Education By Richard Rodriguez Summary

Rodriguez's parents think they are doing the best job possible raising their three children. Being a lower class family, money was not something that was always available. His mother and father can always supply them with love and nurturing. The way they let their children know they are special and close is to talk to them in their private language. His parents could not speak good English; they could not translate their terms of endearment for the children without the saying losing its meaning. "Using Spanish, he (the father) was quickly effusive...his voice would spark, flicker, flare alive with varied sounds." Only speaking English, the father is a completely different person. Speaking Spanish is was a loud vivid man, only using English changed him into a quiet, often thought shy person. In society's eyes, speaking Spanish at home further damages their children's' chance at a bright future. "My mother grew restless, seemed troubled and anxious at the scarceness of words exchanged in the house." His mother carries a burden of frustration for what she thinks is best for her children. It is puzzling why they didn't set aside a special family time for only speaking in Spanish. Were the nuns and society so intimidating to Rodriguez's

Through the narrative “The Scholarship Boy” I find few turning points that I notice a shift in the demeanor of Richard Rodriguez as well as how I perceive the story. First of all, it is made apparent to me that people acknowledge him for his successes by making remarks such as, “Your parents must be proud” or “How did you manage it? According to the opening paragraphs Rodriguez is seen as a model student. Although this may be true, the first turning point I find suggests otherwise as Rodriguez conveys, “For although I was a very good student, I was also a very bad student…Always successful, always unconfident. Exhilarated by my process. Sad.” This quote changed my perspective of Rodriguez because of the negative emotion he expresses toward his family. By the same token, I recall my sister being an outstanding achiever throughout school, yet, she was similarly depressed as well as annoyed towards me and the rest of our family. This flashback assisted me in relating to Rodriguez’s emotions towards his successes. In the same fashion, I am supplied a grasp of his shift in tone and direction in the narrative.

The particular focus of Rodriguez’s story is that in order to feel like he belonged to the “public society” he had to restrict his individuality. Throughout his story, Rodriguez discussed such topics as assimilation and heritage. He goes into depth about the pros and the cons of being forced to assimilate to the American culture. Growing up Hispanic in America was a struggle for Rodriguez. This was due to the fact that he was a Spanish-speaking boy living in an English-speaking society, and he felt like he was different than the other children. Rodriguez writes, “I was fated to be the ‘problem student’ in class” (Rodriguez 62). This is referring to Rodriguez’s improper knowledge of English. It made him stand out as the kid that was behind. He wanted to find the balance between the public and private face. He believed both were important to develop. As I read this story it changed the way I looked at people who speak different languages, and how it must be hard to fit in with society if you are not all fluent in English.

When reading this autobiography it reminded me of my adolescent years; I remember feeling like I knew all there was to being a grown up, I also felt like my parents didn’t know much because they didn’t go to college. I strongly feel like they could have always done more than they were doing. Upon reading this, I felt as though I was reading Richard Rodriguez’s journal and he was a very unhappy kid living in the ghetto. He was also embarrassed of his own life and he seemed unhappy in his own skin... “(Ways of reading pg.339) A primary reason for my success in the classroom was that I couldn’t forget that success was changing me and separating me from the life I enjoyed before becoming a student”.

The memoir Aria by Richard Rodriguez expresses his personal experiences and feelings of his native-speaking family becoming Americanized by the English language and culture. Through elementary school and constant persistence from the nuns of the Church as well as his mother and father, Richard learned the public language and gained his public identity. As Richard continued to be silent and unwilling to speak English at school during class time, the Church's nuns visited Richard's home to discuss with his parents about the difficulties of their three children adapting to the English language. At the clash of the public and private world, the visitors asked if the Rodriguez family only spoke Spanish at home and suggested that the family should start practice speaking English at home to better the slow progress the children were showing at school. From that moment onwards, the Rodriguez family had lost its intimacy through their native language as they became Americanized. The memoir took place within

Rodriguez does not comfort whose mother even though he feels something is not right. Richard thinks that his mother is “sad” and wanted to approach her and ask however claims they are “questions of paradise.” if someone's mother felt sad or upset, usually there children would try to comfort them and understand what they are feeling, however richard feels his mother’s pain but does not even try to ask what the cause of it is. Richard compares his mother too material objects. Richard thinks that his mother “seems very small,” when compared to the “expensive foreign cars” behind her. Richard instead of notices his mother, notices the expensive foreign cars more. Richard also does not even recognize what his parents are doing. He didn't realize that his father “has” only said one thing to him all evening. Someone would notice if their father had not spoken to them all day, however richard does not realize this to the very

Richard Rodriguez was born on July 31, 1944 in San Francisco, California, where his primary language was Spanish. His parents were two Mexican Immigrants, who did not speak English as much as they should’ve. His father, Leopoldo Rodriguez, worked as a dental technician and his mother, Victoria Moran Rodriguez, stayed at home and was a part time typist. Richard grew up being monolingual until he was six years old, where he went to a Catholic school in Sacramento, California. Richard could only speak at least fifty words of English and that was only to help him when he had to do errands for his mother.

