Summary Of The Aria By Richard Rodriguez

Having the same language as others is something that brings people together-- whether it is around the dinner table, in an office, or in a grocery store. Language helps to bring people together and is a curator for community building. And in the eyes of many, this community that stems from a language is true, as long as the language being spoken is one that they prefer. For a long while there has been a “hierarchy” of language, and English sits a top of the food chain. When English is glorified, it is seen as the key to success and continuously other languages have been pushed out and looked down upon-- resulting in closed off cultures for others. Many Americans believe that the United States should continue to be a monolingual country--and

As constant eurocentric remarks about how “your language” is lesser and english is the main language “we” speak in America, bilingual speakers will soon begin to become closed off and shut down. This is what happened in The Aria, a first hand account written by Richard Rodriguez, where a young boy’s culture becomes seized in the first moments of going to a new

Just as Richard refrained from talking in his school “unable to respond” (Rodriguez 318), Candelaria chose to remain quiet as well. Due to the fact that he was blatantly told not to speak his native language in class, according to the nun “the language of this classroom is English. This is America” (Calenderia 118). These remarks further prove how important it is for most Americans that the United States remains monolingual, and it proves why families grow apart-- because they are scared to speak in fear of societal backlash. Nash, who was repeatedly told to speak English at school or “you’re in trouble” (Calenderia 118), got pulled in two different directions also being told to “talk in Spanish” by his friend Chango (Calenderia 118). This bounce back and forth between two languages and cultures left Nash distanced from both of them, and with each passing day the Spanish culture he knew became more isolated-- similar to his feelings. As Nash’s Spanish culture started to slip away, a rift was created in his family. The move closer into the city that Nash’s family decided to take “created a family uproar that left hard feelings for a long time” and resulted in a family fight between Nash’s dad and his brothers. Their decision to move and “to use English as his (Nash) main language”