Hunger Of Memory

Richard Rodriquez, Hunger of Memory Caitlin Rennell

Quotes:

"Memory teaches me what I know of these matters; the boy reminds the adult. I was a bilingual child, a certain kind---socially disadvantaged---the son of the working-class parents, both Mexican immigrants."
This quote means that Richard's memories are what reminds him that he was the outcast at one point. He was a son of Mexican's who traveled over here to America to live a better life. They work hard for their kids. He's memory is of how he was disadvantaged in the fact that he didn't speak english, so he had to struggle to learn it and communicate with people around him.
This contributes to the reading because this reading is about his childhood growing up as a boy fluent in spanish not being able to understand anyone. His parents started to speak english at home instead to help him and eventually he looses his confidence in speaking spanish.

"I grew up victim to a disabling confusion. As I grew fluent in English. I no longer could speak Spanish with confidence."
This quote means that he grew up confused on what language he should be speaking and knowing. The more he learned to speak english the more he lost his heritage and language of spanish.
This contributes to the reading because he was forced to learn english to become part of our society making him forget his heritage and his language.

"An Hispanic-American writer tells me, "I will never give up my family language; I would as soon give up my soul."
This quote means that the writer would never loose his heritage and language because it would be like loosing his soul.
This contributes to the reading because richard lost his soul because he gave up his family language when he learned english and grew up to it making him less confident in his language.

Questions/Comments:
I think this reading was very interesting in how it illustrated how important it is to remember who you are. It was good to read a little hard to follow at times but other then that good. It relates to SWAAMP which has to do with every other text we've read. It has to do with being someone other then white and who our english language is superior.
Why did his parents starting speaking english at home instead of keeping to spanish?
As an adult do you think he should make sure his kids grow up remembering their language and who they are?