HowtoTameaWildTongue

byGloriaAnzaldua.

Tobegintheessayportionofthispaper,IamgoingtodelveintothetoneofHowtoTameaWildTongue.

Tome,itimmediatelystartsoffwithanegativevibe,withtheauthorimpactingyouwithasenseof

violenceandcruelty.Itshowshowtheacculturationprocess(psychological&culturechangeresulting

fromtwodifferentwaysoflivemeeting)canbebrokendownintwodifferentstyles.Whenoneside

(American)hasasenseofurgencytolearnandbeproficientinEnglish,andthatimmigrantsimmediately

adaptandembraceourculturetobeaccepted.ThentheHispanicside,Mexicanparentswantthe

Americandreamfortheirchildren,andplacemoreimportanceontheirchildrentoseamlesslyblendin

withoutanaccent,etc.Thiscantellyoutheconfusionandthedifficultiesonecanfacewhenbeingraisedin

theUnitedStates,butwanttostaytruetotheirheritage.ItalsocomparesEnglishandSpanish,their

variations,andhowculturalimperialism(creation&maintenanceofunequaltreatmentbetweentwo

civilizations,favoringthemostpowerfulofthetwo)influenceswhethertheyspeakEnglishornot.Andthen

shebringsinthefactthatitcanbeworseimmigratingfromanothercountrytotheU.S.whenitcomesto

sexism,socialstigmas,racism,lowself-esteem,governmentandtheirofficials,andtheirconstructionsof

anidentityotherscanrelateto.Youbegintorealizetheauthoristryingtoexplainthatimmigrantsjust

wanttoexpressthemselvesfreely,havingtheirlanguageandidentityrespected,andtheirrightsasa

citizen.Whilethereisprogresshappeningforimmigrantsfromallovertheworld,Hispanicimmigrantsface

hugequestionsmarks;suchas:race,identity,culture,senseofbelonging,andthefreedomtoexpress

themselvesinEnglishorSpanish(Languagepreference).IthasamoodofconstantremindersthatMexican

immigrantscanfacedepressionandlowself-esteemwhencomingintoAmerica,andhowthatcaninfluence
theirprogresstransitioningfromtheirhomeCountry,toours.(ComparativetoifsomeonefromtheUnited

StatesmovedtoIreland,orsomewherethatthecultureiscompletelydifferent,andstrangetothem.This

justhappenedtobeMexicotoU.S.)

Whentakingacloserlookatthewriterherself,Irealizedthatshe(GloriaAndzaldua)wasamulti-identity

holding,aproudfeminist,andalsoalesbian.Whichmakesmethinkthatthisentirebookwaswrittento

challengethewarshappeningbetweenopposinggroupsofpeople(Heterosexualsvs.homosexuals,menvs.

women,Hispanicsvs.non-Hispanics).WithherbeingbornandraisedinTexas,(andatthetimethiswas

writtenin1987)GloriawaslivingintheU.S.,whereweknowwomenweretreatedunfairlystill,and

homosexualswereconfusingandalmostshunnedforbeinggay,andHispanicpeoplewereaminority,and

pickedon.Sotherearethreeimmediatethingsyouwouldseesparkingthisbook.Beingwelleducated

helpedhergetthepointofthebookacrossedtoanaudiencethatagreedwithchallengingthosewhowere

aimingtoholdothersdown,andtheoppressingofcertaingroupsofpeople,andhowgovernmentaccepted

(andstilldoes)andwentwiththeoppressingandstereotypingofthesecertaingroupsofpeople.It

ultimatelycallsoutandchallengespeopleandgovernmentalikethatspecializesintheoppressing

(especiallythoseinWesternculture,seeinghowshewasraisedinaRepublicanstate),andtogetattention

onthoseissues,andtheattitudesthatcarryandfosterthethegrowthofnegativeaccusations,propaganda,

ofthesegroupswiththetargetontheirbacks.EspeciallyfromtheGovernment(basedonsex,skincolor,

sexualorientation,etc).

