Language played a very prominent role in Anzaldúa's life, as the Latino culture contains many variations of Spanish, English, and indigenous languages. Anzaldúa expands on these, mentioning that there are eight different varieties of language spoken by Chicano/as: standard English, working class and slang Spanish, standard Spanish, standard Mexican Spanish, North Mexican Spanish dialect, Chicano Spanish (primarily used in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California), Tex-Mex, and Pachuco or caló (Anzaldúa 56). Anzaldúa, in fact, uses all of aforementioned languages in Borderlands/La Frontera in an effort to emphasize the diversity of the Latino/Chicano culture. Anzaldúa explains to us that ethnic identity and culture can be found in its use of
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It can be understood, that she uses this tactic to make the readers feel just as she did growing up, living outside the "borderland" of language. As a child, Anzaldúa encountered many language barriers, and describes her experience as a clear border between her and the white American culture. She writes of her struggle to learn English as a child, and remembers that at the time, the educators in the hometown school system suppressed the use of Spanish, in turn suppressing her culture (Anzaldúa 53). Looking back on this experience, Anzaldúa expresses clear outrage that her heritage had been depreciated in such an obvious manner. In her writings, she cites this as an injustice by asserting that an, "attack on one’s form of expression with the intent to censor [is] a violation of the First Amendment” (54). Her pride in her culture and its languages, is prominent in her writings, and as a contrast to this particular sentiment, she brings up the topic of …show more content…
Anzaldúa claims that these people therefore distort the Spanish language as a result of prominent English American influence (Anzaldúa 55). She states, that as a result, these people betray their culture because they are not properly speaking the language of their culture, and letting it be influenced by American ways. In a sense, this is like letting Western ideals win and rule over Chicano heritage, as they are letting their culture be suppressed, just as the school system did to Anzaldúa. Anzaldúa similarly reprimands Western culture for treating indigenous people as subjects to be studied and converted. Just as it did for Spanish speaking students in her school, Americans made it shameful for indigenous people to speak their own language and trust their culture and ways of life. Anzaldúa states that this colonization is what leads to violence, as it undeniably damages the dignity of those being oppressed, hence creating another border to
It can be understood, that she uses this tactic to make the readers feel just as she did growing up, living outside the "borderland" of language. As a child, Anzaldúa encountered many language barriers, and describes her experience as a clear border between her and the white American culture. She writes of her struggle to learn English as a child, and remembers that at the time, the educators in the hometown school system suppressed the use of Spanish, in turn suppressing her culture (Anzaldúa 53). Looking back on this experience, Anzaldúa expresses clear outrage that her heritage had been depreciated in such an obvious manner. In her writings, she cites this as an injustice by asserting that an, "attack on one’s form of expression with the intent to censor [is] a violation of the First Amendment” (54). Her pride in her culture and its languages, is prominent in her writings, and as a contrast to this particular sentiment, she brings up the topic of …show more content…
Anzaldúa claims that these people therefore distort the Spanish language as a result of prominent English American influence (Anzaldúa 55). She states, that as a result, these people betray their culture because they are not properly speaking the language of their culture, and letting it be influenced by American ways. In a sense, this is like letting Western ideals win and rule over Chicano heritage, as they are letting their culture be suppressed, just as the school system did to Anzaldúa. Anzaldúa similarly reprimands Western culture for treating indigenous people as subjects to be studied and converted. Just as it did for Spanish speaking students in her school, Americans made it shameful for indigenous people to speak their own language and trust their culture and ways of life. Anzaldúa states that this colonization is what leads to violence, as it undeniably damages the dignity of those being oppressed, hence creating another border to