Aria

    Aria is short story that follows the life of Richard Rodriguez as he went from speaking only Spanish at home and with his family to assimilating into his everyday life and forgetting about his prior habitual ways. In this story shows a sort of idea of SCWAAMP especially with "American" and how this idea that we have a language that we are all supposed to be taught and learn is English. In the text Rodriguez says, "Following the dramatic Americanization of their children, even my parents grew more publicly confident. Especially my mother. She learned the names of all the people on our block. And she decided we needed to have a telephone installed in the house. My father continued to use the word gringo. But it was no longer charged with the old bitterness or distrust." (Rodriguez pg. 36.) As we read him and his family have integrated more into American Culture and society but what I found striking about this is how prior to this quote he had school officials tell his family that they need to speak English around the house more so that the children can learn more. I understand that this was supposed to be in the best intentions of the students but the problem is occurring, they are leaving what they know and there way of living behind. With the changes to the house by adding a phone and by the overall behaviors of the family they are leaving behind their language and their costumes. Now I am not saying they are entirely leaving everything behind but Rodriguez is forgetting Spanish. I find this interesting especially since America does not have an official language for the country. Supposedly it is supposed to be a big "melting pot" or as Leah mentioned in class "salad" of cultures and people and ideas. As Americans and I see this more and more as people are SCWAAMP is that they reject anyone who doesn't speak English as a first language. This idea of freedom of speech and that we live in a free country has a skewed meaning to it. Now I am not saying that its horrible or bad here because in America, we have it so much better than some other countries but it defiantly has somethings to work on in this regard. 

   The education system has little to no push for the students to learn a second language and it is only really taught to high school students after that window of understanding a second language is closed. Students typically learn a second language best before the age of 10. Now teaching this to students in even Middle school or High school they are going to have a lot harder time adjusting and understanding all the rules and ideas of the language when they have no prior idea of what or how the language is spoken. Even with language requirements in public school system, they are often a 2 year optional just to get into college with no real push for education or understanding the language. For Non-native English speakers there is this giant push for this radical understanding of English with high standards and expectations. 

  In my high school we had a foreign exchange program from around the world. There was this kid in my English class senior year who had been learning English for the past 3 and a half years as he lived and went to an American school. On a test or a quiz in this English class he had translated some of the English words back to Mandarin and the teacher had caught him using it. She spoke to him saying that he cannot use google translate. For what ever reason I was in a particularly hostile mood that day or maybe I was sick and tired of the mistreatment of minorities at Saint Raphael Academy but I spoke up against the teacher that day. I asked her why that a student who has only been in America and leaning English for 3 and a half years now cannot use google translate to further help understand what he is reading. She said that it was unfair. I questioned her further asking how it was unfair when everyone else in the class has been learning English or been assimilated into the English language since they were born. She just looked at me and shrugged and said "that is just the rules." I'm sorry Mrs. Gallagher no it is not the rules. You as a Catholic, White American, Abled Body, Property owning, PhD achieving, mother of 2 can defiantly stand up and change the rules except your are not going to because that's too much of a demand for your job. I know Milo wasn't the only student in this situation but I feel for anyone who is in a similar situation.