Summary Of So Mexicans Are Taking Jobs From Americans By Jimmy Santiago Baca

America is characterized as a country of endless opportunities and freedom. People risk their lives to escape their countries to come to this diversified and wondrous nation to have a desirable quality of life. However, foreigners face a possible likelihood of being unable to escape poverty due to their immigration status and the disadvantage of lacking educational accomplishments. Numerous Americans have become outraged over time due to the decreased employment opportunities and have placed their blame towards noncitizens. Due to the vast majority of these aliens belonging to Mexico, the racial assumption continues to be directed towards Mexicans when referring to immigrants. Jimmy Santiago Baca’s poem, “So Mexicans Are Taking Jobs from Americans,”

Allegations that are commonly known are then illustrated into a mockery by emphasizing the extreme views. This poem begins with a compelling argument which exposes that Mexicans are in fact not “stealing” American jobs. The author clarifies that immigrants are taking the jobs that are available, most often labor intensive, and do not get paid well. This dispute is formed using mockery to battle the racial judgment, which the speaker contends: “O Yes? Do they come on horses / with rifles, and say, / Ese Gringo, gimme your job?” (Baca 1-3) This stanza creates a vivid image which proves that the opposing view is false. Baca also creates a graphic visual illustrating the white American farmers as being villainous and abusive towards various ethnic groups employed by farmers. The speaker continues to reveal his experiences of seeing immigrants fearing for their lives and the abuse they get from other Americans: “The rifles I hear sound in the night / are white farmers shooting black and browns / whose ribs I see jutting out / and starving children.” (Baca 20-23) This graphic image is created to show the mistreatment within America towards the Mexican people. Baca also uses figurative language to support his argument throughout this literary composition, which showcases the inequality in America. The disproportion of equality is displayed when comparing the idea of trying to cross poverty to holding onto someone’s breath, or the idea of becoming financially stable as to searching the darkest depths of one’s dreams. The author relates to his audience by stating: “Below that cool green sea of money, / millions and millions of people fight to live, / search for pearls in the darkest depths / of their dreams, hold their breath for years / trying to cross poverty to just having something.”