Reflection

Aria - Richard Rodriguez

While reading "Aria" I was reminded of Delpit. When Rodriguez referred to how the teachers quizzed the students: "The teacher quizzed: Boys and Girls, why do we use that word in this sentence? Could we think of a better word to use there? Would the sentence change its meaning if the words were different? And wasn't there a better way of saying much the same thing?" This reminds me of Delpit because of her examples telling  us that teachers shouldn't speak to a class of students this way. If they spoke to them correctly, there would be less confusion between the students and teachers.
I didn't like that the nuns came to the families home and told the parents that they should speak English at home with the kids. Of course kids should practice speaking English, but to come to their home and ask their parents to switch up the dynamics in their home for a language is beyond me.
Coming from a hispanic family, I've been bilingual all my life. I didn't speak English till I was about four because my parents didn't speak any English. I learned English because of cartoons, my older siblings and when I started head start. I can't say that it was the most difficult thing to be between cultures, but it was in a sense hard. I had to learn a whole different life that I had at home. But after years of being in school that I had to speak and learn English.. it started becoming easier and I grew accustomed to it. I never did let go of my home culture though, I spoke Spanish still after learning English in school. I didn't have my parents helping me with homework, but I had older siblings who did and that made things easier.

Talking Point: Why should anyone drop their culture to fit into the public lifestyle?