Analysis Of Richard Rodriguez s Piece `` Aria `` - 947 Words

Immigrants who come to the U.S. are faced with a culture that differs vastly from theirs. The process of cultural assimilation can be arduous, especially for the younger generation of immigrants. They often find themselves being pulled in two different directions by the expectations of their family and those of society. On one side, the family circle is urging them to remain loyal to their cultural traditions while society is pushing for a rapid transition into the dominant culture. In Richard Rodriguez’s piece â€Å"Aria† he states, â€Å"outside the house was public society; inside the house was private† (984). As portrayed by his quote, he suggests that there is a distinct separation between private and public culture. In his case, he realized that in order to be successful in America he must lose a sense of his â€Å"private individuality† (989) in order to gain â€Å"public individuality†. However, giving up a part of our individuality in order to be accepted into the mainstream culture does have its negative side. The article â€Å"Cultural Survival vs. Forced Assimilation: the renewed war on diversity†, explores how within Native American communities- particularly the Navajo tribe- the introduction of English is creating a language barrier between child and grandparent. Due to this, the younger generation won’t be able to pass on the stories of their people- since they are mostly transmitted through oral co mmunications in their native tongues. This example portrays how the introduction of