The Meaning of Work By Rodrigo Joseph Rodriguez

In the story The Meaning of Work by Rodrigo Joseph Rodriguez, Rodriguez talks about his fathers hard work to provide for the family. Often times, the father would say "If you study hard, you won't have to work like me" meaning that the father missed his chance to get a degree but his son still has a chance to make a difference. Some people might say working in high end jobs for good salaries is the way to go but I think everyone should do what they love to do as a job. I'm proud of my father because he's a car enthusiast since he was a teenager. Now he is the owner of a well known mechanic shop in the neighborhood.

And Then I Went To School By Joseph H. Suina

I can't relate to Suina's situation but my mother has told me many stories of herself on her past. Many people living a harsh life many end up leaving their family to have a better future by going to school. Apparently moving to America or learning English will help you live a lavish lifestyle and many people did that and left their family. Suina's life indirectly gets better when he gets treated for lice and starts learning English. Even though he was humiliated for poor English and having lice, it actually benefited him. If I were to have a better life by going to college, I would not risk everything to leave my family. Changing myself would make me unknown to my own family when I finally return from college.

Bricklayer's Boy by Alfred Lubrano

In the story Bricklayer's Boy, by Alfred Lubrano, the father works hard daily as a bricklayer to help support his family. His two rules were to make as much money as you can, to pay for as good a life as you can get and to be happy, which the essential answer is money. Alfred's father tried to live his life vicariously through him and it didn't really work out because instead of being a advertiser, Alfred wanted to be a journalist. Even though the father didn't like the path Alfred choose, he supported him and eventually everything worked out. Unlike Alfred's father, my father loves his job as a mechanic and he encourages everyone in the family to follow his footsteps. I'm still unsure of what I want to do in the future so it'll be a surprise for me to see where I end up.

Mother Tongue by Amy Tan

I do believe as Tan does, that the way that people speak affects our perceptions about that person's skills or abilities. I myself have experienced a situation in which I've been stereotyped because of my race. Just like Amy's mother, the doctors mistreated her because of her broken English. In a similar situation, people around me misjudge me and think that I am incapable of doing certain things just because I am Chinese and can't speak English. But when they find out that I can speak fluent English, the whole world opens up and everything goes normally. Language is also really different in New York City and I've come to realize that people, including myself adjust to different situations and we end up talking in a different manner. When doing business, we talk formally and when around friends, we may talk informally. I think we change the way we talk because we want others see that we fit into their requirements.