The Language Barrier In Hunger Of Memory By Richard Rodriguez

All members of Richard Rodriguez’s family, in an autobiography by Richard Rodriguez called Hunger of Memory, cope differently when moving to the United States of America because of the language barrier. In the beginning, his parents are optimistic while Richard and his siblings are struggling to find themselves in their new environment. However, with time, these roles switch. Richard’s parents seem to lose themselves as their kids find themselves fitting in with society. He and his siblings gain confidence as they learn the English language. However, the journey to learning a new language at a young age is something his parents can never relate to. Richard Rodriguez shares many experiences with his parents once they move to the United States

Richard became “A more and more confident speaker of English” because of his drive to learn (28). What he did not know to be a consequence was his fading relationship with Spanish. He was teased by his family members and called a “Pocho” (37). He was embarrassed to lose his ties with Spanish. His parents on the other hand, still remained close to the Spanish language and this is where Richard and his parents differ dramatically. He was impacted more by the English language than his parents. All of his ties with Spanish as well as with his parents began to disappear. Richard even states that once “English became [his] primary language, [he] no longer knew what words to use in addressing [his] parents” (30). The pressure on Richard as a young boy carried on into his adulthood and resulted in him fading away from his parents. His mother saw a common thread of behavior from Richard’s siblings as well. She noticed that they all grew silent when at home. Richard and his parents share a similarity psychologically when exposed more to the English language. It is almost as if they all became more depressed as the family learned more English. For example, Richard’s home “each afternoon was quiet. Intimate sounds no longer rushed to the door to greet [him],” proving that the exposure to the English language had a similar effect on his entire family (35). Also, with the loss of his Spanish speaking ability came shame. Richard claims that her “never managed so gracefully” when talking in Spanish, he “was cursed with guilt” whenever he had to respond to a Spanish conversation with broken up Spanish or