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Jimmy Baca 's Life And Destiny

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Born in 1952 in Santa Fe of Chicano and Apache descent, Jimmy Santiago Baca was abandoned by his parents at the age of 13 years old, he got placed in an orphanage by his grandmother which he ran away from as soon as possible. He was convicted on drug charges in 1973 and has spent five years in prison. While he served prison he learned to read and began writing poetry. Jimmy Baca recaptures his life and his struggles in A Place to Stand. When Jimmy was young he saw his father go to jail, addicted to alcohol, a mother that abandoned him for another man, and siblings broken apart mentally. This story explores the idea that no matter what background you come from you can rise above it and overcome any obstacle. Also, the environment in …show more content…

The story explains how he had severe mental and physical abuse and how they treated him like an animal while serving his sentence. The only way he was able to hold himself was through reading and writing poetry, stories, and art. What made his story so special is that he is able to not only overcome so many obstacles, but he also is able to better himself and get educated. He shows us readers how even if you’re in a bad situation like his, nothing could stop you from accomplishing your dream and educating yourself to become a better version of yourself. Throughout his life Jimmy found passion for poetry. Poetry became a big part of his life, he found out that it helped him escape his harsh reality of being in prison. “Poetry became something to aspire to live up. It informed how I saw the world and purpose to it.”pg (5)
He found poetry as a tool to help him escape from everything he had been through in his life. Which made him more knowledgeable about life and the reasoning behind everything.
Jimmy went through a lot of pain his experience would soon be the cause of a life filled with trust issues. "I felt lost and confused around grown-ups. They never told the truth. They were always hiding something that would eventually hurt me." pg (19). This shows how people are not satisfied until they sabatoge someone else 's happiness. Be careful who you trust, not everyone can be trusted. Witnessing his father in jail and addicted to alcohol, his mother leaving,

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