A middle-aged man contemplates telling his parents he is gay, rather homosexual, is this considered a family value? Richard Rodriguez is the author of the essay Family Values, the essay that contains the scenario above. Richard Rodriguez redefines the term "family value" in his essay by defining "family value," discussing what a family is, and discussing what "family value" is to a family.
             Richard Rodriguez redefines the term "family value" as what a family believes in. Such as whether their son should be homosexual or not. Whether the mother should work or not. These are prime examples taken from Rodriguez's essay. They stand as examples for every family's belief on these issues. He discusses that there are two types of families: the accepting family that nurtures no matter what is revealed, and the unaccepting family that may kick a family member out for not holding up the family values. These show what a family's values are by the way they handle the situation presented.
             A family, according to Rodriguez, is a mother, a father, and children. A mother is "traditionally the guardian of the family against America," or taking the side of whoever is in favor of closeness between family members. He points out that the mom nowadays is "forced to leave home out of economic necessity" to later show that there are some moms who have evolved, if you will, into moms who do not want to be mom anymore. Rodriguez says this could become a problem: what if moms refuse pregnancy in the future? He subtles this last statement by saying "mom is only becoming an American like the rest of us." Rodriguez seems to point out what the mom's job should be in the family when he says "the politician's wife is careful to follow her husband's sentimental reassurance that nothing has changed about America except perhaps for the sinister influenc...