1.22 | Working Toward the Dream

Read the excerpts from "Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper" by Martín Espada and "Roberto Acuna Talks About Farm Workers" by Studs Terkel.

Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper
At sixteen, I worked after high school hours
at a printing plant
that manufactured legal pads:

Roberto Acuna Talks About Farm Workers
I walked out of the fields two years ago. I saw the need to change the California feudal system, to change the lives of farm workers, to make these huge corporations feel they're not above anybody. I am thirty-four years old and I try to organize for the United Farm Workers of America. . . .

While Espada discusses issues surrounding labor by telling a personal story, Terkel:

• details labor injustices by presenting multiple individuals' accounts.

• describes labor injustices through an institutional perspective.

• presents the history of the labor movement and how it has improved.

• compares the labor movement in different locations around the world.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

Read the endings from "Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper" by Martín Espada and "Roberto Acuna Talks About Farm Workers" by Studs Terkel.

Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper
Ten years later, in law school,
I knew that every legal pad
was glued with the sting of hidden cuts,
that every open lawbook
was a pair of hands
upturned and burning.

Roberto Acuna Talks About Farm Workers
If I had enough money, I would take busloads of people out to the fields and into the labor camps. Then they’d know how that fine salad got on their table.

Which statement best describes the authors' choices in how to conclude their works?

• Both authors end by highlighting their own personal growth.

• Both authors end by showing the value of blue-collar work.

• Both authors conclude by showing the importance of knowing the work that goes into producing everyday goods.

• Both authors conclude by showing how hard people work to earn money in America.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.8.7

What can be inferred about the speaker of the poem, "Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper?", based on the details in lines 1-21?

• His dream profession was to become a lawyer.

• He was dedicated and hardworking

• He always wanted to be an English Professor at the University of Massachusetts.

• He purposely was careless at his job because he felt the conditions were unfair.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

"Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper": How does the poet's choice to chronologically depict the events of the day affect the meaning of the poem?

• The chronological depiction demonstrates a lack of care and awareness of structural impact on the poem's meaning.

• The chronological order of events illustrates that at the end of the day all are happy and successful.

• The order of events clarifies the speaker's regret of his previous choices and where it got him.

• The chronological depiction illustrates how easy tasks will at times seem difficult, but when looking back, those small choices of perseverance leads to greater appreciation and empathy for the path taken to success.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

"Robert Acuna Talks About Farm Workers": According to Acuna, how should employers show respect for human farm work and workers?

• Acuna claims that employers must treat their workers as well as the farm equipment and domestic animals.

• Acuna states that the human farm workers must appreciate the opportunity to work in such a high-paying industry.

• Acuna suggests that employers provide a yearly opportunity for financial bonus and additional PTO

• Acuna places the blame on greedy politicians and corporate elites for the dismantling of the farming industry.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

"Robert Acuna Talks About Farm Workers": What is Studs Terkel's prupose for publishing the words of Acuna?

• to appeal to the politician's emotions of empathy for the loss of opportunity for jobs.

• to make others aware of the issues migrant workers face in the fields, brining awareness to the underlying issues

• to proposed financial solutions for tax allocation

• to showcase Acuna's lack of knowledge and awareness on the issues.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6