martin espada essay by julia santos

Julia Santos 811

Martin Espada is a well known, educated and respected Puerto Rican poet from New

York City. His poetry often deals with major issues and have recurring themes. One theme in

particular has been seen in Revolutionary Spanish Lesson, The New Bathroom Policy at English

High School, and Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877. This strong

theme in Espada’s poetry is the idea of power, and the abuse of it.


For instance, in Espada’s poem, The New Bathroom Policy at English High School, the

principal abuses his power over the school by banning Spanish speaking in the bathrooms. He

has no excuse to do so besides the speaking of Spanish, and hearing his name in these

conversations, "constipating him". The principal in this poem is abusing his power as the

principal, cutting of the Spanish speakers in the school of a location where they can express their

culture and may speak the language most comfortable to them (if they learned Spanish as a first

language).


Additionally, an example of the theme of the abuse of power in Espada’s poetry is in his

poem, Revolutionary Spanish Lesson. The people mispronouncing the narrators name are either

using the power of the narrators name and purposefully mispronouncing it to frustrate him, or

just not taking the time to ask them how his or her name is pronounced. When you have a choice

to make, like the subjects of the poem mispronouncing the narrators name again, and again, you

have power over the situation. Being careless with this power to make better choices is still an

abuse of a, even if small power much of the time, power. Then, the speaker goes on about

ridiculous actions that he'll complete if any one mispronounces his name. For example, "…hijack

a bus load/ of Republican tourists/ from Wisconsin,/ force them to chant/ anti-American slogans/

in Spanish…". This represents Espada's recurring theme of abuse of power.

Lastly, abuse of power is a significant theme in Espadas poem, Two Mexicanos Lynched

in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877. This poem talks about the lynching of two Mexicanos

by whites in California. Not only is the extreme racism and prejudice obvious in this situation,

the “gringos” in the poem had much more power than these Mexicanos. There were forty of them

present to lynch only the two Mexicanos, which means that the Mexicanos were outnumbered to

fight the "gringos" who were trying to kill them. The whites were a higher status and had a better

situation than the Mexicanos. It’s murder in every sense of the word, and all murders or deaths

are terrible, but the way it was committed makes it even worse. The white people in the poem

abused their physical and social powers over the Mexicanos.


 In conclusion, the abuse of power is a huge and abundant theme in Martin Espada’s

poetry. He uses it clearly in three different poems, The New Bathroom Policy at English High

School, Revolutionary Spanish Lesson, and Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California,

May 3, 1877. Espada used many different forms of abuse of power in his poems, showing that no

matter what kind of power one abuses, it’s still wrong if you do it for the wrong reasons.

How does this text make you feel about justice in the world? Response to upfront article- JULIA SANTOS

In 2011, a bunch of protests were happening in the Arab world, toppling long-time rulers in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya and starting an uprising against Syria's dictator. Many people were excited for democracy. This was known as the Arab Spring. Now, the enthusiasm is long dead. Militias cover the area and thousands of people are dead. America had been allies with Egypt, and now there is the fall of the first democratic president. The U.S aid doesn't want to help anymore. Should they help?

I think that is not fair and there is no justice in the world. Barack Obama wants to keep the relationship between Egypt and the US but he doesn't want to help the civilians who are being killed in the street. It is kind of scary; Egypt's army killed their own democratic president and all the supporters. Does that show that America, in fact, fears to help Egypt? Thousands died in August from military clashes, people are being killed in the street, and we just can't help? This makes me think, that Obama knows we can help, but he can't take that chance. There's no difference from thousands being killed in Egypt than a bunch of Obama supporters being killed.

The title to the article is called "Has the Arab Spring FAILED?" Well, indeed it has and we need America to help fix it. Sometimes, America has no justice. I know sometimes, there's no justice. We're scared but I think we should always stand up for what is right no matter how scary.

How does this text make you feel about justice in the world? by Julia Santos

Justice Denied , page 8 of upfront magazine by Dan Barry, Campbell Robertson, and Robbie Brown

The article is about a black man who was shot by two white men for no reason in the 1960s. The police suspended his case after a short time because frankly, I don't think they even cared about his case. What makes me angry is, stuff like this happens today. There is no justice in our government and police. The police decided a black guy's case wasn't worth their time and sent the man's wife a letter shortly after the case saying they suspended it. But, I'm sure if the man who was shot was a white man, the police wouldn't leave his case unsolved for 50 years.

This stuff really makes me disapoints me. Shouldn't we, America, be past this racism crap? I feel like the police find ways "to make us safe" by stop and frisking every black guy or muslim guy. I saw on another source that a black 14-year-old was shot by a white man because he was "suspicious" and the case was never solved even though the boy was only carrying and soda and candy, not a weapon. The shooter was never punished. Then, a woman accused a black man of "pointing a gun at her" and the black man went to jail but he didn't even do anything to the woman. You see that? Racism. If the black guy is a victim, police don't care. Once its a white person, jail and 'solved'.

Why is this man who was shot in 1963, never got a solved case in 50 years?! Injustice and unfairness in our government. Why can't we grow up? Why can't we have a brave person in government come and say, "Thats not right!"

by julia santos

Looking for Alaska- Response to inquiry question 2

The Fault in our Stars by John Green inspired me to read some of his other books. Recently, I read "Looking for Alaska". It is about "Pudge" falling in love with Alaska and when they grow closer, Alaska dies in a car crash. Pudge and one of Alaska's friends, The Colonel, find out the reason for her death. Something that Alaska taught Pudge was to smoke and drink alcohol to deal with issues. This activity was also what all of his friends did.

One reason to prove this drinking problem was "The Prank". After a prank was conducted on the campus, Alaska brought out wine to calm everyone, whilst everyone was smoking mostly because the kids were worried that the principal, The Eagle, would find out an ban them from school. Soon after that, Alaska invited them to play a drinking game where they would tell one happy story and one sad story. Alaska told a very devastating story about her mom's death, this makes me think that Alaska was dealing with some emotional problems. Another small detail I noticed was when Alaska was long dead, Colonel was filled with so much grief, he couldn't deal and he just said, "Wanna get *shoot* faced?" Instead of talking about it, he wants to drink.

A reason to prove the smoking problem was when Alaska, The Colonel, and Pudge were smoking. He noticed Alaska wasn't "smoking to enjoy it" and Alaska replied, "You smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." That made me think that she was suicidal or still full of grief from her mother's death. Alaska only ever told the story about her mother's death until "The Prank". She hadn't even called the cops when her mother started spazzing out, I conclude that she wants to die because of her mother.

Overall, smoking and drinking were only the result of the characters dealing with their issues. The issues, I noticed, were just the character's feelings, which they didn't know how to control.

*** I didn't have a copy of the book with me, so I couldn't do page numbers.***

xJulia S