In the text, he recalls “the urgency with which [he] came to idolize [his] grammar school teachers” (341). Rodriguez began to “imitate their accents, use their diction, trust their every direction” (341). He began to adopt his teachers’ opinions, rather than think for himself. This idolization of his teachers further pushes Rodriguez away from his parents, and will eventually contribute to the dissatisfaction he feels towards his educational

The upbringing of children between the two cultures contrast one another through the expectations of their youth and personalities created through their various upbringings. This dramatic shift in cultures is visible when Antonio begins public school for the first time. Antonio’s schooling serves as his first institution where he must interact with American children and is exposed to their way of life. An obvious cultural barrier is revolves around language. Antonio enters school without knowing a lick of English and as described by Crossroads, A Journal of English Studies, “…it is a well-known fact that language is one of the most important elements of human identity and culture”. Antonio’s language separates him from the other children and makes him feel alienated. It was hard enough leaving home when his parents were arguing over his future as a man. Not only does his language build an initial barrier between himself and the English-speaking children, but by throwing him into an institution where all of his teachers speak only English, he is forced to adapt to the new culture. Aside from his language barrier, Antonio finds himself being antagonized because of the food that he eats. Food symbolically is supposed secure and fulfilling, but instead Antonio’s Mexican lunch brings upon abuse from the other students. This new terrifying reality which Antonio lives in brings about thoughts of running away and other miserable feelings. However, Antonio is able to conquer his situation and the school goes from being an institution of suffering, to one of

In Rodriguez’s essay “Achievement of Desire”, Rodriguez makes a conclusion to his own life with all the experience he have. In the last part, he mentions “If, because of my schooling I had grown culturally separate from my parents, my education finally had given me ways of speaking and caring about that fact” (pg. 560). Which means that his gave him the ways to how education separates him with his family. This is indeed the main focus of the essay. First, it is the separation of his family his deep down feelings. Second, is what he feels regarding to his family and the way that he is not proud of his family and parents. Third, is when he sees what sacrifices he has done in order to be at the place he is right not and what he has gained from those sacrifices.

In the novel, Schooled, by Gordon Korman; Capricorn Anderson, is the main character. The author takes Cap from a sheltered naive young 13 year old through many social, emotional and physical changes. Just like a caterpillar goes through changes to become a beautiful butterfly, Cap starts out as a nice kid and grows into a caring adult. Cap’s sheltered life with his grandmother Rain, on Garland Farms allows him to be curious and not worry about what others think.

Every student has their own unique cultural identity. They may certify under certain group of different race, social class, or religion. To enhance academic success, understand and have a certain level of influence to student’s identities is necessary. Adapting and preservation should be two key elements for cultural identity realization. Furthermore, practicing to recognize their root’s culture their perceptions of education should be the requirement for every school nowadays.

Deshawn did have a choice, for DeShawn could have gone to school. In the book, a teacher told Deshawn he was really smart and could go to a school to get a better education at Hewlett Academy in Beach Hill. When DeShawn was asked if he wanted to go to school. For example on page 81 DeShawn says, I may even go to Hewlett Academy in Beach Hill.” Another example is on page 14 when it says, ‘“Gonna join the Disciples someday?” “No, Sir. Gonna stay in school and out of trouble.”’ Therefore, before DeShawn became worried about money and girls he cared about school, and if he would have made the right choice DeShawn could have become a cop or a janitor very easily.

Growing up as the child may seem like easy to have a normal childhood, able to go school in peace having a permanent home to be comfortable, parents are stable with their job in one place. However, this is just a dream a child wants to come from a family of migrant worker. In the story “ The Circuit” illustrated Francisco Jimenez is about a boy name Pachito and his family has been moving place to place due to his parents are migrant worker there no place to settle down much.His family has stayed in small shack move again for the next job. Pachito see the manual labor his parents go through just to provide the family. Since his parents only speak Spanish do not have the time learning English during their job, it is best for their children goes to school learn English and have an education. First day of school Pachito timid all of classmate speaking fluently in English, he felt like an

While his education life advanced, he becomes more disillusioned with his parents’ education. Richard’s mood transforms into embarrassment by his parents inadequacy of education. Rodriguez starts to distance himself form family in order to seek his educational goals, which to him are more important. The phrase of “Your parents would be proud of you” was difficult for him to grasp the meaning behind it, yes his parents are proud, however Richard cant relate all of his knowledge learned in school to his uneducated parents. Often his uneducated mother would ask him questions about his courses, only giving her short vague answers because he knows it was meaningless to explain the complex knowledge he had from these courses. Rodriguez goes through college tasking all his critic praises as undeserving and pointless. He feels he has not gained anything at all, in fact he believes that he is not a good student but a good “mimicker.” The author admits that he himself has formed no opinion of his own but regenerated them form his previous educators that have taught him and all the authors of books he has read. Approaching the end of the essay Richard finally has a sense of remembrance for the life he once held prior to his education. He cites his intimate family where he felt part of a distinct culture that he