A contemporary issue that continues to shape my life is the lack of humanity within humanity. I feel as though the people that have the power to shape and change the lives of thousands are only concerned with the amount of power they hold. In this day and age, it seems as if empathy is a foreign concept to many people. I also feel that identity is lost so easily in our world because our society is constantly morphing and changing, especially in the United States. The US is historically defined as a melting pot, but in this rising wave of conservatism, it feels as if the different “flavors” are slowly disappearing. The US is becoming more of a dystopia, and it is because we as people are losing our individuality in order to comply with our societal standards. Instead of automatic acceptance, individuals that are different are expected to change themselves in order to gain that acceptance. This is a topic that Richard Rodriguez discusses at length in his book The Hunger of Memory. Also, George Orwell, in his writing of The Road to Wigan Pier, encapsulates how working-class citizens give their all so they can support themselves, but are forced to live in terrible conditions because the wages that they make from working are nothing in comparison to the people that benefit from their labor. This is how life is for most Americans, working tirelessly to get by with what they have, while the people above them have no qualms about living comfortably and making money.

First, I wanted to think about what Rodriguez meant by “Hunger of Memory.” It was a process, having to learn English and insert himself in the American world. The more he learned, the more he lost. He began to forget how to form his sentences in Spanish, while he could still understand Spanish, speaking the language became something he found to be difficult. His memory yearned for the knowledge he had beforehand, before his life had changed. He wrote, “I remember what was so grievously lost to define what was necessarily gained” (Rodriguez, 5).  This quote perfectly describes the difficulty of assimilation, and the downsides of this process. While he did gain his place as an “American,” Rodriguez lost his roots which were such an integral part of his identity.

Rodriguez separated his “American” identity from his own identity. Who he was at school vs. who he was at home were two separate entities. “At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth: I was an American citizen. But the special feeling of closeness at home was diminished by then” (Rodriguez 22). After having to speak English for so long, Rodriguez began forgetting how to speak Spanish, understanding but not being able to converse: “…we want you to speak to us in Spanish….But I couldn’t do it. Pocho they called me” (Rodriguez 28-29). “Pocho” is a disparaging Mexican slang term that is used to describe a Mexican-American that has lost their cultural identity due to assimilation. He had to sacrifice a part of who he was in order to blend in with the people around him.

Almost everyone can relate to the feeling of not fitting in somewhere, being outcast for having different interests, or being different at all. Fear of isolation because of individuality has given rise to a generation that mimics the actions and choices of one another. For instance, in this day and age, when you walk in any high school or middle school, you will see a lot of kids that dress and act in the exact same way. I remember in high school, there were bunches of students that would dress in the same manner, and behave in the same manner. This hive mentality is definitely real, and it tends to be very harmful, because it does not encourage free thinking. It fails to leave room for creativity and thinking outside of the norm.

One other thing that I observed was seeing that the students that all wore the same style of clothing would often talk about those that would not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with dressing how one wants. But, with the hive mindset that drives individuals to feel that they have to be the same as everyone else to be deserving of respect, students are going to feel apprehensive about being their own person and making their own unique choices. It may not appear to be a serious issue, as teens and young adults love to follow trends, but this lack of individuality in schools will continue to follow these kids into adulthood. They will learn to not go against societal standards, and to follow what they see. This is a subtle form of conditioning, which is why it is harmful for our society. We can see how people are ostracized for not following the beliefs of many.

Speaking of beliefs, Catholicism has a strong existence in Rodriguez’s family as they were devoutly Catholic, and he began attending a Catholic school when he was six years old. While he would learn the basics in his subjects, regular Christian values would also be instilled. He writes, “5 times 5…5 times 9; i before e except after c; God made us to know, love, and serve Him in this world” (Rodriguez 94). While this makes sense because he is attending a Catholic school, it is an example of how religion has a strong presence in the country, and is instilled in children at a young age. There are traces of Christianity in the US almost everywhere, for example, in schools where students recite the pledge of allegiance in school everyday. The phrase “one nation, under God” is meant to show that we are all united, but I do believe this could also be seen as Christianity being the forefront of the US as well. Of course, freedom of religion is a right all Americans have, but it is clear which religion is stressed most.

As much as America is a melting pot of different cultures, and America has a history of erasing the history of other nations and groups. An example of this is when Hawaii was occupied by the US, and Hawaii became “The Republic of Hawaii”, Act 57 was passed, banning the Hawaiian language as the primary language in schools and forbidding children from speaking the language in school. This caused many generations to forget their mother language. Luckily, however, parents began teaching their children at home and the language slowly made a return in Hawaii.

