Coates explains how when him and his wife were living in New York and did not have a lot of money, his people always helped him out. New York is a very expensive place to live.Coates and him and his family struggle in new york for some time until his friends/neighbors helped him with financial problems and helped him stand on his feet these are the people who he considered to be his family because they helped him in the times of need he needed people the most and his real family wasn't there to help