Aria- Talking Points

“The Education of Richard Rodriguez”

Aria

Peter Siner  

Talking Points

Quote 1

“I was unable to hear my own sounds, but I knew very well that I spoke English poorly”

     The first quote that struck me was the one above. It seems as though Rodriguez felt like an outsider to the English language. Even though he was trying to speak the same way to fit into the English culture he was not able to. The language he spoke was still foreign to him. He also mentioned how much his parents struggled to both speak and understand English. At a young age parents are who you look up to, so to have parents that were also unable successfully communicate with others must have made it even more confusing. He was basically outside of the English “circle.”

Quote 2

“outside the house was public society; inside the house was private”

     This quote shows how Rodriguez divides his personal and social lives solely base on the language spoken in the two very different atmospheres. It seems as if Rodriguez never had an actual childhood development with his literary skills. While he believed his Spanish house was his private life and the English outside was social, the same would have applied if he was raised speaking English. In most households the way we interact and communicate differs from the way we communicate in the outside world. I don’t know if Rodriguez confused his inability to speak fluent English as being a continual barrier of language when in reality it could have just been a lack of maturity in his English. Rodriguez had no normal maturity from child to adult language because most of his efforts were contributed to simply speaking and comprehending English.

    Rodriguez also noted that English sounded unorganized and choppy while Spanish reminded him of home. As he began to learn English the gap was no longer mainly between himself and the “gringos” but himself and his own family. He began to learn English and accidentally step away from his own culture.

Quote 3

“Supporters of bilingual education today imply that students like me miss a great deal by not being taught in their families language”

    Rodriguez is pointing out that a lot is lost in the years of language development when the focus is on learning the language and not the content of the language and the maturity level. It was only later on that he realized he would have had an advantage if he had known both English and Spanish and excelled in the two languages. However his desire and his parents struggle to learn English became the main priority and so sacrificing his own culture and language was tolerable. While I believe if you come to the United States you should speak English I feel it is also important to keep hold of your family’s traditions and language in your personal environments.

Johnson Think Piece

Johnson, from Privilege, Power and Difference

     Johnson’s piece basically discusses the many social issues that are in our society. He talks about how humans need to be part of something bigger in life starting from birth considering we cant survive without someone else when we are born. We look up to people to tell us right and wrong and create rules and guide lines however this probably doesn’t help in some situations the way generations and generations of people carry a racist hate against people that aren’t their own gender, race, or sexual orientation. Humans cause much of this problem because of stupidity and ignorance against other people. Then again people also have the ability to change this mind set, I think that our generation is working on that, of course there are still some racist red necks all across the country and there are still the neo-nazis with their radical and ridiculous beliefs but most of this garbage is just passed down from their parents or grandparents. When you actually look deeper into racism it makes almost no sense, no one is better than someone else because of their skin color or beliefs. This is the United States our country is built off of diversity it’s who we are. Even though im white I was proud of the country and participated in the election of Obama, maybe hes not the greatest president we’ve ever had but he definitely promoted change he broaded the spectrum of possibility and success. I know I am getting a little off topic.. Johnson really tries to give the reader the understandin of the social indifferences in the US, he mentions that social status and class can be changed but appearance cannot and it is this which categorizes people from birth. I will say this however, while I agree that there may be a “white privilege” present and most of us know that theres some things that are easier for whites, I think the idea is starting to slowly lose its credibility as a vaid idea. I don’t think many people think they have all this extra power based on skin color. Maybe in the 50’s all the way to the early 90’s this would have made more sense but we live in the 21^st century. Youth has been stirring uprisings all across the world because they are sick of the garbage we are being served. Why should millions of the younger generation of Egypt be makings two dollars a day while their president bathes in the riches that they sweat and bleed for. Well they shouldn’t which is why Egypt is forming a democracy and their president is gone. Old ideas and old methods shouldn’t be what determines our generations and just like this idea applies to the people in the middle east right now fighting for their rights it should apply to the way people as whole think. There are always going to be stereotypes and racist ideas, there are people who are racist against whites. However I think authors such as Johnson will see their writings and ideas actually take effect, hes right people can change and we are the only ones that can change the ways people think about others but the day is coming where whether your black, white, Spanish, Chinese, gay, lesbian etc. we will all be recognized as humans with our own distinct qualities. Out with the old and in with the new.

