Thursday, September 5, 2013

Blog Post 3: Rodriguez Questions



Did your family support/value your education path?
It seemed like Rodriguez’s family supported his education path very much, they just did not know how to show it. Rodriguez usually would focus on his current book or studies and rarely interact with his family; it was this lack of interaction that made it hard for his parents to show how they felt. Although, it was said that his mother was always saying “get all the education you can; with an education you can do anything” (604), while his father “recognized that an education … could enable a person to escape from a life of mere labor” (604).

What is the literacy background of your parents?
Rodriguez’s mother came to America and was awarded a high school diploma, even though she could hardly read or write. “On her own, she determined to learn how to type. That skill got her jobs…” and she continued to work hard until she became more fluent ad was able to get a full time job (603). Rodriguez’s father had been doing manual labor before he moved to America, but the move did not change much. He continued to work very hard in dead end jobs and in “clean” jobs (604). Neither parents went past high school. 

What are your experiences with reading? Positive/negative?
Rodriguez’s experiences with reading are positive. He would read anything the nuns told him to read and then he would wait for the next one. He was always excited and looking for the next thing to read. 

What level of access did you have to educational support?
Rodriguez had access to educational support mainly from the nuns. It wasn’t too far into his schooling when his parents could no longer help him. Although, Rodriguez rarely needed help; he usually just sat and did his own work alone. 

Do you speak another language?
Rodriguez and his family are originally from Mexico and their native language is Spanish. When they moved to America, Rodriguez went into the second grade “barely able to speak English” (597).

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