Aria
Richard Rodriguez

Authors Argument:
Rodriguez argues that people’s identities can be change in the culture and routines of their society. He also argues that there are personal family and traditional lifestyles that are being changed when they try to become a member and fit in with society and those of the culture of power. Rodriguez believes that a person should have pride in who they are as an individual and should now let the culture of power or their society change who they are or have an effect on their lives.

Quotes
1 - "That day I moved very far from the disadvantaged child I had been only days earlier. The belief, the calming assurance that I belonged in public, had at last taken hold." For so long Rodriguez has been trying to keep a conversation going in the public language and trying to speak it well. When he finally became familiar with the English language and could hold a conversation he was so proud and happy. It’s kind of sad how “white” people take advantage of this language power they have and don’t realize the true meaning of being able to speak publicly.

2 - "But the special feelings of closeness at home was diminished by then. Gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being home; rare was the experience feeling myself individualized by family intimates. We remained a loving family, but one greatly changed. No longer so close; no longer bound tight by the pleasing and troubling knowledge of our public separateness." This quote that I chose mad me upset. I couldn’t believe a family was getting diminished within a language barrier. Rodriguez expressed how tradition and family meant to him, and by losing all of it, he felt that he also lost his family. I believe a family should stick together with what they are comfortable with not what is expected of them. What good is it to be accepted by society if you lose your family trying to fit in with other people?

3 - "In an instant, they agreed to give up the language, the sounds that had revealed and accentuated our family's closeness." I chose this quote because it made me feel remorseful, not only for Rodriguez, but for all the people who speak different languages and have to change their traditions to be accepted into the society and culture of power. It's not fair for people to have to change who they are to be accepted by others around them. People should be able to speak their own language when they want to and should not be judged if their language is not what the majority of the people in the society are speaking.

Questions/Comments:
I really enjoyed reading this article. The author shows how people struggle to learn the public language but how it can destroy who they are as an individual and as a family. He also shows how people have to give things up like languages or who they are to fit in society and to actually be recognized. Although Rodriguez shows the down sides of having to only speak the “public language” like losing a personal identity he also states that there is an upside to this. He shows how people work hard and practice to accomplish these speaking skills and how people look at them and notice them differently and more respectively