Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood by Richard Rodriguez (1980)

(c)2002 Mount Holyoke College Margaret Scott 

Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood is about the childhood of the author Richard Rodriguez as he struggled to grow up speaking in both English and Spanish. In particular the fact that while learning to speak perfect English in school, he lost his ability to speak Spanish. Thus, loosing his culture and heritage. The author Richard Rodriguez is an American writer. Most famous for his work Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez which was met with critical acclaim and several literary awards. He is most known for his opposition of bilingual education. His main audience in this essay is American educators, as his essay talks mostly about the ill-advised way at which they teach bilingual children. His overall message is the the opposition to bilingual education.  He supports this message through the use of Pathos. Throughout this essay Rodriguez writes about assimilating to American culture. He illustrates the immediate shift from Spanish to English in school and how his American identity was only found by separating himself from his family, culture and heritage. I do think his use of pathos was affective, only because it highlights these struggles and makes the audience feel bad for Rodriguez's loss of heritage. Overall showing the ill-advised ways of teaching and Americanizing bilingual children.