Writing assignment that requires reading a short article

The following MUST be discussed in your “I Am Joaquín” papers. Consult the Hartley article.

1) Who wrote “I Am Joaquín?” Find out! Tell me a little about the author.

2) What year was “I Am Joaquín” published?

3) What is “I Am Joaquín?” (for example: an epic poem? biography? literature?)

4) Where was the poem, “I Am Joaquín” circulated?

5) The poem combines many cultural elements under the blanket concept of ______________. (for example, “Civil Rights,” “Chicanismo,” “Human Rights”)

6) Describe the term, “Chicano.” Namely, how was this term used prior to the 1960s

and how was it used in the Mexican American community?

7) Who is “Joaquín?” (for example, a Mexican peasant? a working class Mexican American? the Chicano everyman? a Latin American rebel?)

8) What is the literary function of “I Am Joaquín”?

a) to explore the individual’s solitary struggle in modern society? b) to create a specific unity among a specific people? c) a description of Latin American Marxist movements? d) to break all cultural ties with Mexico?

9) “I Am Joaquín” shifts from the present to the past and eventually toward the future. Why is this unique and important to Chicano identity? Use examples from the poem regarding the Indian past, Mexican history, religion and revolutionary tradition. 10) “How does “Joaquín” identify with women? At the end of the poem, what does “Joaquín” accomplish by listing “seeming synonyms” (La Raza, Mexicano, Español, Latino, and Chicano)?