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Summary: Assimilation
Review: This is one of the best books that I ever read. I found out a lot about myself within the pages that I read. There are a lot of different points of view within the book. If you do not agree with what the author is talking about, you could form your own opinions of what you are reading. The book is covered with topics from assimilation to Richard Rodriguez's family. After reading this book, it seemed like to me that a lot of what I read is very similar to my own life. I read this book for a class assignment. If it were not for the assignment I would ever have known about this book. After reading this book, I feel that I am in one way or another assimilated to the society that I live in. I never read the writing of an author that have so much love for writing and what he was writing about to produce a master piece that was so worth my time to read.
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Summary: Open and honest view of Richard's public and private life.
Review: Richard Rodriguez draws the reader into his life as a non-English speaking Mexican trying to cope in American society. The early depictions of his childhood fears caused by the nuns who intimidated him are vivid and endearing. He doesn't fail to state his views on bi-lingual education as well as affrimative action. He is poignant in illustrating his opinions on these issues. He is no longer afraid to speak out on situations that irritate him. Thumbs up to Mr. Rodriguez.
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Summary: Rodriguez presents to the reader the power of society
Review: Richard Rodriguez relates his own battle between assimilation and maintaing family tradition. He brings the reader to realize the power that society has, with it's ability to tear apart families and people. This struggle is presented with honesty in a well written book.
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Summary: Obviously, he stirs up quite a controversey...
Review: ...and he probably wouldn't be very pleasant to meet in person. However, the book as it stands alone comes from uncharted country, penned by a cartographer with a talent for shaping complex sentiments into sometimes literary, sometimes brittle, language. Rodriguez uses his talent with language to give those of us lost in this wilderness a map, showing us (first and second generations with origins in the third world and feet in the first, the wretched of the earth, the people without history) where he has already been.Neither Mexican nor American (at least in the WASP definition), and unable to balance on the hyphen between the two, Rodriguez is an outsider, and this is his sad, tragic song (as he says, these are essays composed in "sad, fuguelike repitition"). He is neither a proponent of traditional Mexican culture (exposing his relatives' resistance to change and Americanization) nor of American culture (he points out the self-indulgence of his own generation). Rather, he is a "comic victim of two cultures." Many have complained of his egomania, and those observations are probably at least half-true. However, there is a much deeper and more painful current to this book that few are willing to acknowledge. This book is about loss, and while Rodriguez says that his story is also a story of gains, it really is a story of loss. The closing scene of his family at Christmas, a meal of strangers connected by blood but separated by language, centuries, and deserts (remember his mother moving uncomfortably with a forced smile between conversations with her Americanized children, or the impenetrable silence and near abscence of the author's father), is a horrifying portrait of the silent conflict and alienation the first two generations (immigrant, American-born) have always faced in this country. While this book was more political and pro-Americanization, his second book of essays, "Days of Obligation", is much more "Mexican". In this book, the firm belief in Americanization has eroded, the foundation having been shaken by all of the demographic changes this country, especially the West Coast, experienced in the 10 years between the publication of the two books.
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Summary: This book is terrible
Review: There is absolutely nothing impressive or interesting in this book. Rodriguez relates to us the story of a boy who rejected the traditionally held values of his family, yet failed to assimilate into the dominant society. It should therefore be very uninteresting that he was a successful student because people who do not assimilate well, are likely to excel in school because they have less distractions.
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Summary: strongly written, Rodriguez serves a purpose in writing it.
Review: I am reading this book as part of my sociology class. It is easy to see the aspects of sociology which we have discussed in this book. The way Rodrigues writes, it is very easy to keep an intrest in what he is saying. And he says it well.
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Summary: Richard Rodriguez: Fact or Fiction?
Review: I was exposed to Richard Rodriguez's "Hunger for Memory" in my "Latinidad" Literature class. At first, the book seemed to me incredible, amazing in its ability to describe in such detail how it feels to grow up as a first generation American. However, after having considered Rodriguez's positions I became increasingly convinced that he was a fraud, or at least very confused. In the Prologue Rodriguez makes it very clear that "Caliban won't ferry a TV crew back to his island, there to recover his roots," yet, several years after writing "Hunger for Memory" Rodriguez accepts a narrating position for a BBC documentary on Mexican villages. Rodriguez makes it very clear that he is not the "minority" or "ethnic" scholar yet, he is still willing to represents "Hispanic" interests in conferences and he still stands up when they announce him as a "Chicano." Rodriguez, while not making it exactly clear in his writings, is evidently homosexual. His lifestyle is therefore incompatible with the Catholic church he still frequents even though he does not believe in church dogma. Rodriguez presents diametrically opposite ideas in his text. He, therefore,undermines his own arguments. The book loses its validity and becomes a pathetic attempt to explain why he is not Mexican. Rodriguez does not seem to understand that his refusal of his heritage is futile because no matter how educated he becomes the color of his skin will not change.
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Summary: I have been profoundly touched by this honest sharing.
Review: I had to read this book for an education class. Never have I been so impressed by one little paperback book. Never have I had my eyes opened so wide either. I feel a chance to better communicate with my students of Hispanic background now. I appreciate the honest sharing by Richard Rodriguez. Thank you for changing me.
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Summary: Rodriguez explains it all!
Review: Rodriguez introduced opinions to me that at first seemed off the wall. He his essays offer ideas on topics you would never expect him to have in consideration of his racial and cultural background. As he explains his strong controversial views, he exposes the reader to a new way of thinking. He defines ways in how corruption that stems from lack of communication and understanding can destroy any aspects of a good intention. People are all different and life is hard for everyone, sometimes the obstacle is simply acceptance of your situation. Rodriguez's mainly writes to an audience that does not relate to his life experiences, he writes to the world as an identified human being.
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Summary: Very interesting!
Review: I started reading this book knowing a little about the author. I was intrigued about the authors life and that he was able to cope with all His problems that he and that he is where he is today. What I don't understand Is that it took him so long to understand his family and why they are the Way they are. Life was very hard for Rodriguez and his family. There are times Though that I wanted to put the book down because it was sad to read. It was sad to read because his parents did not back him in many of his decisions In life. Which was the opposite for me. The book in general though is not Hard reading, but it has many political ideas like bilingual education where there Different ideas about this.
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