Complexion By Richard Rodriguez Summary

In Richard Rodriguez’s story "Complexion," he solves the conflict between his brown skin color and his own identity. Rodriguez had accepted who he is and was no longer concerned about his brown skin color and facial features that identify him as a working class Mexican. He stated that his skin color means nothing to his identity because Rodriguez realizes his skin color does not label him "disadvantaged" in life (148). Rodriguez's real identity separates himself from the Mexican workers. He tells himself "What made me different from them was an attitude of mind, my imagination of myself"(148). In the end, Rodriguez finally understands the Mexican workers, their silence of struggle that stays with him. First, Rodriguez's skin color means nothing to his identity because he realizes his color does not make him "disadvantaged" in life. (149) Rodriguez believes his skin color is a label for a Mexican worker based on people's biased opinions on his race and class. When he used to go at Stanford one of his friend had asked him if he was available for a summer construction job. (140) His friend was almost apologetic
Rodriguez stated that "I had finally came face to face with los pobres"(149), “Their silence stays with me”, these lines that Rodriguez describes the powerful workforce that is the Mexican workers. For him, los pobres is a mask that serves as his unreal identity. It takes Rodriguez back to the day where he looked up to the real Mexican worker with strong arms and tough skin. They were taken advantage of, made to work so hard for very little pay. They lacked a public identity where not many people would talk about them. All the details sum up to say that the labors were below the radar almost as if silence had a sound it would be that of the