Mr. Rodriguez is trying to accept and combine both; the private and public lives that he lives but he is not really successful by doing so because he was young, he tried to remain to his private life, to remain to his ethnic culture but later on he also wanted to expand and experience America and its opportunities. The bilingual education works properly just in theoretical horizont but not in real life, because the bilingual children do not know any language perfectly. Without bilingual education people learn foreign language quicker, and they also easier assimilate into the society.
             Richard Rodriguez explains in "Memories of a Bilingual Childhood" how he grew up in the U.S.A., having a negative attitude towards learning public language. His parents wanted him to assimilate into the American society and the first step to do so is to learn English language properly. In fear of losing their culture, his parents urged him to stay true to his "private" culture and language of Mexico until they realized that this was not an effective method to aid his assimilation into America. He was torn between two identities. He wanted to be a part of the culture that surround him in school and in the streets. During his primary development years, his parents taught him to stay away from the Americans or as they called them "los gringos". And they also raised him with a pessimistic attitude towards Americans until he began formal education in regular school with nuns. Mr. Rodriguez continues complaining about his feelings in the firs grade. He felt very afraid and strange. The main reason why he felt like this was, because of the unsentimental acting of the nuns. The nuns were forcing him to speak in English. He had to speak loudly, in front of the entire class. He was not getting better at English language at all. The big brake in his life was when one Saturday morning three nuns came to his parents house...