Saturday, February 20, 2010

Richard Rodriguez – Aria

1. “What I needed to learn in school was that I had the right - and the obligation - to speak the public language of los gringos.

This quote is in the opening paragraph and supports the main point of this reading. Richard is resistant to learning the English language. He is viewing the English language as simply an instrument of words to communicate with the world outside his family. To Richard English is used to give answers in school or to communicate something of necessity to others. Spanish is for “self-expression”, feelings, and family. He is in first grade, and at such a young age to realize the importance of the “great lesson of school – that I had a public identity” This part of the reading reminded me so much of Delpit p.29 when she comments teachers ensuring that the school provides children “spoken and written language codes that will allow them success in the larger society” Richard was lucky to have teachers that understood his need to speak English but maybe not the way they went about it.

2. “The old Spanish words… I had used earlier – mama` and papa` - I couldn’t use anymore”

I kept referring back to Delpit in my mind in the reading. She would not approve of the teaching methods used here: demanding Richard to speak up to the entire class when he was unsure of himself and the English language, calling him Richard instead of Ricardo, and asking the Parents to use English at home to name a few. Now that Richard and his siblings are gaining more confidence in their use of the English language and perhaps the American culture or codes of power they are loosing their Family togetherness and culture. Are the examples of not being able to call his Parents “mama and papa”, the growing lack of conversation at dinner, and the lack of the father’s participation at family gatherings, the “cultural genocide” Delpit referred to in her reading? I think so.

3. “So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality.”

The importance of teaching children who do not speak English the English language is not just an issue of communication. You can see in how Richard tells how his story his confidence builds, identity strengthens as he becomes more confident in the “culture of power” ( Delpit / Johnson). He recognizes the loss within his family but also that we all go through this as we grow.


I enjoyed how this reading was written. How personal the story was and the importance of the message it delivered regarding “teaching the public language”. It does show some of the possible negative effects it can have on a family. I’m not quite sure why it seems like it was an all or nothing for Richard. Like he never spoke Spanish again, but Richard is happy.

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