The following post is a reflection on Richard Rodriguez Aria
Reading this article really made me think of my own experience growing up. Spanish was my first language. When I started school it was really hard for me to communicate with my teachers and classmates. So I felt like an outsider. This pushed me to stay quiet and keep to myself. My parents were also spoken to about why I was so shy and timid. They initially thought it was just me being a "bad" kid but i knew it was because I thought that what I had to say wasn’t valuable because no one would understand me. Richard also chose to stay quiet when he wasn’t able to pick up the language.
He also talks about the conflict that arises when Spanish speaking parents aren't able to relate to their children once they become fluent in English. This is also similar to my experience. Once I was fluent in English that's all I wanted to speak. Me and my sister will have conversations on the kitchen table in English. My parents made it a rule that only Spanish could be used while they were around.
Reading this article really showed me that I wasn't the only one who went through this. Like I was aware that their were kids going through something very similar than me but I was not aware that they were feeling the same heaviness that I felt. The heaviness of just being a kid and wanting to fit in but also embracing what makes you different. I feel that individuality should be celebrated and not oppressed by our education system.
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