Martin Espada Essay THIS IS LATE BECAUSE BLOG WOULDN'T POST EARLIER

Roman Mueller 802

In the world recently, many people have been manipulated and been victims of the idea of power. The author Martin Espada exploits these ideas through his poems “The New Bathroom Policy,” “Revolutionary Spanish Lesson,” and “Two Mexicanos Lynched In Santa Cruz, California.” In these poems he shows many ideas about power and how power affects people and how people with power make decisions. Martin Espada explores the theme of abuse of power and connects it to racism which is often something that comes up when looking at power. Overall, throughout these three poems by Martin Espada, he shows how racism and unethical ideas can be a cause of abuse of power and how its effect is negative towards others.

First off, Espada illustrates abuse of power for not only him, but others too. For example, in The New Bathroom Policy, he writes “The boys chatter spanish/in the bathroom/...The only words he recognizes is his own name/and this constipates him/so he decides to ban spanish/from the bathrooms.” This proves that because the principal has power means he can take anything away from someone. This principal thinks these students are gossiping about him and takes away something that is probably important to them because he has more power which is unfair. Another example is from the second poem Revolutionary Spanish Lesson where Martin Espada is talking about how his name is mispronounce and how he doesn’t like it. His name is something that represents him and is something he values and he feels like it defines him. For example, he writes “Whenever my name is mispronounced/...I want to...hijack a busload of Republican tourists from Wisconsin.” This shows how Martin Espada feels like he is being forced on a name. Espada doesn’t want to be conformed into others standards and wants to be someone he can be without judgement.

Lastly, Espada shows how people in the late 1800’s were abused of their power in his poems. Two mexicanos were lynched unfairly after no trial. These mexicanos were not treated fairly because of peoples abuse of power and that was most likely a cause of prejudice. For example, in Espada’s poem Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California he writes “when forty gringo vigilantes/cheered the rope/that snapped two mexicanos.” This shows that these mexicanos were cheered as they died and how they have little power against others. Also, Espada writes “...two mexicanos...remain the faces of the lynching party faded as pennies from 1877.” This illustrates how these people were treated unfairly because of abuse of power. They could have had a trial but they were hung and they did not have enough power to do anything about it.

Overall, Martin Espada exploits the ideas of power and abuse of power. Also, how that power can be taken away or used against you unfairly. These simple things can become very problematic and can be effects of racial issues and unethical people.  

China Gaokao test Roman Mueller

In our world today, students in China face a very important test, called the gaoka. This test is extremely tiring, difficult, and long. It is somewhat like the SAT, ACT, and other American standardized tests but it's more different than similar. The gaoka test in China overall is very different than American standardized tests.

First off, one reason the gaoka is different from the ACT, SAT, and other American standardized tests is because students rely on it. Chinese universities base the students level only on the gaoka test. On American standardized tests, this is not the case. In the article China's Cram Schools, it's says "In some ways, the gaokao is like the SAT or ACT, but it's more than twice as long and the stakes are much higher:Given every June over several days, the test is the only thing that matters for admission to Chinese universities." This illustrates how the gaokao test is extremely stressful and important. If a student fails it, they will not be able to go to a Chinese university and they will have a hard time supporting their family without a high paid job. Another way the gaokao test is different from the ACT, SAT, and other American standardized tests is that they are not studies for as much. For example, it says "Maotanchang is different than a typical Chinese high school only in the extreme degree of its harsh rules and long hours, but it's curriculum is essentially the same. Everything taught in 10th and 11th grade is focused on what the gaokao tests..." This shows how the gaokao test is extremely important and studied for. Students taking this test have strict rules and can't do things they want so they have to study. This proves how the gaokao test is different than the ACT,SAT or other American standardized tests.

The gaokao test is also different from American standardized tests because it changes the students social life and puts an extreme amount of pressure.

For example, the article states "Maotanchang stepped in to fill this need. Located in the Anhui province, two hours from the nearest city, the school prides itself on eliminating the distractions of modern life. Cell phones and laptops are forbidden. The dorms, where about half the students live, have no electrical outlets. Dating is banned...this may be the only town in China with no video arcade, billiards hall, or internet cafe." This shows how the gaokao test is changing these students lives immensely. Also, in the article it states "Number of Students Taking College Entrance Tests Annually-China:9 million students taking the gaokao/USA:3.5 million taking SAT/ACT." This proves that Chinese students are under a lot of pressure  because so many people take the test and the chance of them getting into the university they want is smaller. The gaokao test greatly differs from other American standardized tests.

Overall, the gaokao test taken by Chinese students is extremely stressful, difficult, and tedious. This tests affects the students lives immensely and that is why it makes it different than the ACT,SAT, or other American standardized tests.