Hunger of Memory
BY Richard Rodriguez
Being a new immigrant or a child of immigrated
parents, actually limited the child to learn less English word than children of
parents who are American Citizens. In correlation, Richard Rodriguez has stated
about his first experience in school, “...when I first entered a classroom,
able to understand some fifty stray English words…to find themselves apart from
their families in the first institution of their lives. But I was astonished.”
(Rodriguez) 1. If it was me, entering a white school for the first time will
definitely feel awkward. Not only knowing the feeling of being different, Rodriguez
must have been embarrassed that his classmates, who had to point out to the
adults who he was “...the boys reminds the adult. I was a bilingual child, a
certain kind - socially disadvantaged - the son of working - class parents,
both Mexican immigrants” (Rodriguez) 10.
Sadly at school wasn’t enough, the
Rodriguez family had to deal with racism at home, “My mother and father were
more annoyed than intimidated by those two or three neighbors who tried
initially to make us unwelcome” (Rodriguez) 10. I dislike how people of their
community made them feel “unwelcome” and separated from the community. In the
past, a teacher has mentioned about some Spanish families who traveled and work
their way through the season. The Rodriguez family is some of those Spanish families
who migrated for work. For example they would be in New England in the spring
to the summer and in autumn; they would travel south to work on those
plantations. “In hotel lobbies or airports, in Turkey or Brazil, some Americans
will pass, and suddenly I will hear it again - the high sound of American
voices” (Rodriguez) 12.
I can connect to Rodriguez’s
situation when he stated that every bilingual child feels this way with their
parents, “...it was unsettling to hear my parents struggle with English.
Hearing them, I'd grow nervous, my clutching trust in their protection and
power weakened” (Rodriguez) 13. Growing up, I thought
my parents knows everything and are educated but as I got educated myself, I
started to see that my parent has become less reliable. Some of the annoying
parts of being the child, who knows English, was that I had to be their
translator every time went to an appointment.
Relating to “An Indian Father’s Plea” by Robert
Lake, Richard Rodriguez's education was
mainly based on his parent culture until he was put in school, “...often
frightened by the sound of los gringos, delighted by the sounds of Spanish at
home” (Rodriguez) 15. The school
staffs, such as the teachers were also taking control and power over “Richard’s”
cultural way of life at home when they went over to the Rodriguez’s home and
said, “... ‘Do your children speak only Spanish at home, Mrs. Rodriguez?’ While
another voice added, ‘That Richard especially seems so timid and shy” (Rodriguez) 19. This is the
topics that were discussed in class earlier this week, about “Privilege, Power,
and Difference,” with the “Indian’s Father’s Plea,” and another example is on
page 20, when the teacher taught the students in his class how to say his name,
she/he actually decided not to say Ricardo and called him Richard. According to
Rodriguez’s autobiography, the white teachers had the power over the family and
their students in school.
I think that the parents decide to
obey the teacher’s order without any argument or resistant of their order was
because if the parents didn’t obey their order, their child would be transfer
to another school. Another reason is that they are not sure if the new school
would be worse or better than the one their children are in. I also believe
that, the teacher decided to do what they did because the Rodriguez’s kids are
different from the rest and the teachers have the power and privilege over the
families. Another example that Rodriguez had stated about power was involve in business
category stated that, “Working class men attempting political power took to
calling one another ‘brother” (Rodriguez) 36. But, we all know
that they’re only doing that to increase their business stability and in reality
they hated one another especially if they are a different race.
Lastly we know that people hides
their identity in public and open up their identity and at home with family members
and relatives like how Rodriguez has stated, “It was the face she made in
public... it was her public face the mortician had designed with his dubious
art” (Rodriguez) 41. Some question
that pops up in my head is; what would you do if you were his parents? Would you
go along with the teachers and follow their order or choose your own way of dealing
with your child at home? And if you were the child, would you want to translate
for your parents forever?
Bibliography
Johnson, Allan G. "Privilege, Power, and
Difference." 2001: VII-35.
Lake, Robert. "An Indian Father's Plea." The
Institution of Education 1996: 1-4.
Rodriguez, Richard. "Hunger of Memory." The
education of Richard Rodriguez February 1982: 1-41.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/faithandreason/portraits_rodriguez.html
http://www.scottlondon.com/interviews/rodriguez.html
http://www.wired.com/2014/12/4-mexican-immigrant-kids-cheap-robot-beat-mit/
