#4 So Mexicans...Trevor Coopersmith

In Jimmy Santiago Baca's poem, "So Mexicans are Taking Jobs from Americans", there are some immediate ambiguities within the poem. Each word or phrase that provokes ambiguity has interpretations that can be viewed as being connotative or denotative to fit more adequately within the poem and unravel the true message Baca is attempting to portray. "Gimme your job" is an ambiguous term. The "your" can be interpreted as being Americans or anybody that has a job. The tension is later resolved when the word "gringo" is used multiple times throughout the poem. Gringo is a term used by Mexicans to generally describe people from America. Baca then claims "an asthmatic leader
crawls turtle heavy, leaning on an assistant". The denotative definition of this is that one is some sort of slow leader, with asthma that gains assistance from someone. A connotative interpretation is that a news anchor is crying for help slowly, towards the American public regarding job loss. "Clean suited farmers" can also be interpreted with connotative and denotative meaning. Clean suited farmers can literally be farmers that enjoy dressing appropriately. Farmers rarely wear suits, so "clean suited farmers" can be described as a phrase that expresses the formality of New York businessmen. The tension is later resolved when Baca claims these farmers have never been on a farm. Baca also mentions a "cool green sea of money" stating that below it are people fighting to live. Denotation of this phrase explains an abundance of money. This can also be interpreted as being North America. Below the wealthy and prosperous Americans are lower class Mexicans. They are lower in social standard and also geographically. The millions of people fighting to live "search for pearls in the darkest depths". This phrase exclaims a person who may work extremely hard and put in a large amount of effort. A connotative definition may be a person who has just a small amount of hope left. A person who fights to survive. This person referenced is the everyday Mexican who fights to cross the border to find hope for the "pearl" of the pure American dream. The tension is later resolved when Baca explains that the Mexicans are trying to acquire something. They are attempting to gain income and stray away from poverty.