Being born to parents who speak Chinese, my first language was Chinese. Growing up, I struggled learning the complex language of English. I had to be in ELD, English Literacy Development, class for years and only until I went to middle school, did I not go to ELD anymore. I was relentlessly made fun of for my grammar in school and I was always afraid to bring Chinese food for lunch because I was scared of people making fun of me. For every good grade I get on a test, I wonder if people will think about the stereotype society has placed on Asian people, all Asians always get good grades. Like me, essayists Richard Rodriguez and Martin Espada are bilingual. Their essays are about their stance on the term, bilingualism. To me, bilingualism is …show more content…
In the essay, “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School”, Espada witnesses the hostile actions thrown to students at school who speak a language other than English. The students have spoken in Spanish to each other and the lunch people overheard them and automatically assumed that the students were talking unpleasant thoughts about them. They told the principal of the school and she agreed to prohibit Spanish at lunchtime. This shows that people don’t have the freedom to be able to speak their second language in public without wondering constantly if there would be any hostile actions towards them. I also believe that people shouldn’t be forced to learn English and they should be able to learn English when they want to. Because eventually, they will need to learn English out of the necessity to communicate with others. In the excerpt from the essay, “Hunger of Memory”, Rodriguez explains the obligation he has to learn the public language of society, English. He suggests,”I would have delayed - for how long postponed? - having to learn the language of public society?”(22-24). Rodriguez believes that he would have to learn English one way or another, because English is a language of society and he would need to understand English in order to communicate with others in his
Espada believes that being able to speak your native is your personal way to stay connected to your culture, Bilingualism to Espada its more than speaking 2 languages it a piece of your identity. In his essay, he states "He can rip my tongue out if he wants. but it won 't work, (because I speak Spanish with my heart)"(7, 97-100). Espada takes the view of it 's not a skill that developed it 's something you 're born with, something that can never be taken away. Unlike Rodriguez who states that Spanish is a private language, and English is a public
Language can also be a disadvantage to those traveling or relocating. I am an undoubtful believer that wherever you may be, you should not be limited by the language you speak. Martin Espada’s “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School” addresses the difficulties and struggles while putting them into perspective. Espada was in 1957 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He used to work as a tenant
Aria by Richard Rodriguez Aria is an essay written by Richard Rodriguez's. Throughout this essay Rodriguez tries to show the leader a part of life that not every is able to experience. Richard uses this particular writing to show how hard he had to fight during his childhood years to learn the English language. Although he wasn't too happy about speaking English, he knew it will help him try and fight into society. Not only is he having to face society, but also struggles with life at home, and trying to live up the standards of the “normal” English student.
Imagine being punished for saying one word or phrase in your first language that just comes natural to you. This is another example that makes the audience question their own beliefs on the “English only”
One component he elucidates in his essay is that speaking SPanish will earn you a sense of belonging. He begins this excerpt from his book by telling his story of being forced to speak English in school when he only knew spanish. At first as a child he didn't realize that he needed to learn english. He learned that it was a good thing to be forced to speak it because in the edn, it would help him in his career, education, and in this case, his public belonging. When he gathered the courage, one day Rodrigues raised his hand to answer a question.
In writing, authors chose particular words and phrases to effectively convey their message or to engage the reader. Writer's word choices, also known as diction, can help communicate ideas, reveal emotion and opinions that they may have toward something or someone. There are many different levels of diction such as formal diction, used by Richard Rodriguez in his autobiography The Hunger of Memory, and neutral diction, used by Charles Bukowski in his novel Ham on Rye. The use of diction in these pieces make the stories come to life in the reader's head. Richard Rodriguez uses very formal diction in his autobiography,The Hunger of Memory, his words express his emotions and motives of being a writer.
The documentary “Invisible Indians” argues that the Mixtec indigenous people of Oaxaca are both misunderstood and mistreated, when they are fighting to be seen and heard. Throughout the film, examples are given of how the Mixtecs are exploited for cheap labor forces, getting little to no benefits all for the hope of not only achieving a better life for themselves, but also to provided for those who they left behind in Oaxaca, as they travel north. The documentary starts off by describing some of the push factors that have driven the Mixtecs out of Oaxaca, so that the viewer can have a more indebt understanding to why the Mixtecs are here and what they are working towards. As stated in the beginning of the film, the Mixtecs have for years been
Erik Alvarez Professor Bogusky December 02, 2015 INTRODUCTION Hello everyone, one of my earliest memories that I have from school is from my first day of kindergarten. I remember walking into my ESL, english as a second language class, & instantly being questioned as to why I was in there. My fellow classmates assumed I was asian because of how I looked and teased me to the point of tears. In reality, I am of Guatemalan origin.
The struggle of language barriers play a huge role in my life. Once I became proficient in my second language, English, I automatically
Language forms a part of culture and identity. Bilingualism is the right to speak multiple languages. Part of bilingualism is keeping and developing a passion for language. In the essay “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School,” Martín Espada suggests the definition of bilingualism and the importance of keeping it. Espada understands the difficulty of continuing to speak Spanish.
My Rhetorical Analysis Language is a part one’s identity and culture, which allows one to communicate with those of the same group, although when spoken to someone of another group, it can cause a language barrier or miscommunication in many different ways. In Gloria Anzaldua’s article, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, which was taken from her book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, she is trying to inform her readers that her language is what defines her. She began to mention how she was being criticized by both English and Spanish Speakers, although they both make up who she is as a person. Then, she gave convincing personal experiences about how it was to be a Chicana and their different types of languages. Moreover, despite the fact that her language was considered illegitimate, Anzaldua made it clear that she cannot get rid of it until the day she dies, or as she states (on page 26) “Wild tongues can’t be, they can only be cut out.”
He later found the different between the two languages. For example, classroom language is the same as public language while home language is the same as private language. Rodriguez felt more comfortable in speaking Spanish, his private language, than English. Therefore causing him to not really participate or speak in class. Out of the blue, his teacher came to visit his family asking “ to encourage your children to practice their English when they are home.
Confident Relationships Built on Language Wouldn’t it be exciting to grow up learning more than one language? Imagine being in Japan for a week on vacation with a group of friends, and one day decided to go to the oldest zoo in Japan, Ueno Zoo. To get to Ueno Zoo, riding the bullet train was a necessity, except knowing which line was the correct line, when to get off the bullet train, or even which ticket to buy was a daunting task. Nobody in your group has the confidence to ask the workers for help since they don’t have the knowledge of Japanese to help them.
Tan noted that in general, Asian Americans perform better on math and science achievement exams than on English ones. The low representation could be the result of Asian American students who use broken or limited English being steered away from writing into math and science. Similarly, in “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named María”, stereotypes and popular portrayals of Latina women as domestics or waitresses have partially led to the denial of opportunities for upward mobility among Latinas in the professions. Whether misrepresentations are brought on by the analysis of someone’s appearance or their linguistic abilities, those stereotypes and misjudgments can hinder the potential for growth and success of an individual within their
The term “transgender” is a label that was never used until the mid 1960s. According to history, “Psychiatrist John F. Oliven of Columbia University coined the term transgender in his 1965 reference work Sexual Hygiene and Pathology (“Transgender”)”. When a transgender person desires to be the opposite gender, they may get an invasive surgery to fully transition into their new identity. Multiple transgender people have started to announce the having of the surgery has destroyed their future (Bindel). People have the right to be whatever gender they aspire to be, but transgender people should do public activities and should stay grouped with their biologically assigned sex.