Richard Rodriguez

  This week's reading is by Richard Rodriguez and I will be connecting his writing to my experiences in a dual language classroom at Alfred Lima Elementary School. Rodriguez begins his story with how he did not speak English when he went to school in America. Like most students in the classroom I’m in, his family spoke Spanish in their house. He calls Spanish a private language and English a public one. I thought that was an interesting way to put it since both Spanish and English are commonly used now in public spaces, especially in Providence. His lack of knowledge of English and lack of wanting to conform to “los gringos” as he called them, caused him to struggle with participation. At Alfred Lima I’m happy to report that no student is lacking in participation due to a lack of understanding. The children at Alfred Lima are in a space that welcomes Spanish as much as it does English. These students are encouraged to read and write in Spanish and English to ensure that they are proficient in both languages. Rodriguez talks about his experience with Americanization and how after becoming more Americanized, hearing Spanish was almost foreign to him. He goes on to say how he was glad he was pushed to learn English and develop a public identity and a private one. At Alfred Lima the students are never pushed into speaking one language or another. They speak in both whenever they feel comfortable, so they develop their own true identity.

The idea that children learn how to change themselves based on if they’re in public or private is heartbreaking. Children and adults should have one identity that matches how they feel inside and their values. There should never be a public identity that aligns more with the ideal American stereotype and a private identity that aligns with how the child or adult was raised. It’s not needed, and society should be welcoming of an authentic identity and not one filled with the values and ideals that a person thinks aligns with American society. Do you think we should have a public and a private identity, or do you think we should have one authentic identity that we use constantly?



Comments

  1. I agree that it is heartbreaking how both children and adults are forced to constantly choose between a public and private identity. It is important that we show appreciation for each person's authentic identity, especially as teachers in the classroom with our students.

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