In Gloria Anzaldua’s “How to tame a wild tongue,” I was captivated with the way she expressed her pride for her language. I figured out I had the same feeling burning in my chest for my language. Gloria Anzaldua is a perfect example of how a person is capable of being self-validated despite negative reactions to diversity. A person’s language is part of their identity, and it is up to that individual to value their language.
I have lived in the Rio Grande Valley all my life, I speak the language, listen to tejano music, and I feel the pride for my culture. Like Anzaldua says, “Being Mexican is a state of soul – not one of mind.” Our culture is honestly one of the most colorful cultures on earth, the beauty of living in a culture full of …show more content…
When that teacher told her to go back where she came from after mispronouncing her name, I was reminded of a similar story my father told me. He was born in Fresno, California and when he attended school not a single child was Mexican, and none of them could pronounce the name he was born with. Rodrigo. So many of the kids called him ‘Rico’, which is a term used to describe how delicious food is in Spanish. It really bugged him, and when one of the students made fun of him during lunch. My dad got up and walked up to the student and said (in his own English.) “My name is Rodrigo, no, Rico. Okay?” the student then called him a stupid little ‘Spic’ a slur that my dad did not even recognize at that time. A teacher grabbed him and took him to the office, she told the principle he had screamed really loud in a student’s ear, and caused a riot in the cafeteria. That incident cost him recess and a fieldtrip. Dad says he didn’t care; he just wanted to defend his Spanish name. It wasn’t the first time he had gotten into trouble for speaking. I agree with Anzaldua, we need to withhold our language as Chicanos, “tenemos que acer la lucha.” We must try to continue our language so that it does not die out. Our tongue, our culture, and traditions are too
I have lived in the Rio Grande Valley all my life, I speak the language, listen to tejano music, and I feel the pride for my culture. Like Anzaldua says, “Being Mexican is a state of soul – not one of mind.” Our culture is honestly one of the most colorful cultures on earth, the beauty of living in a culture full of …show more content…
When that teacher told her to go back where she came from after mispronouncing her name, I was reminded of a similar story my father told me. He was born in Fresno, California and when he attended school not a single child was Mexican, and none of them could pronounce the name he was born with. Rodrigo. So many of the kids called him ‘Rico’, which is a term used to describe how delicious food is in Spanish. It really bugged him, and when one of the students made fun of him during lunch. My dad got up and walked up to the student and said (in his own English.) “My name is Rodrigo, no, Rico. Okay?” the student then called him a stupid little ‘Spic’ a slur that my dad did not even recognize at that time. A teacher grabbed him and took him to the office, she told the principle he had screamed really loud in a student’s ear, and caused a riot in the cafeteria. That incident cost him recess and a fieldtrip. Dad says he didn’t care; he just wanted to defend his Spanish name. It wasn’t the first time he had gotten into trouble for speaking. I agree with Anzaldua, we need to withhold our language as Chicanos, “tenemos que acer la lucha.” We must try to continue our language so that it does not die out. Our tongue, our culture, and traditions are too