"My Father Always Said"

The focus of this essay is centered around "heritage". It is about the appreciation of one's own heritage and family lineage. One section talked about a father leading his family out of Nazi Germany and into the states, specifically, Queens, N.Y. The section talked about the pride associated with Rindheim; in the very first line Schwartz says, " For years I heard the same line: "In Rindheim, you didn't do such things!" It was repeated whenever the American world of his daughters took my father by surprise." Right away I got the impression that Rindheim was held to a different standard by the father and was used as a reminder of origin when he felt that his daughters were becoming too "americanized". The rest of the essay seemed to be about the building of a new heritage in the area that they inhabited. The essay became more about Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx and by the end of the essay even the ever prideful father was taken by this new lifestyle.