by Richard Rodriguez

Born in 1944, Richard Rodriguez spent his youth in Sacramento, California, where his parents settled after emigrating from Mexico. He recounts his struggle to master the English language and assimilate into American society in his acclaimed, though controversial, autobiography, Hunger of Memory (1981). The book, which among other discussions argues against affirmative action and bilingual education, drew praise from conservatives and scorn from many Latinos, establishing Rodriguez as a formidable presence on the American literary scene. In subsequent years, his regular Sunday columns in the Los Angeles Times and his appearances on Public Broadcasting Service’s (PBS’s) The NewsHour further broadened his role as an important commentator on subjects relating to Latinos, ethnic politics, Catholicism, California, and the West. Rodriguez’s second book, Days of Obligation, takes his readers on...