Idontreallythinkwehaveworkedonanythingthispoliticallycritical,butIcanseewhyyouwouldwantus

topossiblychoosethisone.Itwasreallyenlighteningandempoweringtoreadsomeonesoboldspeaktheir
mindsomatteroffactly.Imyselfamalesbian,andIcanseewhypartofthisbookfocusedonthat.Reading

justtheonechapterontheimmigrationissue,Ireadmorefrombeingsparked.Shetalksfurtherabouthow

beinghomosexualwashidden,somethingtobelookeddownupon,andhowshewasjudgedonthatalso.

Sheseemedtohaveallthecomponentstoherselfthatshewasntallowedtobeandexpress.Shedidntlike

thepersonshewasbeingforcedtobe,andrefusedtoletthemclosethelidonthisboxthatoutside

influencestoldhertobecome.Shealmosttellsyoufullthrottlethattheideascirclinginthesegroupsare

regressiveandhindersocietysgrowthandhappiness.Shefeelsasthoughshechallengessocialnorms,and

hercultureinalotofways,wantingtobehappywithwhosheis,butseeingitcausediscomfortwhensheis

outwithotherpeopleinpublic,orwithherfamilyathome.Notonlyisherhomosexualityagainstthe

beliefsofChristianity(whichmajorityofHispanichouseholdsareraisedbelievingandworshiping),butit

againstthenormofawomanbeingsubservienttoaman,themotherandQueenofahousehold,andthe

vesseloflifeandbloodlinescontinuing.ShedidnotwanttobehelddowntothetypicalwayHispanic

womenlivedbackthen,andwantedmoreforherself.Shewasmadetofeelashamedaboutbettering

herself,butitdidntstopherfrombecominganeducated,andpassionatewomanintheworld.

Tome,Ithinkthewaysheeffectivelyinterestedmeasareader,wasmakingherstorysorelativeand

tangible.Atsomepoints,Ifeltlikeshewastalkingaboutme.Iwasborntheyearthiswaswritten,soIcant

reallydelveintothetimeframeshewastalkingthrough,butIcancompareitto2017,andwhatwearestill

dealingwithaswomen,andaspartoftheLGBTQA+community.TherearestillthingsIbitchaboutdaily,

thatshewaswrittenveryangrilyabout.Youcanfeelhowthisbookisamiddlefingerstatement,andis

argumentativeinhervalidityinallthesecommunities,andhervoiceyellingtheunfairwaypeoplejudge.I

amjudgeddailywhenmygirlfriendandIholdhandsorkissinpublic.IamstilltalkedtoasthoughIam
unintelligentbysomemen.IdonotdisclosethatIampartNativeAmerican,becausepeopleoccasionally

wanttomakemeapoliticalpawninconversation.Irefrainfromlettingthesethingsholdmedownormake

meashamed.JustbecauseIamafemaledoesnotimmediatelymeanIamnotwelleducated.Beinggay

doesnotmeanIamapervertordamned.AndbeingNativeAmericandoesnotmakemeanymore,orless

specialandvalidthananyoneelseintheworld.Idontwantthesethingstounfairlypushmefurtherahead

inanylines,butIdefinitelywillnotletitpushmefurtherandfurtherbackbecausesomepeoplethinkthey

havearighttooppressthesepartsofmylife.Iamjustasimportantasthepersonstandingnexttomewith

theexactoppositeviewsasmyself.

Whyisthisstillavalidbook,andespeciallythechapterchosenitself?

Itisstillvalidbecauseitisstillwhatisgoingonintheworld.PeoplehaveputsomeoneintheWhiteHouse

thatwantstobuildawallcuttingoffMexico,toavoidILLEGALimmigration.Butnotonlydoesthisman

refusetovalidateHispanicpeople,butwhenSyrianrefugeesneededhelp,herefused.Heisconstantly

belittlingeveryminoritygroup,handicapandVeteransarenotsafe,andheissopompousthathejokes

abouthisbigotryandselfobsession.Itisstillvalidbecausegaypeoplearestillmurdered,imprisoned,and

beateninthestreets.Herpointofviewwasopposingtheoppressors.WhichIthinkisavoicemorepeople

needtolistento.JustbecausethePresidenthasonethingtosay,doesnotmeanallofthecountryagrees.

Andthemoredisagreementisfueled,themorechanceofasocietytakeoverandrebellionwillhappen

againsttheoppressors.