"In her writing, Anzaldua uses a unique blend of eight languages, two variations of English and six of Spanish. In many ways, by writing in "Spanglish," Anzaldua creates a daunting task for the non-bilingual reader to decipher the full meaning of the text. However, there is irony in the mainstream reader's feeling of frustration and irritation. These are the very emotions Anzaldua has dealt with throughout her life, as she has struggled to communicate in a country where non-English speakers are shunned and punished. Language, clearly one of the borders Anzaldua addresses, is an essential feature to her writing. Her book is dedicated to being proud of one's heritage and to recognizing the many dimensions of her culture. One undeniable aspect of Anzalda's essays is her anger. Anzaldua uses Borderlands/La Frontera as an outlet for "venting her anger on all oppressors of people who are culturally or sexually different" (Fletcher, 171). For example, in Borderlands/La Frontera, Anzalda writes: Not me sold out my people but they me. Malinali Tenepat, or Malintzin, has become known as la Chingada - the fucked one. She has become the bad word that passes a dozen times a day from the lips of Chicanos. Whore, prostitute, the woman who sold out her people to the Spaniards are epithets Chicanos spit out with contempt (44). While this anger is justified, some critics feel her writing suffers as a result of what they perceive to be overtly strong emotions. Anzaldua's passion for these issues is obviously the fuel for her writings, and some readers may find she digresses into long fiery lectures rather than relying strictly on insight. Anzaldua's writing also consistently has an element of spirituality, and she adds a mystical nature to the very process of writing. To Anzaldua, writing was not an action, but a form of channeling voices and stories, and she attributed its power to a female deity. Of her spirituality, she writes in Borderlands: My spirituality I call spiritual mestizaje, so I think my philosophy is like philosophical mestizaje where I take from all different cultures -- for instance, from the cultures of Latin America, the people of color and also the Europeans (238)."
They say " America is a melting pot." And yet, so many people want to deny others of the opportunity to belong in the so-called "land of the free" but nothing comes without a price. Some individuals that are stuck between two cultures, if not given the chance to explore both, will lose theirselves. That unfortunately is a price some pay. You either choose your individuality or you choose to be a conformist. But conform to what? The norm? I have never seemed to fully understand what that is exactly. Why should you try to be like everyone else when you should aspire to be a better and more complete "YOU."
Works Cited
"Gloria Anzaldua." Voices From the Gaps : University of Minnesota. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. .
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