by Jimmy Santiago Baca
is in prison - tells how even though he is on American soil, in America, he is displaced because he is alienated from his country, he’s
the narrative shifts from third person (1–3) to first person (4–5) before finally reverting to third person in the sixth.
expected reformation but it was just punishment
Summary
describes the experience of prison inmates, how negligence and exploitation → destroys hope for rehabilitation and improvement
Analysis
Title is an oxymoron Likens the immigration process to the process prisoners undergo when they arrive at the facility
| Immigration | Prison |
|---|---|
| given new clothes | given new clothes |
| ethnic segregation | ethnic and racial segregation |
| documents | documents |
| might have skills but are usually forced to do menial labour | forced to do labour |
| alienated from family, friends | alienated from society |