A man cannot resist getting close to the screen during a video conference with his wife in Ecuador. (Piotr Redlinski for WNYC.org)

NEW YORK, NY May 17, 2005 —It's a common story among immigrants: you arrive in the US thinking you'll make some quick money, and then go home in a few months be with your family. But often months turn into years, and families that were once close become virtual strangers to each other.

Communication technology can help bridge the gap caused by long absences. But sometimes the connection is an illusion.

In the second part of our series, "Feet in Two Worlds: Immigrants in a Global City," Cindy Rodriguez reports on Ecuadorian immigrants who use videoconferencing technology to keep in touch with those they left behind. But some quickly discover the limits of that technology.