Rodriguez also had a complicated relationship with being forced to learn English. “A primary reason for my success in the classroom was that I couldn’t forget that schooling was changing me and separating me from the life I enjoyed before becoming a student” (Rodriguez 47). Rodriguez was angered and resentful at having to learn English because Spanish was his safe space. Ricardo felt socially disadvantaged and considered Spanish a private language. Rodriguez’s parents encouraged him to speak English at home, and that made him angry, but he could not deny the fact that the more he was encouraged to learn, the more he enjoyed going to school. Rodriguez became a more active student in his classroom, and his ambition only grew from there.

Rodriguez writes, “It is education that has altered my life. Carried me far” (Rodriguez 24). Rodriguez pays homage to education as it had played a major role in his life, and getting him to where he is now. Education is a staple in the world. This is an irrefutable fact because it is educated minds that have brought humanity far. With an education, you gain the ability to further yourself, and make a change in not only your life, but another’s. Doctors, teachers, scientists, politicians, and world leaders all needed an education to get where they are; unarguably, the power of education cannot be doubted.

Furthermore, Rodriguez shed light on what it was like for his parents to immigrate to California in order to give themselves and their children a good future. As of 2023, immigrants make up 14.3% of the US population, and certainly two years later, that number has only increased (Gramlich and Passel). For some, it has always been an issue of the immigrants coming to America legally vs. illegally, and there has always been mixed emotions about the people that have come to America for a better life. However, something that cannot be denied is that these immigrants are crucial to America. Americans eat the foods that they harvest, live in the homes they build, work in the buildings they construct, and eat the food they cook. No matter what anyone may think, their influence and help cannot be ignored. It is obtuse for someone to ignore the impact they have.

So, I ask that we put ourselves in their shoes. Imagine coming to a completely new place, and having to assimilate and learn new customs, a new language, and if you have children, all you want is for them to have an easy life. You want to see your kids succeed. Anyone can relate. That is where the sense of empathy needs to be applied. Instead of demonizing immigrants, and worrying about how harmful they can be, or judging them, individuals should give them the same grace and respect as they would any other hard-working American.

In The Road to Wigan Pier, George Orwell focuses on the working-class citizens in Northern England, and how they’re essentially the backbone of the society, working endlessly to provide coal for everyone. The chances of miners dying while on the job are not slim, and many workers do end up dead or injured. Despite horrid conditions, and the elevated risk, the miners continue to work because they need to support their families. These people that work so hard are the reason that their society can function how it does. Orwell writes, “You could quite easily drive a car across the North of England, and never once remember that hundreds of feet below the road you are on the miners are hacking at the coal…it is the miners who are driving your car forward” (Orwell 34). He follows this saying “…it is only because miners sweat their guts out that superior persons can remain superior” (Orwell 35). This is reminiscent of how the working-class citizens in America fuel the country. Every day, tired teens, adults, and sometimes even elders, work eight to twelve hour shifts to provide for their welfare. I can attest to this, working almost every day during the summer, hesitant to call out because as tired as I was, I did not want to lose any money. I can understand how the miners must have felt. In America, CEOs, managers, and other people in a high position would not be where they are without the workers that keep their company afloat. A company is nothing without the workers that run it.

The conditions that Orwell had seen while in northern England made him begin to wonder why socialism hadn’t been considered. From the workers that had slaved away for a wage not worth their work, to the inhumane living conditions, he believed that socialism, a system where money and goods are shared more equally among the people, resulting in a smaller gap between the working, middle, and upper class would be the best solution. He encouraged loving our fellow men. In theory, this would be a perfect system, and everyone would be happier. However, socialism could not work out because this could have a negative effect on the economic state of the society. Issues of ownership and pricing would prevail, and socialism could lead to more disagreements among the people.

In summary, authors Rodriguez and Orwell both help explain life in America, especially for the working class and immigrants. The Hunger of Memory gives exemplary insight on assimilation and its effects on children, and The Road to Wigan Pier demonstrates the conditions that workers have to endure just to support themselves and their family. Though these books were published in 1937 and 1982, their messages still hold true in 2025. These writers would be very disappointed to see how so many years have passed and there has been very little change. They would advocate for reform. Based on their writings, I believe they agree that empathy is lacking in the US. These books are priceless lessons from the past. Orwell and Rodriguez can change the way we address this issue, because the past is recorded so that we can learn from it. The quote from philosopher George Santayana holds true: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We the people should start caring more for others, and stop teaching the youth to follow blindly. We need to support our working citizens more, and while socialism is not the solution, I know that we can find one. America can and will open its eyes and heart.

Works Cited

Gramlich, John and Jeffrey S. Passel. “U.S. Immigrant population in 2023 saw largest increase in more than 20 years.” Pew Research, Sept. 27, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/27/u-s-immigrant-population-in-2023-saw-largest-increase-in-more-than-20-years/

Orwell, George. The Road to Wigan Pier George Orwell. Mariner, 1972.

Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. Bantam Dell, 2004.