Parents understood that being a high school dropout in the U.S. did not put a child in a position to provide much economic support to his family, which means they were strongly in favor of their children graduating from high school. They believed in education to a point. Education was important, but it didn't come first. Coming from a closed society, parents did not see education as a solution to changing a rigid economic/social hierarchy. They knew the diploma was essential for a better job than parents had, but beyond that expressed mistrust for people who had "too much education." Too much education was seen as a cause of not being able to manage the simple, practical tasks required in life and of not knowing how to cope with the tough demands of life. Kids who went to work after high school and brought money home were seen as offering proof that they understood their responsibilities to the family, their gratitude to their parents, and that they weren't abandoning the family by going off to college.