The Minuteman Project Chapter Summary

Robert A. Gross the author of “The Minutemen and their World” gives a very detailed nonfictional narrative of the small town of Concord, Massauchessets. Gross describes the American Revelotion through the eyes of this community which paints a more vivid picture of the events taking place up to the war which seperated the Unite States for Great Britian through a perspective that I have never seen before.

Chavez does not wait long to dive into his argument, instead, within the first few paragraphs he makes a very clear and comprehensive claim with the very strategic use of parallel structure when he says, “Nonviolence is more powerful than violence. Nonviolence supports you if you have a just and moral cause. Nonviolence provides the opportunity to stay on the offensive, and that is of crucial importance to win any contest” (Chavez 3). It can be seen here that this use of parallel structure plays a very crucial role in conveying Chavez’s message as it repeats over and over the main idea of the article. In doing so, the main idea becomes really emphasized and in a way drills the focus of the article into the minds of his audience. This provides a very easy and understandable

Acknowledging his consideration for both sides of the argument and providing his definition of nonviolence allows Chavez’s listeners to trust him because he has carefully described his own ideas while also considering perspectives contradictory to his own. Violence is described to result in “...many injuries and perhaps deaths on both sides…” as well as “...total demoralization of the workers” (ln 19-21). Nonviolence is described as the opposite of violence. Nonviolence will be there to “...[support] you if you have a just and moral cause” (ln 13-14). Providing a clear

Cesar Chavez was an extremely influential individual in the Latino civil rights movement. Born in March 1927, he preached unionism and aggressive non violence, and cofounded the National Farm Workers Association. Being a major player in the civil rights movement, he recognized the obvious influence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and on the tenth anniversary of his assassination Chavez published an article in Maryknoll Magazine. While writing about nonviolence, Chavez appealed to logos and pathos to have the message of the article connect with the reader’s emotions and reasoning.

Gonzales develops his thesis by asserting that Latin American immigration and Latino presence in the United States are

César Chavez once said, “Nonviolence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak. Non-violence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice It is the patience to win.”. His words inspired one young man to turn his life around and become a man of character who used his experiences to help others. In his essay “César Chávez Saved My Life” Daniel “Nene” Alejandrez tells his story of the struggle and anger towards many injustices that happen around him and his journey from channeling that anger through crime to using it to start a foundation Barrios Unidos, to help men in prison overcome poverty, and the drug and violence culture surrounding them. In his essay, Alejandrez uses key scenes from his life to convey his main theme of spiritual connection to overcome the many hardships the Latino community faces in this country.

Overall, the chapter, which focuses on “Hispanicity”, impacted me because I began to formulate ideas which opposed those that had been hammered into my mind all my life. For so long I had heard that minorities were victims to oppression by whites and for that reason minorities should strive to do more than what is expected from them. In reading Rodriguez’s claim, questions that had never been explored in my development arose in my mind such as “Are Hispanics really the victims?”, “Do Hispanics truly strive to their fullest to accomplish things that have never been done?”, and lastly, “Are Hispanics committing acts of hypocrisy?”. If a Hispanic

1. In the “Latino Threat Narrative”, Chavez believes that the international terrorism of 911 acts as a trigger and strikes which raised the alarm of the national identity crisis of the United States in 2011, meanwhile, it also further threatens the survival and image of Latino unlimitedly. When the American witnessed the tragedy and the danger of their country in 911, their patriotism leads them to perceive the foreigners, specially the Latino and Mexican as a threat, heresy or even enemy who threaten the stability and security of the national identity. Due to the rapid growth of the Latino population in the United State, the Latino not only constitutes as a threat on the national security, but also labeled as an illegally radicalized ethnics groups or even “illegal Aliens” who rejects to assimilate into the mainstream of American culture and their alienation even make the United State further loss its cohesion. As a result, the American is facing the danger of disintegration.

Chavez uses the “Latino Threat Narrative” to compare the Hispanics to the “German language threat, the Catholic threat, the Chinese and Japanese language threat, and the southern and eastern European threats.” He suggests that “each was pervasive and defined “truths” about the threat posed by immigrants that, in hindsight, were unjustified or never materialized in the long run of history.” Chavez was trying to explain that the Hispanic would pattern these other threats by upsetting the America people. He states that “… the Latino Threat Narrative is part of a grand tradition of alarmist discourse about immigrants and their perceived negative impacts on society.”

