Reaction Yo soy Joaquin I have read “Yo soy Joquin” multiple times and I find something new that inspires me every time, because it is a truly inspirational piece of poetry. An epic poem destined to rekindle a culture that was slowly being assimilated, displaced, and destroyed by social hierarchies over and over again for centuries. This poem opened and still opens not only the eyes of Chicanos, but any compassionate person who is aware of both the lack of and the importance of social justice throughout the world and especially in the United States of America. People like Corky Gonzales keep history alive while giving people a true sense of their cultural identity. This first person poem is not just about Joaquin, but the people and cultures represented through him and the oppressive struggle he and his people have endured for centuries. I have had minimal historical education about Mesoamerica, the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and the tyranny of the United States government regarding Native Americans, but after reading this poem I see that Corky Gonzales has an extensive knowledge of this history. An unbiased history that includes perspectives of all the cultures involved and the role they play in defining the Chicano people. We still live in a society where the dominant white culture is still shaping this country, but as it grows so does the immigrant and minority populations who will without a doubt reshape it into an enlightened multicultural place of acceptance. I believe that this poem has had a still does have the power to open the eyes of our society to see the past clearly and put right the social injustices that have not only plagued the Chicano people, but all people who have been unjustly treated and lied to
throughout history. Gonzales shows us the importance of history and cultural identity in this passage of his poem; “I, Of the same name, Joaquin, In a country that has wiped out, All my history, Stifled all my pride, In a country that has...