I Am Joaquin

785 Words2 Pages

Although art is subjective, and every person’s life experience will alter the way in which they perceive it, there are often universal truth’s that are evident within a piece. Poetry is not only a form of art, but can also be used to make political and cultural literary statements. It can be a means to send a message and have it speak to a group’s common experiences. It can inspire a group, and make them feel more connected. Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales was able to unify his audience with his poem, “I am Joaquin”, through his commanding use of language choices and literary style. Throughout his poem he documents the duality of his heritage as a Latino individual. There is a particular passage that exemplifies some of the most common struggles …show more content…

(377-386) The first unifying element of this passage is his specific use of the word “our”. While in other parts of the poem he specifically refers to himself and his own experiences, in this passage he references the Mexican-American community as a whole. He pits the people that have abused them, specifically the Anglo community, against the Mexican-American with the line, “They frowned upon our way of life” (377). The choice to use “They” is a broad term that can reference not only the Spanish conquistadors, but also Anglos of today. He chooses to use “our” to incorporate the Latino experience as a …show more content…

He highlights the fact that the combined community of Mexican-Americans and Indian Mexican-Americans communities have been subjected to pillaging by saying, “and took what they could use” (378). The Latin people have been subjected to forced labor, rape of their women, looting of their precious materials, and the subjugation without representation within the areas the Anglos have moved into and taken over. While “they” removed anything of material value, “they” neglected what was of real worth which is their “art”, “literature”, and “music” (379-381). This is an additional theme that once again places the Latin community at odds with the Anglo community. “They” robbed the community. “They” took what was “ours”, but our author points out that their true culture is based in their shared history and art. Those are the most vital elements that strengthen their culture and community identities. Those are the very things that the Anglo community least appreciates, but the Hispanic community could uses as badges of honor and sources of true cultural identity. While “they” can still hire Latinos to plant their fields and do other seemingly menial jobs, the very music that the workers play to help them get through their day can be used as an anthem to inspire them to keep going and strive for better. Gonzales emphasizes the importance of these cultural artifacts by indenting the

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