“An Hispanic-American writer tells me, ‘I will never give up my family language; I would as soon give up my soul.’ Thus he holds to his chest a skein of words, as though it were the source of his family ties. He credits to language what he should credit to family members. A convenient mistake. For as long as he holds on to words, he can ignore how much else has changed in his life.”

Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez (1982)

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Richard Rodríguez127

American journalist and essayist 1944

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Richard Rodríguez127

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