Overall, I am heartfelt over the argument on affirmative action and bilingual education that Richard Rodriguez expresses in his autobiography, Hunger of Memory. Rodriguez reveals personal feelings that must be true because of the level of intimacy and support this autobiography provides. He goes in depth about the many impediments that he had to face on the road to education. He raises some very convincing and interesting points on his view of affirmative action and bilingual education. However, I find it disturbing that he reaps the benefits of affirmative action.
Hunger of Memory, is the poignant journey of a "minority student- who pays the cost of his social assimilation and academic success with a painful alienation "from his past, his parents, his culture - and so describes the high price of "making it- in middle-class America (202). Rodriguez opposes the ideas of affirmative action and bilingual education only because they add to the loss associated with education. He puts forward these oppositions to give an aspect from the supposed beneficiaries. As a result, he wants every one to know that as a "minority student- we have the ability to make it without receiving handouts. Rodriguez also states that bilingual education may not be in a student's best interest. .
Personally, I must take interest in Rodriguez argument because it is convincing. It is convincing because he induces a lot of support to his opposition on affirmative action. For example, Rodriguez states that, the strategy of affirmative action, finally, did not take seriously the educational dilemma of disadvantaged students. They need good early schooling (151)! He goes on to express his opinion that to improve the education of disadvantaged students requires social changes which educational institutions alone can not make, of course (152). It is a good thing to offer many of the less advantaged individuals incentives to strive for education, but how will they ever meet the requirements with only mediocre standards set by there primary and secondary schools.
