Problem
"I am joaquin" poem
A. What is the central issue faced by the speaker of the poem?
B. Is the speaker of the poem optimistic about the future? How do you know?
C. What unites the historical figures that Gonzales writes about in the poem?
D. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is an important event in the history of Mexican Americans because it significantly changed the U.S.-Mexico border. Use a map to identify the border before and after the treaty. Conduct some research about the terms of the treaty. Why does the speaker call the treaty "another treacherous promise"?
E. The poem mentions a paradox in its opening stanzas. What is the nature of this paradox, and how does it foreshadow important themes in this work?