The MP’s primary goal, on the other hand, is to “[bring] national awareness to the illegal alien invasion [in the United States]” (Gilchrist). McCarty, an immigration lawyer, states that The MP began in Arizona in 2004 in order to honor the “legacy of the Minutemen,” and to show concern for “homeland defense” (1477). It was named after the group of volunteer New England revolutionaries that began the American Revolution (1477). Therefore, this stakeholder seeks to enforce immigration laws in order to promote legal immigration and diminish illegal immigration. The MP claims that the great majority of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. are criminals. In fact, Cameron, an active member of the MP, argues that according to the Immigration and Customs

There are times when people avoid doing what they should simply because they do not want to. Other times, they do not do what they should because they do not realize that something needs to be done. In Robert A. Gross’ book, The Minutemen and Their World, the members of Concord seem to have an outward reluctance for any members of the community to become involved in any risky behaviour that could alter their way of life if the threat was not directly affecting them. This phenomenon is called the ‘bystander effect,’ and it is used to diffuse responsibility off oneself and onto someone they deem more capable or willing of dealing with the issue. This, while not being an entirely colonial American issue, is most certainly found throughout colonial America during this time. The citizens in Concord, Massachusetts, were anything but willing to revolt against Britain and their policies. Nay, they were far too immersed in social issues surrounding their own community to be concerned with the events affecting communities outside their own; even if this meant ignoring important Acts and events that took place in important places such as Boston – a city that Concord was not far from. Whether it be their immersion in their own

I had always had a preconceived notion that hispanics were a united community that supported one another and wanted their families and friends to migrate to the United States. The article states that about 90% of Latino Americans believe that English is necessary to learn (Leo,1). The article also discussed more of the ideal the Latino’s of today hold which was gathered in a survey by de la Garza the “National Political Survey” where Latinos are more likely to vote against their own and uphold the traditional American ideals. I was not surprised that CNN was making a dubious and politically generated claim on race and the soon coming oppression of white people. American television is heavily generated with political agendas which is the point Leo is trying to point

My educational experiences at MInuteman have been marked by crucial interactions that have led me to become the person that I am today. These dialogues have been been with teachers, peers, and coaches, all of whom have helped guide me to success. However, there is one that stands out above all others in both intention and impact. A single conversation altered the course of my studies and has brought me closer to fulfilling my potential. The interaction I am referencing is one that took place during the second half of my junior year with a man named John Chavier, better known simply as Chavier. Our interactions were plentiful during the year, but each was individually insightful. We talked of many introspective topics, but what made this one

Throughout history, illegal immigrants have experienced judgments and challenges in America. In “The Border on Our Backs,” by Roberto Rodriguez, and in “Se Habla Entitlement,” by Star Parker, the two authors both address immigration and hold angry attitudes towards aspects of how it is handled even though the reason for their anger is very different. Rodriguez, an immigrant, uses a personal approach taking it to a more personal level unlike Parker, born into a minority family, who uses actual facts from American history as well as providing several factors of the topic and numerical statistics. At first, her essay has more validity to the reader, than Rodriguez’ essay by its objectivity. Demonstrations by immigrants are not as apartheid as Rodriguez or Parker describes, and although Latinos are a separate culture, they need such demonstrations for acceptance and for a voice to be heard.

“Why Illegal Immigrant is a Slur” written by Charles Garcia, CEO of ALPFA.org – Empowering Latino Leaders, was published on CNN.com on July 6th, 2012. It is an article that argues against the political incorrectness and negative social impacts that the terms “illegal immigrant” and “illegal alien” have on the Latino communities and individuals. Garcia describes these titles that journalists continually use as “racially offensive language” (Garcia). However, there are many fallacies that arise in not only this article, but the argument in general. Strawman fallacies and misconstruing of words are the main faults that seem to make up Garcia’s statements. This can be largely contributed to this new culture or trend in modern America where we have begun to favor sensitivities, narratives, or what is called political correctness, over facts and unbiased judgements. Or in other words, law and justice takes the back seat when it comes to potentially offending someone’s feelings.