This article reviews the results of a survey of former students to determine the long-term significance of a community-based Spanish practicum that has been offered since 2000. The respondents affirm that, even nine years later, they still remember well the Mexican immigrant families that hosted them during the course. The students were able to develop a long-lasting appreciation for the power of second language and cultural learning through a combination of meaningful communication, strong interpersonal relationships, cognitive and affective learning methodologies, and involvement in constructing their own learning experiences. As predicted, the students' immersion in a different socioeconomic and cultural context had a major impact on their sense of social justice, but, unexpectedly, did little to foster a life of political activism. For practitioners, the survey results also raise questions about the importance of reflection in experiential learning methods, and the nature and appropriate role of service learning. (Contains 1 table.)