Drawing upon multisited ethnographic case studies in the United States and Mexico, I demonstrate "sobrevivencia", a survivalist way of knowing of Mexican-origin families. Through an underdog mentality, family members persisted and sometimes thrived. However, the grittiness of the underdog mentality did not always work out. By understanding "sobrevivencia", educators can better engage transnational families, and researchers can further explore transnational ways of knowing with continuing multisited research.