• How much do Espada’s parents or other family members inform his ideas and give him inspiration?
• Does Espada enjoy the idea of immigration? Is he against the blending of cultures?
• Does Espada identify more with American culture or his Hispanic origins?

So, I think it’s worthy to start this blog post with the idea that these poems wouldn’t be possible without an element of colonialism. They wouldn’t have existed without the blending of cultures, without immigration. This is exactly where I think that value, and that concept, can become truly beautiful. The immolation and destructions of cultures is sad and terrible, but when one can maintain their culture and implement it through an idea of them being blended with another – that’s true beauty. I think that Espada truly encapsulates the beauty of this country through his poems.

Sure, in poems like “Thanksgiving” or “Searching for La Revolucion in the Streets of Tijuana” (this one was my favorite) they can come off partially like criticisms, but I think Espada illustrates well through his works that its a double-sided coin. There’s certainly a gray area. That’s what I think is so important about the topic illustrated by the Locations of Culture. To put the title into a more literal sense, in America there is no “Location of Culture” it’s all blended together and sometimes it can be very beneficial to an individual or community, and sometimes it isn’t.

I think Martin Espada gives a very good perspective on quite a controversial issue, even if it wasn’t his intention. I think it accurately reflects my view points that the blending of cultures, in this case Hispanic with American, is not always a bad thing, and can be learned to be appreciated.