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Jimmy Santiago Baca Meaning

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Jimmy Santiago Baca primarily uses a sarcastic tone in “So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans,” to get his message across that Mexicans are not simply stealing jobs from Americans. Many consider the topics and ideas that the poem tackles too political for discussion; however, Jimmy decided to share his ideas anyways. Jimmy Santiago Baca tries to make his strong argument in his poem by sharing what he sees in the overall situation. Jimmy is also trying to persuade others to think the way he does by using a sarcastic tone throughout the poem. Depending on the reader, the poem can either be effective or ineffective based on the reader’s views. However, the purpose of the poem may also be to spread the frustrations and hardships that Mexicans …show more content…

In the poem, Baca tries to deliver a message that Americans have a false and stereotypical perception of Mexicans. His message is that Mexicans are not trying to steal jobs from Americans. In the poem’s second stanza, Baca asks: “Do they sneak into town at night, / and as you’re walking home with a whore, / do they mug you, a knife at your throat, / saying I want your job?” (8-11) Baca uses violent actions as sarcastic examples of ways Mexicans “steal good jobs” from Americans. These examples also indicate that Baca is trying to attack the position that Mexicans are dangerous job-stealing criminals that have no other reasons to be in America. To attack the negative views Americans have of Mexicans, Baca shows the faults in America such as: politicians using false accusations to gain followers (12-170) or large farming corporations buying out small farms from white farmers (25-29), and firing white people to hire lower wage illegal immigrants. Baca is also sure to point out that the poor are struggling to survive with such low income while multi-million dollar corporations are profiting off the poor’s misfortunes (33-37). Many Americans will disagree with Baca’s message because of him making a generalization of Americans, and insulting their

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