VOICES AND SILENCES: LANGUAGE IS POWER

           ARIA BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

REFLECTION

          In Aria, Richard Rodriguez argues that in today’s society people are forced to lose a part of who they are, because they need to learn a different language in school districts.  In this article Rodriguez mentions that when he was going to school he did not know much English because this was not the language that he spoke at home with his family. Teachers eventually caught on and met with his parents basically forcing them to only speak English with him. To me this shows that this was the beginning of Rodriguez losing a part of who he was because if a teacher shows up to someone’s house, forcing them to all of the sudden switch languages spoken in a household just so that it is more convenient for them (in my opinion) that is taking away a part of individualism and a part of someone’s culture. Personally I think that this family should have only spoken a somewhat English in the household as well as Spanish or use a kind of “Code Switching” as Collier would say and use both in sentences because what language someone speaks defines who they are and defines their pride. I think that if the family would have done this then Richards father would have been more social with the family and tried harder with his family like with everyone else. “His children became so accustomed to his silence…But my father was not shy, I realized, when I’d watch him speaking Spanish with relatives” (Rodriguez).  I feel like maybe they could have had more fun with learning a new language as well as adding their own pride in the language at the same time if they spoke with both languages.

 

         Although I have never known of a teacher to show up to my friend’s house to make them change their language from Spanish to English, I do know someone who was one of my good friends that over time lost who they were because they basically were forced to only speak English at school because the teachers did not try to help him. This friend changed in so many ways. When he first came he cared for everyone and did not care if he was being too nice or what anyone thought about him. Overtime, he began to learn the language and from there on began to change. He became mean and so much different than before or you could say he became Americanized. He would make fun of people, he started to hang around the wrong crowd and make bad choices. He also did not have the relationship with his dad that he once had just like Rodriguez, throwing parties and not even talking when they were in the same room. To me this proves that by going to a school and having to change the language you originally spoke, makes people lose a part of them. Personally I think that we as a whole country need to fix this and let people speak the language that will help them have better future and not tear their family apart which I now see has happened more than once.

 

 

POINT TO SHARE: I feel like as a country we some how need to figure out how to deal with kids who do not speak either English or Spanish in a classroom. In my service learning even I do not know how to work with the children who do not speak English and I feel as though some of the teachers ignore them because they feel the same. Is there anything that we can do to make it easier for those?

PEGGY MCINTOSH- UNPACKING THE INVISIBLE KNAPSACK

After reading the article on McIntosh’s piece titled White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, I thought that overall it was a very interesting read. This article was mainly about how white people are born with privileges in which they are not even really aware of, that people in other races may not have. Peggy McIntosh also corresponds this with men and how they have this effect over women when it comes to having more privileges over women naturally.

In McIntosh’s article I could relate to when she mentioned some of the different advantages that whites have during an everyday lifestyle, compared to some other races. For instance when she mentions getting pulled over by cops. Personally I know that in my town, which is not a very diverse town, people who have windows that are tinted, or people driving that are not white usually get pulled over faster than someone who happens to be white. Some white people do not realize this but it is true and it is absolutely horrible. Just because someone is of a different skin color or does not have the nicest car does not mean that they are any different from the more expensive car. This also goes a long with people carrying backpacks. If a white person is carrying a backpack the police will not do anything where I live, if it’s someone of a different race they may be questioned. Stereotypes in this world today are worse than ever.

I could also relate to the advantage of when McIntosh mentions opening the paper or turning on the television and seeing a white race. In today’s society I do not think that it is right that blacks and whites have to have television stations that have our races mentioned in them. For instance BET (Black Entertainment), why does this station have to be named this as though whites are not in some way allowed to watch because it is not their skin color. People need to stop thinking that we need to be separate and are not privileged enough to watch the same stations as each other so we need to  make separate ones.

Overall I did agree with Peggy McIntosh in this article. I feel as though people do not see these privileges.  In the world today all races need to be equal from the minute they are born, not just one race. If not, this world will never end up changing.

Talking points : I like how McIntosh corresponded race with women and men. She is completely right and she made this article easier to understand when mentioning that. Men are naturally born to be better than women, we are starting to change this and hopefully we can do the same with race.

About Me

Hey FNED!
My names Jaclyn Greenman. I am a transfer student from Southern Connecticut State University and Three Rivers Community College. I'm from a town in Connecticut called Waterford near the beach where I have lived my entire life and I would not change it for the world. In my free time I play soccer at  RIC so when everyone is free come and check out a game! 
Over the summer I spent most of my time working at the New London Probate Court, as well as subbing at an elementary school, going to the beach, hanging with friends, and playing in a summer soccer league.
I decided to take this class because I really wanted to get a feel for how it is working in the schools that we will be visiting because at home I was in a different area that was not as diverse as the schools we will be going to.
Can't wait to get to know everyone!