An Examination of Oppression, Imprisonment, and the American Dream

This essay analyzes Jimmy Santiago Baca's 'A Place to Stand,' focusing on themes of oppression, imprisonment, and the pursuit of the American Dream. The author addresses crises in America, including drug problems and tribalism, highlighting the mistreatment of the illiterate and the ineffectiveness of the justice system. Baca's personal experience with incarceration at a young age due to illiteracy is central to his work. The essay explores the impact of oppression, imprisonment, and lack of education, emphasizing the psychological disturbances and family separations caused by these issues. Baca's poems, written during his imprisonment, reflect the harsh realities of prison life and the challenges faced by those who break the law. The analysis also considers obstacles to success, such as family dynamics and economic disparities, as well as the importance of individual responsibility and moral transformation in overcoming crises. The essay concludes that achieving the American Dream requires changes in societal behavior, adherence to laws, and support for human rights, especially in addressing the root causes of crime and drug abuse.

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Introduction
There have been crises in America where oppression and imprisonment. Crises of drugs
and tribalism has been affecting America much. Those who were illiterate were mistreated by
those in power because they could not know how to read and write. Drug trafficking has been a
big challenge unto the people starting with the children. The police officers were of less concern
with rehabilitating those drug addicted people. Once the wrong doers are caught, they are taken
to court for some punishments where some of the assaults are released without serious measures
undertaken to them. There have been crises in America where those involve in the killing are not
seriously judged unto the law.
The author, Jimmy Santiago Baca, addresses the problem of oppression and
imprisonment by claiming that incarceration solutions can result in change and have a positive
impact in people’s lives and their ability to achieve the American Dreams.
The author, Jimmy Santiago Baca, is addressing oppression and imprisonment in his
book A Place to Stand (Lee 4). Jimmy Santiago Baca at the age of 13years was taken to prison
for allegations of being a drug trafficker in the community. When he reached the court the letter
he was given he could not read and understand what was written there. Therefore, he signed what
he could not understand. Due to his illiteracy, he was jailed for some time. Jimmy Santiago Baca
wants to figure out how dreams in America are cut down at early stages, those who are growing
up are allegedly mistreated by the government instead of supporting the fortune families (Gale.
13). There is mass incarceration which plaques generation that of low-income societies all over
the country. Childhood have been punctuated by abuse, illiteracy, alcoholism and prison has

been scared by the isolation and imprisonment. Oppression and imprisonment have led to death
and lack of peace to those who happens to be taken to jail. The prisoners are totally confronted
with special pressures and exigencies to which they have to correspond for their survival (Eric.
21). Imprisonment has as well brought family separations for the affected individuals.
Oppression has been a key cause of psychological disturbances unto the people. The right to
education is greatly disobeyed, for example Baca cannot access education until when he learns
how to read and write from the jail (Ryan 2). It is in the jail where he begins writing poems some
which are memoirs.
Lastly, when Baca was taken to jail is when the art of writing poems came unto mind
where the leadership of the nation motivated his work, “Whether I was approaching it or seeking
escape from it, jail always defined in some way the measure of my life.” (Prologue, Page 3).
These poems have really reflected the kind of imprisons the nation have and the treatment of the
prisoners. Some are beaten to death and the kind of life in jail is wanting. The crisis has triggered
fear to the people especially those who breaks the laws of the nation. If were not fear, the
America people would have been in a position to explore good motives in them (Francis 17).
There are a lot of obstacles to the success of the most of people. For example, Baca’s parents are
of great impact to Baca’s identity but all in all the success remains unto him alone during his
youthful moments and in prison. The economy has gone down because 20% of the population
comes from Latinx community where the black-white are totally oppressed (Peter 22). This
makes this group of immigrants not be able to support the economy fully due to the fear indulged
in them. The issues are depicting today’s life in the contemporary world where drugs are big
challenge among the people in the society. Law breakers are punished beyond measures and as

well life identity is individual rather than group or as a family (Carlos 15). Damacio is always
drunk and spends much of time in bars. This kind of behavior has messed up many families as
illustrated from the readings brought throughout this course. Damacio is threat to hi family more
to his beloved wife Cecilia. Due to this kind of family without a caring father, Baca ends up
being abandoned He threatens up beating her without any apparent reason. This alcoholic father
is a big obstacle to the progressive of the family (Francis 9). This relates to the significance of
the readings in this course. Jimmy Santiago Baca concludes that the solution towards oppression
and imprisonment should be individual (Eric. 3). One has first to decide in doing good to other
people and generally to the nation. The drug traffickers should know the side effects of drugs.
When he was taken to jail, his life changed drastically where he chose doing the good. It is from
the jail where the idea of writing poems came in his mind. Todays is one of the greatest poets we
have in the world. Most of the people who did not transform their behavior to the better one they
have been in problems entirely. Some are killed like Richard and Meiyo because of their faults
(David 19). Therefore, the people who encountered this reading together with the author, Jimmy
Santiago Baca, viewed that crises can be solved when the good morals are individually effected.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the American Dream can be achieved when the way of doing things is
changed. The citizens should obey the laws of the Nation. The wrong doers should be addressed
well such that they are transformed rather than being oppressed in the jails. The human rights
should govern the people. The right to education has been violated throughout the A Place to
Stand where Baca suffers much because of high levels of illiteracy. The children should be taken
to juveniles for their behaviors’ change instead of being taken to the jails where instead of being
helped the bad behavior is encouraged. Drug abuse in America should be looked into because it

is the beginning of the evil in America. The America Dream will be achieved when the crises are
settled through the moderation of the people’s behavior and the government leadership.

Works Cited
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Francis, Cullen. "Imprisonment and oppression." Reaffirming Rehabilitation. 6 (2001): 53.
Gale., Chevigny Bell. "25 Years of Prison Writing." Doing Time 2 (2011): 43.
Lee, Helen Hye Eun. "The rhetorics of community in prison writings." Imrisoned Voices 3
(2016): 144.
Peter, Castor. "U.S. Literature and Film." Prisons, Race, and Masculinity in Twentieth-century 2
(2008): 33.
Ryan, Katy. "Multiethnic Literature and American Prisons." Literary computing 4 (2014): 13.