Finding a medium with Rodeguez
...also accepts himself as an American: “An eight year old boy, I finally came to accept what had been technically true since my birth, I was an American citizen.”(Paragraph 29) This shows the beginning of his acceptance of assimilation, and the desire to not be the pariah. Up until this point he seems to have fought being changed, content on having this new life the uniform of old. What changed was the attitude of his parents which led to the new surrounding environment he found himself in. An environment where his “private language” of Spanish has been taken away and he is forced to use the “public language” of English, (the language of los Gringos). Another effect of losing his “private language” is the removal of his culture. Most cultures are defined by their language. Without language the customs and principles of a certain group or “culture” are diminished. Rodriguez feels comfort in his language, and his heritage. He found a safe haven when he returned home, and heard the familiar rolling of the “r’s” and clicking of the tongues: “…her sounds would assure me: you are home now. Come closer inside. With us. ‘Si,’ I’d reply.” As well as, “Those sounds said: I am speaking with ease in Spanish. I am addressing you with words I never use with los gringos. I recognize you as someone special; close, like no one outside. You belong with us. In the family. Ricardo” (paragraph 16) Then his safe haven is removed, that closeness, and his feeling of someone special. His parents were advised that it would be for the benefit of the children to stop speaking Spanish. “…with great tact the visitors continued, ‘is it possible for you and your husband to encourage your children to practice their English when they are home?’ … In an instant they agreed to give up the language (the sounds) which had revealed, and accentuated our family’s closeness.” (Paragraphs 23 and 25) The intent of the nuns was not to condemn the Rodriguez’s family values, nor was it to imply that the parents were not adequate parents. No, it was simply to encourage the success of the children in school. It was after his parents changed the environment he lived in, that he was compelled to accept the changes. He clearly says this in Aria: “Again and again in the days following, as I grew increasingly angry, I was obliged to hear my mother and father encouraging me: ‘speak too us en ingles.’ Only then did I determine to learn classroom English” (paragraph28) Here again we see how the process, or what the reader can see as the acceptance of the process of assimilation can be both “heartbreaking”, and anger inducing. However, even though one can see that Rodriguez had a difficult time with assimilating he supports the process as a positive one. “…no: it is not possible for a child, any child, ever to use his fam...