Aria By Richard Rodriguez (Reflection)

Richard Rodriguez's article sounded extremely familiar in the best way. It reminds me of my own life. Both my parents were born in Portugal and decided to come to America after they were married. My parents wanted to give my brother and I every opportunity possible. Today we still use Portuguese as our main language at home yet from time to time switch over to English.

Before for starting school my brother didn't know a word of English because my parents only spoke Portuguese to him. I feel like after he started school he brought the English language home. When I was born I would speak Portuguese with my parents and English to my brother which started the habit of going back and forth from English to Portuguese.

Once I starting school my mother had a difficult time speaking to me, she would say something in Portuguese and I would stare blankly at her. “I easily noted the difference between classroom language and the language at home” this quote made by Rodriguez perfectly sums up how I realized the difference between the languages I was exposed to. Afraid of losing our culture my mother enrolled my brother and I in a Portuguese school so that we could learn to read and write in Portuguese. At the time I dreaded going only because it would be regular school, then after school, more school….that was in Portuguese. Today I’m glad my mom enrolled us because I know how important Portugal is to my parents and to able to share the language of their homeland is really special to me.

The difference between the author and I was that my parents wanted to keep our original language at home yet still be able to use the “public language” every now and then. I believe learning languages is extremely important, it gives an individual the opportunity to travel one day simply be well knowledge. I am so passionate about languages that I decided to take French in high school instead of Portuguese because I wouldn’t be helping myself if I just took a class of a language I already know.

I am so pleased to know that I haven’t lost connection to my culture. My father tells me daily how he is proud of my brother and I of how we appreciate our language and where we came from. One day when I have a family I would like to teach my children the language my parents taught me and share with them the saying my mother always tells me “Eu Quero que fazes bem” I want you to do well.

I went to Canada this weekend for my cousin’s wedding (a very Portuguese wedding of course) and thought it would be fun to share a link about a daycare in Toronto that offers to teach French to young children of bilingual families.

Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol (Quotes)

     Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol was an extremely emotional reading. It broke my heart reading about what the people especially the children mentioned in the story and ones not mention, and what go through day in and day out. Clearly a different read from McIntosh's "White Privilege" article. It bothers me to know this truly happens in our world and how unjustly it is.

      My first quote is one that stayed in my mind during the whole reading “You just cover up…and hope you wake up the next morning”, made by a father of four during a cold night in December. I feel this is the thought of every family has in winter. It’s frightening to know that one is aware of their poor surrounding and can’t do much but hope to pull through it all. It makes me think twice about complaining about the cold ever again.

      “The medical waste incinerator, a new-looking building, is gunmetal blue on top and cinder block below. From one its metal sliding-doors, which is half-open, a sourly unpleasant odor drifts into the street. Standing in front of the building, Cliffie grumbles slightly but does not seem terribly concerned. “You sure that you don’t want a cookie?”” The fact that Cliffie walks by that building everyday knowing what happens there and doesn’t seem to frighten is one of disbelief. It’s like doesn’t bother him a building like that is in his community. I’m sure other children aren’t as brave as young Cliffie. If I were a child growing up there I’d be so afraid and would probably take extra measures to avoid that building and the smell.

     “The bed is covered with blood and bandages from someone else. Flowers are scattered on the floor. Toilet’s stopped with toilet paper. Bed hasn’t been made. I’d been through this once before. Either you wait hours until someone cleans the room or else you clean the room yourself.” This third quote illustrated to me the conditions of hospital rooms many from this area have witnessed time and time again. But what shock me the most was “clean it yourself” isn’t the point of a hospital to help? This isn’t a comforting area for people in need of help. So many don’t seek help probably because of the poor conditions presented. Also the set up in the waiting room, Why stay in the waiting when there’s a chance you’ll catch an extra something from the man next to you coughing up blood or the child behind you vomiting. 


One point I’d like to bring up in class is about the children. I feel that children experiencing such a traumatizing environment should  not happen in our society.

Me!

Hi! My name is Julie E. Gonçalves. I am extremely connected to my Portuguese heritage, I'm fluent in Portuguese and have been to Portugal many times. I am very close to my family especially with my older brother Michael :) and my cousin Lucinda from Canada. I tend to mash Portuguese and English together once in a while and my family still understands what I'm trying to say. I am a sophomore at RIC and my semester is going very well, of course some classes are more stressful then others, but I'm confident I'll make..i hope.....0.0 When I'm outside of school I take dance classes, I'm currently in Tap and Pointe, dancing is definitely one of my favorite things to do! I've been dancing for 10+ years and i don't see myself stopping anytime soon. When I'm not dancing around, I work at Fantasy Land which is like a big Chuck e. Cheese's and time tends to go slowly. But thankfully, my shifts go by faster with a little humor from my co-workers and the silly complaints from silly costumers. I also spend my time hanging out with my AWESOME co-workers outside of work and with Best Friend Anne Kelly (sound familiar?)

Random fact: I think snoopy is adorable:)