Sunday, May 1, 2011

HUNGER OF MEMORY: The Education of Richard Rodriguez



"A primary reason for my success in the classroom was that I couldn't forget that schooling was changing me and separating me from the life I enjoyed before becoming a student."

Hunger of Memory Resonated With This Reader

I could not take my eyes off this book when I first saw it, with its romantic sepia-toned image of a mestizo young man, staring off into a dream. It captured my imagination. What were his thoughts? I wondered. What did it mean to "hunger of memory?"

Nothing could've prepared me for it.

I read Richard Rodriguez's autobiography, a collection of six essays, with a constant churning in my stomach, feeling all-the-while, as though I'd stolen the man's diary and invaded his deepest, darkest thoughts.

Rodriguez's story is one threaded with guilt, regret, and longing for his Mexican culture, language, his private (home) life. The one he had no choice, but to give-up, in order to assume his place in public society. 
"For the first time I realized that there were other students like me, and so I was able to frame the meaning of my academic success, its consequent price -- the loss." 
Reading HUNGER OF MEMORY, I came across three central issues that have left my brain in knots (still):

  1. Private identity vs. Public identity -- what have we (who've assimilated) given up of our private identities (culture and language) to assume our place in public society?
  2. Bilingual education -- does bilingual education do more harm than good? Does it take away a child's right to assume their place in public society by teaching them in their "private" language?
  3. Affirmative action -- is there a point at which affirmative action in education gives an unfair advantage to somebody who may be a "numerical" minority, but not a "cultural" minority, someone who's already assimilated?

I don't think I could've picked a more provocative book to read for the Multicultural Awareness Blog Carnival. I'm afraid that instead of finding answers for myself, I've dug up more questions.

So I have to ask...

Whoever said we couldn't hold onto our individual ancestry, culture, language, and be members of public society? Does it have to be all-or-nothing? I certainly don't, nor will I accept it.


Video: Richard Rodriguez on Books Learning

In this hour-long video, Richard Rodriguez explains why he does not consider himself a cultural "minority." He also addresses "multiculturalism" from the perspective of groups who silo themselves at the expense of having an expanded world-view.

Be sure to stay for the Q&A. In it he talks about the beauty of Octavio Paz's poetry, how he believes that U.S. television will feature "brown-skinned" actors who look like him, mestizo (this video is dated 1999), long before Latin America does, and his views on justice in America.

Richard Rodrigez is a complex thinker. He identifies himself as a Mexican-American, while at the same time acknowledging that he has a little bit of everybody else in him, too.

Listening to him is definitely a mind-bender. And although I don't agree with everything he says, I do appreciate his perspective.




"Once upon a time, I was a 'socially disadvantaged' child.
An enchantedly happy child.
Mine was a childhood of intense family closeness.
And extreme public alienation.
Thirty years later I write this book as a middle-class American man.
Assimilated."

14 comments:

  1. Ezzy, thank you for your thoughtful review of this book. It does raise a lot of questions! I love your point about hanging onto ancestry, culture and language. We don't need to live in a "melting pot" where it all blends into one boring culture. We need to keep our flavors distinct and separate; spiciness and richness add excitement to our world.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jen, I agree. What I've struggled with is trying to figure out why this scares a certain segment of the population. I had a relative through marriage who was indignant that I'd hang a Mayan calendar in my home, because we were in "America." I was bewildered. Can you say ignorant? I think that mestizaje, the mixing of cultures, is inevitable, over time. Look at Mexico, or even the U.S. Instead of being threatened by it, I think it's beautiful, interesting, more so when it has that "spiciness" and "richness," you mentioned.

    Very nice to meet you, and thank you for commenting. : )

    ReplyDelete
  3. So nice to meet you, too, Ezzy! I also wanted to share with you that I am a teacher and this book was required reading when I was in college. I had some very excellent professors who challenged us to think about the fact that school is much more than just the teaching of facts. There are so many complexities in the educational process that teachers need to be aware of when they are in the classroom. We are in a relationship with students, and should be both teaching our students and learning from them.

