Hunger of Memory

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.

Here are some websites you can look at to learn about Richard Rodriguez and other Mexican immigrant stories:
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/