The Theme Of Marxism In Mexicans Begin Jogging

How do you escape a racial stereotype? Soto has Mexican heritage and has lived in the U.S. as a legal immigrant as a factory worker. In the poem “Mexicans Begin Jogging”, The author shows Marxism through Soto’s stereotype as an illegal immigrant just because he is Hispanic and works in a factory. Soto is stuck in between two worlds and doesn’t know how to deal with his problems, so is forced to be stuck in this predicament where he is a Mexican at heart, but has an American culture. Soto describes a situation he was once in when he was working at a factory that employed illegal mexican immigrants. He gives us insight into the conditions he was forced to work in due to his Mexican heritage. The conditions at the factory Soto worked at were …show more content…
When The racial prejudice continues when Soto is forced to run from border police. During the poem “Mexicans Begin Jogging” Soto’s is told by his fellow workers “Over the fence, Soto” (“Mexicans Begin Jogging”) this shows that he is being forced over the fence to run from border patrol. Soto chooses to run even though he doesn’t have to, I think this is symbolizing the theme of the story of going with the flow because he doesn’t have to run. He is running away from his problems of being stuck in between two different worlds. This displays the Marxism in how he is stuck in between the two classes displayed in the poem. He is a Mexican and being perceived as a illegal, but in reality is a American who is the country legally. Running from the police, Gary Soto realized that no matter what he did or how he did it he would always be restricted by his Hispanic heritage to a certain kind of life. Being so severely affected by racial stereotyping and ethnic discrimination Soto realized that his conflict of desire and reality would end in a loss. When one faces stereotyping by the masses it’s hard to keep hope, the truth doesn’t matter anymore just what other people think of …show more content…
The author’s theme is if you feel like you stuck in a situation you can’t get away from something to go with the flow and survive. Soto gives up his fate because of the situation he is in right now, in a sense of powerlessness all he is able to do is “yell vivas to baseball, milkshakes, and those sociologists” (“Mexicans Begin Jogging”). Giving up one part of himself to survive he knew that in order to survive he has to give up his dreams. Soto out of frustration yelled vivas while running away, knowing that he might actually have a chance at being a legal citizen he is frustrated he still has to run. Soto knows that the way he is living now will never change unless he gets his full citizenship. This feeling of helplessness is something that the poet Gary Soto felt when he was stuck in between two different worlds. Gary himself has Hispanic heritage, but grew up in America and developed an American culture. He relates very much to those that were stuck in his similar situation and can’t find their way out. This is the Marxism that a lot of the people in the same situation face. The message he is trying to give to his reader is that: since it’s almost impossible to change people’s perception of you, just go with the flow and