    I have not yet looked at your other book reviews, but your comments here also reminded me of another book I read in college "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya. It is another book about living between two cultures that fits your discussion here. Have you read it?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ezzy, this is such an interesting topic! I have a hard time grasping the concept of assimilation because we have fought so long to have some cultural freedoms, but I do understand his points that it leads to success. A true shame though, that you'd have to assimilate to be successful. I'm definitely going to look into this writer, because I'd love to hear more about his ideas. Thanks for the review and for being a part of the multiculturalism carnival!

    ReplyDelete
  5. fantastic. so well thought and eloquently said. everytime my mother accuses me of becoming americanized i often wonder what she sees. i am so proud of my roots and my country but raising children in the mainland is another story. ty for this.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am so glad you shared this! I have spent the last hour digesting it. As a "biracial" child I grew up educating myself and enjoying all the nationalities that made me and wondered why it was so hard for others to do the same. The last sentence of his speech hit the nail on the head.

    If we understood the power of the "I" we would understand that it passes through the "We".

    ReplyDelete
  7. I read this book as part of an Ethnic Studies class in college. I remember Rodriguez being held up as an example of the "old" way of thinking of America as a melting pot. Identity is a complicated thing, and I think there are factors of what we're given as well as what we choose. I do appreciate Rodriguez for being one of the pioneers in ethnic narrative and for paving the way for others to continue this dialogue.

    Grace @ HapaMama

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ezzy,
    What a thought provoking post! I want to read this book now and watch the video! (you must have a lot of viewers because I can't get video to pull up.)

    Loved ur thoughts on Richard Rodriguez's book.

    Un abrazo!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jen, lucky you that you read this book in college! I bet it made for an engaging and controversial discussion. I wish I'd read it years ago and can totally see why some might not embrace his ideas. I agree with you that education should be a two-way conversation. I'd be extremely interested in hearing your thoughts on the abolition of ethnic studies in the public school system in Arizona. AND THANK YOU for the book recommendation. I'll definitely check it out! Looking forward to reading your posts. : D

    Chantilly, I can totally see what you mean about fighting against the loss of cultural freedoms. I'm adamant that we shouldn't have to assimilate into this American culture and lose ourselves in the process. Quizas estoy loca. [Maybe I'm crazy.] What a wonderful idea to have this blog carnival. Thank you for putting the idea out there. I love that there are so many of us who aren't afraid to have this conversation. <3 Looking forward to reading everybody's posts!

    Adriana, un abrazo, amiga. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. That it meant something to you. I agonized over whether or not I wanted to go there. This isn't a topic that I've ever felt comfortable discussing, I find strength in knowing that others have or have had similar thoughts. Muchisimas gracias.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Grace, thank you for commenting. Yes! "I think there are factors of what we're given as well as what we choose." Making peace with the two sides of that statement, I think is where individual peace resides. Discussions around identity are complicated and sometimes "sticky," perhaps because it's near impossible to find agreement on a topic that's so individual. Thank you, again!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tara, I'm glad you enjoyed reading the post and that you want to read the book. Yay! You know I'm all for reading. : D I hope you get to watch the video. Really, really interesting guy. I enjoyed the last ten minutes as much as the meat of his talk. There's always good stuff in the Q&A. Thanks for commenting!

    ReplyDelete
  12. That's a striking cover and it sounds like a thought-provoking book.

    That video amazed me. When he said, "I did not invent myself," I was shaken. It made me wonder who and what influenced me to be the way I am now.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The poem at the end is true for countless citizens who come from other countries or are the children of immigrants. It is true of my family, who came from Armenia and Greece.

    The tradeoff: Be "successful" by assimilating. The price... losing your heritage and perhaps some of their values.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Medeia, I really think you'd enjoy his memoir. I've watched this video three times and each time I take something different away from it. I'm all for having an expanded world-view, but I'm also a proponent of keeping what makes us unique. I'm glad you watched it! : )

    William, thank you for sharing your experience. The opportunity costs of assimilation are high. Particularly when it comes to our values. I don't believe those can be replaced. Nice to meet you, and thank you for commenting.

    ReplyDelete

I'd love to hear from you! Thank you for taking the time to comment. :-)