Rodriguez Reflection

 Rodriguez's text discusses his conformity to the English language in both his school life and his home life. Due to his lack of English, Rodriguez would often be called out by the nuns and expected to answer questions in English which is considered the native language. When he couldn't do this 'successfully,' the nuns decided to make a house call and encourage the parents to have all the children practice their English more. While this was a method that helped the children become successful in speaking English, it turned them away from their cultural native language and forced them to adopt English as their primary language and Spanish as secondary. 

As someone who works with children from different walks of life, I found the reading to be disheartening. In my field of work, we are expected to communicate in English and also encouraged to interact with children in their home language as well. This helps ensure that we are respecting the children's culture and also keeping true to the culture we are currently in and letting them know that they are seen.

At the end of the article, Rodriguez states, "They do not realize that while one suffers diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality." To me, this statement means his teachers did not understand that they were taking something away from Ricardo that made him feel like him. Instead of getting to know the language and understand it, they assisted with his conformity into society so that he would best blend in with everyone else. 

Aria is defined as: A long accompanied song for a solo voice. While we can agree that society plays a part in who we are, we cannot let that determine who we are.


Comments

  1. Dr. Joyce StevosDecember 3, 2024 at 1:32 PM

    From Jess: Tiaja - I enjoyed how you mentioned your work with children, it sounds like you’re
    striving to strike a balance between encouraging proficiency in English while honoring
    their home languages. This dual approach not only respects their cultural backgrounds
    but also helps them feel valued and understood, which is crucial for their development
    and self-esteem. I also liked your mention of "aria" and how you conveyed it as a
    metaphor for individuality in a collective society which was genuinely touching. Just as
    an aria stands out in a larger composition, each child's unique voice and background
    deserve recognition and celebration. How do you think educators can better support this
    balance in their classrooms?

    ReplyDelete

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