Aria by Richard Rodriguez
Argument/Position
Aria is about a boy named Richard who grew up with immigrant parents and wrote about his experiences as a kid who spoke Spanish at home compared to at school in a public environment where English is the dominant language. In this passage he talks about the challenges he faces mixing the two worlds together at home and in education and in schools. Since he never heard Spanish spoken in school only at home he never really talked and was shy and would ignore the teachers since he didn’t know english. Him and his older sister spent a year being really shy and timid and not speaking in class until the nun’s at his school contacted his parents and told him about their behavior. Since Richard and his sister didn’t speak English at home the Nun encouraged his parents to speak and learn Spanish at home sometime. His parents agreed and it became a game after dinner to learn English. They struggled to learn and got made fun of with their pronounciations. Richard opened up and stated that he needed a full year of extra attention. One day Richard came home and his parents were speaking Spanish and then when he entered the room they changed to english. They made Richard feel like he didn’t have a safe place anymore with his brothers and sisters now speaking English in the house also.The family became more assimilated. Finally this pushed him to learn english and one day he had the courage to speak up in class and speak english and the class understood him. Up until this point Richard never felt like he belonged and he was an American citizen. He acknowledges that while this transition led to greater public success, it also created a distance between him and his family's traditional values and language. His family has changed, still a loving family but values have shifted and highlighted their individual separateness. His parents got more confidence and even started talking to people on their block and set up a telephone in the house for communication. The word gringo had less meaning to his parents now after time adapting. As time passed and Richard and his siblings learned more and more English his house became quiet. Often as his parents had a difficult time becoming fluent and understanding the children. At one point after he learned English, old Spanish words lost their sense of belonging and Richard didn’t even know how to address his parents. He said the need to say papa and mama he used to say became unnecessary and he would often try to get their attention by eye contact. These painful reminders that revealed how much his life has changed since learning english. His mother tried to question him and have a connection through small talk with his english. His father even though he tried less English, he grew to be a quiet man or a man of few words. That in english ricard said he only says his dad conveys his words in spanish and he couldn't communicate with the public yet foreign language to him. Richard challenges the notion through his writing that maintaining one's native language within the educational system is always beneficial. Throughout his essay he reflects on the delicate balance/line between preserving cultural heritage and embracing the cultural norms of the dominant society.
