Education is what keeps society going in an advancing world of technology, discourses and knowledge. It is the key to upward social mobility. When analyzing our society and how it has developed we will see how education has played a central role in ensuring we have a better future. Not all forms of education are valued within this society. Richard Rodriguez believes bilingual education is a form of education that is a waste of time and resources while living in the United States. In the United States education is centered around English and any other relevant standard subject should be taught in the curriculum. Rodriguez believes that education should only be related to the assimilated culture. Considering his background, he came from a lower-middle class family where they did not have the best resources but, they had better than others. Going to a Catholic grammar school for Rodriguez was the key to assimilating to American culture and to why it is the holy grail to surviving and thriving in this society. However, this does not apply to bilingual education for him. Rodriguez willingly forsakes his native tongue in order to obtain his middle class success. The point of education should be to build upon a discourse in any way possible regardless of what languages are involved in the process. Education should encourage an individual to think and develop their own view of the world in order to be able to add to the diversity which makes any society beautiful and functional. One should assimilate to a certain extent but, that does not mean that one should assimilate entirely.

You do not have to assimilate completely in order to be successful. The purpose of education should be to educate a person into being able to function properly in society so that he or she can contribute to society. When Richard Rodriguez explains that education is important he only acknowledges the importance of knowing English fluently. He is a scholar of both UC Berkeley and Stanford University, he is an eloquent writer that has expressed the importance of education in the United States. He goes on to explain why assimilation in education is a necessary task for anyone who wants to “get ahead” in this country. “Learning is a rite of passage into the group. (Remembrance is itself an activity that establishes a student’s dependence upon and union with others.)” (Rodriguez 94) He goes on the emphasize that learning the ways of the dominant culture is the only way to truly fit in. This includes not only learning just the basic education from school but this also includes what language one uses when in public. This is one of the other key components that ensures one social status within the dominant society/hegemony. For him he expresses that being able to speak English the dominant language has enabled him to advance himself not only that but be able to be assimilated within American society. This assimilation alone is what has made him a “middle class,” man that has the leisure to do as he pleases. He firmly believes that his success can all be done without ever needing his “ugly”Spanish language. Despite all of his credentials within this discourse the majority of his argument is based not only on his knowledge but also on his shame. This is the main flaw in his methodology for remedying how education can be the key to one’s success. Education for him means knowing the dominant culture's language and disregarding everything, to assimilate. Rodriguez discards the notion that bilingual education is important in this society. He fails to realize that individuals bring more value to education if they have their points of view in tact.

A person’s interpretation can make a difference on how they can take in different perspectives when approaching education. Rodriguez touches briefly on the importance of having a unique perspective when trying to assimilate. “ [I] was merely bookish, I lacked a point of view when I read. Rather I read in order to acquire a point of view.” (Rodriguez 68) He understood that he had to think critically for himself if he wanted to be able to interpret the world that was around him. His point of view is what has made him a great success within his discourse. The path that he paved for himself is a successful one nonetheless. However, he did not have to fully assimilate himself to be successful, that was a path he selected for himself. Hunger of Memory is his requiem for the past; the title is a direct statement of regret for leaving behind his culture, childhood, individuality, and language. His full fledged assimilation has caused him to lose a part of himself. There should be some degree of assimilation when you are in a diverse population like the United States. You should learn English in order to communicate but, that does not mean you lose all other aspects of your interpretations, culture, and language.

Fully submerging yourself into assimilating into the dominant culture will wash away characteristics that bring out your uniqueness. By doing this you lose the beauty of your culture. Richard Rodriguez seems to have the desire for his audience to assimilate fully into the culture. In his argument however, he laments greatly on how he wishes his childhood fears would not have taken away part of himself and his language, culture, and intimacy.

I turn to consider the boy I once was in order, finally, to describe the man I am now.

I remember what was so grievously lost to define what was necessarily gained. I am

tempted not to say that none of this [change] mattered. In adulthood I am embarrassed

by my childhood fears. And, in a way, it didn’t matter very much that my parents could

not speak English with ease. (Rodriguez 5, 13)

While Rodriguez is melancholic about not being able to have that intimate connection anymore with his family, he does acknowledge that this change in his life did affect him profoundly, on an emotional and mental level. He has isolated himself to assimilate fully into American middle class culture when he did not have to do so. But, because of his shame and how he felt about being of Latin descent he forced himself to be isolated. His drastic way of assimilating in U.S. culture diminished his childhood to where he can not remember it as fondly.His education has been a blessing and a curse for him; the education Rodrigez received gave him glory but, it stripped away his culture. He did not just lose his culture he also lost the ability to be bilingual.

Education is a powerful force that can dictate how one will influence the world. In Richard Rodriguez’s case he decided to tell the world that assimilation is the only way to being successful. From his interpretation and successes he does make a valid point: assimilating is good. However, it is not necessary to assimilate fully to the U.S. culture. You only need to assimilate to some degree in order to create a successful life here. If you do fully assimilate you lose cultural values, and everything that makes you rare. You will be well educated like Rodriguez however, you will deprive yourself of your cultural identity and language. You can keep your culture, individuality, and language in the United State and still thrive. Mastering English is a necessary skill, but you should not forget about your native language. When you retain your native tongue in this ever expanding and diversifying country you will have better job security. Keeping your individuality will give any discourse a unique perspective. Your culture will be the key to expanding other’s minds and give people a different view of the world. A holistic view of the world in education would create a society that is beautiful and functional.