ABout Me

I actually wasn't sure if the About Me section was a post or just contained to the About Me box.. Anyways..

My name is Peter Siner I was born in RI and I'm from Glocester, RI. After High School I decided I would like to go somewhere that was far enough away from home but close enough at the same time. So I went to URI and I was set on Marine Biology... or Archeology... or Teaching... or just something to do with History... or an Engineer..... needless to say I had absolutely no idea what I actually wanted to do. I started working at Newport Creamery in Smithfield, RI in my junior year of High School and I took a break from work my first semester at school, however when funds ran low I began working the weekends, the long drive (1hour) to go to work for a 5 hour shift really wasnt worth it that much when I took into account the money I was spending in gas alone. This whole working in Smithfield, going to school in North Kingston and staying at URI during the week and my house during the weekend really started to wear on me. It was towards the end of my Sophmore year that I realized it really wasnt worth the time and money to be going to URI, and at this point I had realized I wanted to teach history. Thankfully RIC has a great teaching program and now im saving thousands by staying home, working, and going to a school that I feel is much better than URI. All four times I was supposed to meet with an advisor at URI they "were sick" or "not available" not to mention I was sick of taking classes where if I showed up 20 times or 0 times it wouldnt affect my grade. So far I couldnt be happier with my choice of going to RIC.
Like I said I work at Newport Creamery and I have for about 5 years now, while I usually cook Ive been trained for everything in the store and I might try and shoot for a supervisor position once my schedule clears up a little.
Aside from school and work, my favorite thing to do is Travel and all the things that go along with it such as fishing, camping, kayaking, biking, and some amateur photography. So far Ive been to about 10 states and three countries, the Bahamas with my family, and two with my girlfriend Cassie: Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. It takes a while to save up for trips like these but its definitely worth it.
Like I mentioned before fishing, biking, and kayaking are great even when I'm home as well as golf, simming and many other outdoor activities.

Teaching for me would be the ultimate job because not only will I be teaching History which has always been my favorite subject but it should allow for me to have some free time over the many vacations schools have. Hopefully this class provides a gateway from college student to a teacher in the making.

Amazing Grace

"God bless Mommy. God bless Nanny. God, don't punish me because I'm black."

The above line stands out in Amazing Grace by Kozol. It's only in readings like this that most people come to the realization of what life is like on the other side of the fence. The article seemed to explain a place so foreign to the America I know that I began to get lost in the reading. It's difficult to comprehend a neighborhood where murder, drugs, and prostitution are a norm, especially for children, or where waking up the next morning is solely dependant on the weather at night. The excerpt above shows just how sad the childrens' living environment in these neighborhoods actually are. They actually believe this lifestyle they are living is a curse based upon the color of their skin.
Although equal rights have been fought for in the past it seems as though in some areas of the United States they still have not taken effect. These communities are plagued with diseases such as AIDS as well as drugs such as cocaine and heroine which lead to the use of dirty needles further spreading more disease. Also the incinerator used to dispose of amputated arms and legs as well as old hospital beds, cars, and broken televisions pollutes the surrounding neighborhood air. Just the thought of this is very unsettling, we complain when given the task of "taking out the trash", trying to imagine living next to something as toxic as this is very disturbing. 
The question I cannot answer is this, how can we as fellow Americans, and fellow humans make a difference. Although there were only a few places mentioned I am positive they are not the only ones. In a country that prides itself on equality and freedom there should be more laws and support that ensure just that.