such as cars, well-paid jobs, colleges, shopping stores are not available to everyone. At this time, American's have the opportunity to go anywhere in the fifty states to find a better life. I do believe that anywhere in the world, mothers do what is best for their children. It is a mothers natural instinct to protect her offspring in any and every way possible. I don't think American mothers would be faced with this decision in particular, but are faced with other difficult decisions to make.
