This part of the book really made me realize that the pride that parents instill in their children in their home environment, plays a part in their everyday life, weather inside of outside of the home. Richard was so frightened to "stray away" from his own culture, that he was unwilling to even participate in the classroom events. I think that the approach of the Nun to the child was a way that Delpit was suggesting in her book. It was direct and assertive and left no question on what she was expecting him to do. In this case, due to the fact that Richard was so confused on the whole "English/culture" difference, that he did not understand what he should do. Should he go against all that he has known and loved in his household, all that he has ever known to be true and real and have meaning to his life.The fear that he was experiencing in the classroom was a response to a change in the culture around him. Should he conform to the schools idea of 'culture', or should he conflict, and stick to his own idea if his culture.
"At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth: I was an American citizen."
When reading this line, I was thinking that Richard has finally accepted his fate and reality. That he finally seen that it was alright to be bilingual. It does not change the love that you have in your home-life. It does not mean that you are a "traitor". It just proves that he was adapting to the life of an American citizen. It does not change the culture of your family. It is more like a way to broaden your horizons.In the beginning of the book, Richard feels a sort of betrayal towards his family because of the English that was used in his school. I think that in the past years, before the seventies, , before bilingual was a concept, it must have been very difficult for the children to start school. There was only English that was acknowledged, and the other children that spoke another language had to learn to adapt. He states that it was in the seventies that the "Melting Pot" began to form and start to take place. When our educators realized that it may be better to educate if we "adapt" to the population of the different culture that had become our America.
"But the bilingualists simplisticallt scorn the value and necessity of assimilation. They do not seem to realize that there are two ways a person is individual. So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individuality by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality."
I will break this down in a simpler way that I can explain in my own words. Richard is trying to explain that there is not only one way to do things. There is not only one way that is the right way. A person can have an identity for themselves which can include two different types of learning and background. Richard is trying to explain that we can assimilate, and form a unity, a larger national family. The way we can do this is to change our way of thinking, and find a unity in the middle. He feels that this has helped him to form his "private individuality". If we all accept that bilingual is "Ok" and we all try to work together on this, we will form a tighter unity as a stronger community. I think it gave Richard a positive attitude, which in-turn advanced his intellegence because he opened up and gave it a chance. It did;t wreak his family ties, love or culture. It just expanded their horizons.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/3439561/ESL-Bilingual-Resource-Guide-for-Mainstream-Teachers-LANGUAGE-ACQUISITION-CHART
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