Buttonwillow

These cases are definitely starting on some level to muddle together. Time and time again we see courts passing cases that just don't seem legal, people in positions of power (and often with an agenda) playing deaf to residents' concerns.

The author's tone did not give us much false hope for a success story this time. I was pretty sure that the waste facility would have its way this time. Although the Buttonwillow community faced similar obstacles to the other stories, some things did seem different this time. It was hard to distinguish if it was how Padres and the community tackled the case, or if the odds were just completely against them.

I feel like the cases in Chester and Kettleman had a stronger community bond and drive than Buttonwillow did. This may have been because those communities were dominantly one race, and Buttonwillow was more divided and it was primarily the Mexican community fighting back with little to know help from the white and black community (at least that was the impression the book gave me).

I feel like the other communities had more momentum. It seemed like there were a lot of pauses with the Buttonwillow community. I'm not positive that the lack of momentum came more from the people or the circumstances they were put under. I feel like that didn't happen as much in Chester and Kettleman. I could just be remembering wrong though...

I would like to know more about language controversy in the US for immigrant workers and citizens. Although I do think it is fair that someone should be able to understand a document that contains information that could directly effect them, I would like to better understand what is expected in terms of English ability to become a citizen.

I think the language controversy goes way deeper than this case. It goes to immigration laws and how people feel about that, and then it goes down to why people from places like... Mexico want to come here and what role our government plays in their government. I think what Montoya says at the end of the chapter sums up the situation really well: "in Mexico they do what the do outside of the law. And in the U.S. they want to make the laws legitimate what they do. In other words, they want to make tings appear legal."

Its going to take a real change in perception and awareness and people willing to think a little harder to end all this insane corruption and deeply rooted racism.

Good luck world <3