Anzaldua Revision (June 3, 2014)

Mexican-American author and feminist Anzaldua shows how language reflects a persons identity and
culture. In her short story How to Tame a Wild Tongue she states how might having one national
language hinder diversity. Her audience is toward her peers because she says we and uses Spanish
unapologetically and to the dominant norteamericano *North- American+ culture (2955). She speaks
different variations of Spanish and English depending on different spaces and who shes talking to. Her
language is considered wild because different variations or dialects of Spanish are looked down upon by
other regions and countries because it is not proper, it is spanglish. This is a constraint she has when
she travels. Mexico and America do not accept her kind of language, so she feels like she does not
belong. In How to Tame a Wild Tongue she claims, Wild tongues cannot be tamed, they can only be
cut out (2950), meaning Anzaldua feels culturally attached to her language, taming it would just take
away a part of who she is. In akin to taming a wild tongue, Anzaldua feels it is a form of linguistic
terrorism because she does not feel safe speaking her natural tongue, out of being ostracized by
society, or oppressed by doing so. As an example of the aforementioned oppression, she states how she
was punished as a child by a teacher for speaking Spanish to her friends at recess, inhibiting her
freedom. Although, I do believe the teacher was trying to help her prepare for the future because the
more you use English, the more proficient the user become. If she had to give up Spanish or try to get
rid of her accent to live in America, shed be conforming to society. She identifies herself as Raza, back
to her Indian roots before broader labels like Mexican or Spanish. I agree with her point that people
should not be ashamed of using their natural language because its a form of self expression and culture.