Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father

I read and enjoyed Rodriguez's first book, HUNGER OF MEMORY, several years ago, so thought I'd try DAYS OF OBLIGATION, something of a sequel, all about what it means to be a Mexican-American. Richard Rodriguez is a deep thinker, a philosopher even, so I probably don't "get" all of what he means to convey, but I like his style. The book was written twenty five years ago, so it's interesting what pops out of it now, in 2017, in "Trump time." For example -

"Mexicans have invaded American privacy to babysit or to watch the dying or to wash lipstick off the cocktail glasses. Mexicans have forced Southwestern Americans to speak Spanish whenever they want their eggs fried or their roses pruned."

Or this -

"San Diego may worry about Mexican show more hordes crawling over the border. Mexico City worries about a cultural spill from the United States."

Rodriguez, already in his forties, when he wrote this book, officially came out in these pages, writing poignantly of friends lost to the AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s in San Francisco, as well as his own struggles with repressed homosexuality.

I was looking for a good memoir, which I got, along with an education in myriad other things - about being gay and brown, and a man trying to make sense of it all, to find peace. And the best chapter was the last one, about his childhood and youth in Sacramento, taught by Irish nuns and Christian Brothers. And about his parents - especially his father, who grew up an orphan in Mexico. That last chapter alone made the trip worth while. Another enjoyable read from Richard Rodriguez. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

I love how this author writes. There is so much he says about so much. I renewed the books numerous times and will do so again.