Reading Aria by Richard Rodriguez for me was very interesting because I could relate to what his piece was about. I was born in Dominican Republic and came to the United States when I was very young. I could not speak a word of English. As I began to attend school I was expected to speak English because English is considered to be the dominate language in the US. However, as time began to pass I began to take on the challenge of learning this new mysterious language called English. Being young it was easy for me to the learn it but I felt this disconnect from my culture. It was like I lost apart of myself. I no longer spoke Spanish at my house nor did I even bother communicating with my parents. My mentality changed, I no longer thought that speaking Spanish was acceptable because if I ever did I felt like someone, somewhere was judging me. My opinion is that being "Americanized" doesn't mean that we, and by we I mean anyone who is born in a different country, should throw away what defines us. Being able to speak English and know that costumes is something that we should all acquire while living in the US but not to the point where like in the text, the children lost their inner selves. “I perceived that the methods the he, his family, and his school used to aid him in learning English had separated him from his developing in the Spanish language”(Andrada’s Blog). I believe that it was okay for his loved ones to help him learn English but boundaries should have been set. Instead of encouraging him to focus on learning English only they should have encouraged him to strengthen both languages. In this day and age bilingual people are considered very important and rare. I can relate to this because I too was in this position, however because my parents at home spoke in only Spanish and English only was spoken in school so I got the best of both worlds. Richards argument is that a child can miss out and become someone they’re not when leaving behind something as important as their native language just to fit in and become socially acceptable to the people of society. Sunday, September 29, 2013
Richard Rodriguez - Aria
Reading Aria by Richard Rodriguez for me was very interesting because I could relate to what his piece was about. I was born in Dominican Republic and came to the United States when I was very young. I could not speak a word of English. As I began to attend school I was expected to speak English because English is considered to be the dominate language in the US. However, as time began to pass I began to take on the challenge of learning this new mysterious language called English. Being young it was easy for me to the learn it but I felt this disconnect from my culture. It was like I lost apart of myself. I no longer spoke Spanish at my house nor did I even bother communicating with my parents. My mentality changed, I no longer thought that speaking Spanish was acceptable because if I ever did I felt like someone, somewhere was judging me. My opinion is that being "Americanized" doesn't mean that we, and by we I mean anyone who is born in a different country, should throw away what defines us. Being able to speak English and know that costumes is something that we should all acquire while living in the US but not to the point where like in the text, the children lost their inner selves. “I perceived that the methods the he, his family, and his school used to aid him in learning English had separated him from his developing in the Spanish language”(Andrada’s Blog). I believe that it was okay for his loved ones to help him learn English but boundaries should have been set. Instead of encouraging him to focus on learning English only they should have encouraged him to strengthen both languages. In this day and age bilingual people are considered very important and rare. I can relate to this because I too was in this position, however because my parents at home spoke in only Spanish and English only was spoken in school so I got the best of both worlds. Richards argument is that a child can miss out and become someone they’re not when leaving behind something as important as their native language just to fit in and become socially acceptable to the people of society. 
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Hi Nelsy,
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to this. I was born in Haiti and coming to America and finding out that I had to learn a new way to communicate with all these new faces made me excited and anxious. Though I was given the opportunity to diversify my language, I was also at a disadvantge because in the process, I managed to lose my native tongue, and was forced to learn two new language at the same time. It's a beautiful thing to be able to communicate with the different groups of people we'll come in contact with. I will be the parent that encourages my children to not only learn my native tongue, but to also take on a new one as our society continues to progress.
Nelsy, this was an enjoyable post to read! It's nice to hear something from someone who can relate to the article on a personal level. And you're right, children should be proud of being bilingual and use it to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteNelsy,
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to read your perspective as a Spanish speaker forced to "assimilate" to the "American way". I put this in quotations because I don't like assimilate, nor do I believe that there is an American way. Your perspective on turning both languages into strong foundations for the student is an excellent solution to this touching issue.
Awesome job. :)
Rebekah
Nelsy,
ReplyDeleteI love when you said that being "Americanized" doesn't mean that we should throw away what defines us. I think it’s so important to hold onto to whatever you feel makes up your identity and your Dominican Republic culture and customs make up your families and your history. Although Rodriquez goes about sharing his experience in a veiled way, you drew out a clear and key part of his story. I was surprised that his parents gave up speaking Spanish because I would think that parents would want to support the full identity of their children but it does show us how the pressure to fit in and be successful can alter your beliefs. Like I mentioned in class to Julie, because you came from another country, by sharing your first hand experiences with us, the facts become even more so palpable and we end up learning so much more than the text offers so thank you. –Jocelyn B.
Hey Nelsy,
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really interesting to read your response to this article. Being born in America and only speaking English really only provides me with one way to read "Aria". It was nice to hear it from your perspective since you are someone who can directly relate to this topic.
Chelsea