Richard Rodriguez: Aria
Biography
Richard Rodriguez was born on July 31, 1944. He is an American writer and has written several books. Rodriguez had been a teacher, international journalist, and has been on the PBS show NewsHour. His book Days of Obligation: An Argument With My Father was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Rodriguez is currently writing a book on Judaism, Islam, Christianity and the desert.
Rodriguez's Theory
Rodriguez argues that it is more important to embrace "public identity" (English) even if it means sacrificing a "private identity".
Rodriguez Says
"So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality" (p,39). When students are put into schools and they assimilate, they don't really care if they lose their private identity because people only accept their public identity. Public identity is very important because it is the only way to fit in. Rodriguez's idea and theory was almost the opposite of Collier. Collier argues that teachers need to embrace a students first language and Rodriguez argues that "public identity" (fitting in with everyone else and showing no differences) is most important to young students that are going through assimilation.