Reader: Teresa Ferguson

October 5, 2000

"I Aint’ Going to Hurry No More"

Jesse F. Garcia

Unsettling America, pp. 346-347

Jesse F. Garcia was born in the early 1950s in Devine, Texas. He traveled throughout Texas and elsewhere in search of cotton fields to be picked. In addition to Unsettling America, his work has been published in Red Dirt and Top Heavy. In The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, an article states that he is a "mild looking artist who sports a trim mustache and short, neat hair." It also says that he has published the first volume of poetry, Rock’N’Roll Dreams.

Objective 3c: Mexican American alternative narrative: "The Ambivalent Minority."

Objective 4: Assimilation, then Resistance

This was possibly written in regards to the promises Mexicans were made to come to the United States prior to the 1940s, especially the border states. They were promised good wages at least the prevailing area wages received by natives for performing a given task with adequate and sanitary free housing. None of these promises were kept.

• He came to America to make a better life for his family. He is tired of working for the white man for promises not being kept. He states he is going to take his time plowing the fields (the white man’s fields).
• He (the Mexican) "lives in the land of freedom"- but only he (meaning the white man) can be governor."
• He does not make enough money for a car.
• He lives in a shack without plumbing.
• He works very hard for very little wages and only to benefit the white man.

1. Why did he use the same line for the title as well as the first and last

   Lines in the poem?

2. "There’s no future to life"-explain this line.

"I Ain’t Going to Hurry No More"

Poetry Summary

This poem is about a Mexican man working for the white man. The Mexican is tired of working in the white man’s fields. He states he is "going to take my time plowing his fields." The Mexican was possibly promised current going wages for his labor, clean, and sanitary housing conditions. These promises have not been kept. The poem states that the Mexican cannot buy a car due to lack of money. The Mexican reveals that he lives in a shack with an outhouse. The only person or persons who will get ahead is the white man. The author implies this in the lines "Living in the land of freedom/ But only he can be governor." The Mexican cannot rest because he is trying so hard to make money for his family. He knows the white man won’t cry due to the fact that he does not care.

This poem refers to objective 3c, "The Ambivalent Minority", because the Mexican came to America for economic gain but has suffered social dislocation. In addition, (objective 4) the Mexican came to America planning to assimilate. He realizes the promises were not going to be met and resists the white man.