Lecture: How to Tame a Wild Tongue - Gloria Anzaldúa

Summary

Gloria Anzaldúa's 'Borderlands / La Frontera' explores the concept of 'mestizaje', a blend of cultures and identities, particularly among Chicanos in the U.S. The book delves into the significance of language in shaping identity, highlighting the eight versions of English and Spanish Anzaldúa speaks. It challenges the erasure of cultural and linguistic diversity, advocating for pride in one's unique linguistic heritage. Anzaldúa's work is a multidisciplinary reflection on the intersection of ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, emphasizing the importance of self-identity in the face of societal pressures.

Takeaways

• 🌏 'Borderlands / La Frontera' is not just a physical location but also a metaphor for the intersection of different spiritual, linguistic, and cultural ideologies.
• 📚 The concept of 'mestizaje' refers to the blending of European and indigenous cultures in the Americas, resulting in a new ethnic and cultural group.
• 🆕 Gloria Anzaldúa introduces 'The New Mestiza' as a modern interpretation of mestizaje, focusing on the Chicano identity that is distinct from both Mexican and mainstream American cultures.
• 🗣️ Language plays a crucial role in Anzaldúa's identity, and she recognizes and values the multiple versions of English and Spanish she speaks, including Chicano Spanish and working-class English.
• 🚫 Anzaldúa rejects the idea of standardizing language, arguing against the disparagement of non-standard versions of English and Spanish that are integral to her identity.
• 💬 She emphasizes the importance of linguistic diversity, stating that robbing people of their language is a form of violence equivalent to war.
• 🌱 The book 'Borderlands / La Frontera' is a multidisciplinary work, incorporating elements of autobiography, anthropology, cultural studies, critical race theory, and linguistics.
• 🔍 Anzaldúa's work reflects the unique situation of Chicanos, who do not fully identify with either Spanish or English as their dominant language, leading to the creation of their own language.
• 🤔 The essay discusses the discomfort Chicanos feel when speaking Spanish to other Latin Americans due to the historical suppression and negative perception of the Spanish language in the United States.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Anzaldúa's identity as a Chicana-dyke feminist-poet adds layers to her perspective on language, gender stereotypes, and the hetero-normative approach to language, advocating for a firm identity and pride in one's own language and culture.
• 🔗 The script highlights the interconnectedness of ethnic and linguistic identity, with Anzaldúa asserting that one's language is a core part of their self-worth and identity.

Q & A

What is the main theme of Gloria Anzaldúa's book 'Borderlands / La Frontera the New, Mestiza'?

The main theme of the book is the exploration of the borderlands as a physical, spiritual, linguistic, and cultural space where different ideologies converge, sometimes resulting in a new type of identity and sometimes in conflict.

What does 'mestizaje' originally refer to and how is it connected to Anzaldúa's concept of 'The New Mestiza'?

'Mestizaje' originally refers to the historical process of intermarriage between Spanish conquistadores and indigenous groups in the Americas, leading to a new ethnic and cultural group. Anzaldúa's 'The New Mestiza' modernizes this concept, applying it to the Chicano identity that blends Mexican and American cultures.

How does Anzaldúa view the relationship between language and identity in her work?

Anzaldúa views language as a crucial part of identity, emphasizing the importance of preserving different versions of English and Spanish that she speaks, including Chicano Spanish and working-class English, as they are integral to her self-perception and upbringing.

What does Anzaldúa mean by 'robbing people of its language is less violent than war'?

Anzaldúa suggests that the forced assimilation and suppression of a group's language can be as damaging and violent as war, as it attempts to erase cultural identity and history.

How does the concept of 'Spanglish' relate to the Chicano identity as described by Anzaldúa?

Spanglish, a mix of Spanish and English, represents the unique linguistic identity of Chicanos, who do not fully identify with either standard Spanish or standard English, and thus create a language that reflects their cultural blend.

What does Anzaldúa argue about the uniqueness of Chicano identity compared to other Latino identities?

Anzaldúa argues that Chicano identity is unique because it comes from a place where Spanish is not the dominant language, and English is the reigning language, leading Chicanos to create their own language that reflects their social situation.

How does Anzaldúa describe the historical treatment of the Spanish language in the United States?

Anzaldúa describes a history of suppression and negative perception of the Spanish language in the United States, where it was considered un-American and associated with the working class, leading to practices like hitting children for speaking Spanish.

What is the significance of the essay 'How to Tame a Wild Tongue' in the context of Anzaldúa's work?

The essay 'How to Tame a Wild Tongue' is significant as it encapsulates Anzaldúa's views on the importance of language in shaping identity and the resistance against the erasure of Chicano Spanish and English.

How does Anzaldúa's work reflect the intersection of multiple disciplines?

Anzaldúa's work reflects an intersection of autobiography, anthropology, cultural studies, critical race theory, and linguistics, creating a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the complexities of identity and culture.

What does Anzaldúa's self-description as a 'Chicana-dyke feminist-poet' add to the understanding of her identity and work?

Anzaldúa's self-description adds a layer of complexity to her identity, highlighting her challenge to gender stereotypes, heteronormative language use, and the dominant narrative that may not value her language, gender, or sexuality.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Cultural and Linguistic Identity in Borderlands

The first paragraph introduces Gloria Anzaldúa's concept of 'Borderlands' from her book 'Borderlands / La Frontera the New, Mestiza.' It explains that the term is not only about the geographical border between the U.S. and Mexico but also symbolizes a cultural and spiritual intersection. Anzaldúa discusses the idea of 'mestizaje,' the blending of European and indigenous cultures in the Americas, and how this has resulted in a new ethnic and cultural identity. The paragraph also touches on the unique identity of Chicanos, who have Mexican ancestry but do not identify as Mexican or mainstream American. Anzaldúa emphasizes the importance of language in shaping identity, recognizing the various forms of English and Spanish that she speaks, and rejects the notion of assimilation that diminishes the value of these linguistic variations.

05:02

📚 The Complexity of Anzaldúa's 'Borderlands'

The second paragraph delves into the multidisciplinary nature of Anzaldúa's work, which includes elements of autobiography, anthropology, cultural studies, critical race theory, and linguistics. It highlights the book's exploration of the origins of Chicano Spanish and Chicano English as a response to the unique sociolinguistic situation of Chicanos, who are neither fully Spanish nor Anglo. The paragraph includes a quote from Anzaldúa's essay that underscores the necessity for Chicanos to create their own language due to their distinct position in society. It also discusses the historical suppression of the Spanish language in the U.S. and the impact this had on Chicano identity.

10:08

🗣️ The Inextricable Link Between Language and Identity

The third paragraph focuses on the deep connection between language and identity, particularly for Chicanos and the author herself. It discusses the discomfort Chicanas feel when speaking Spanish to other Latin Americans due to the historical stigmatization of their language. The paragraph also addresses the broader themes of Anzaldúa's work, including her feminist and lesbian perspectives as a self-described 'Chicana-dyke feminist poet.' The summary emphasizes the importance of maintaining pride in one's language and identity, despite societal pressures to conform to dominant narratives and norms.

Keywords

💡Borderlands

The term 'Borderlands' refers to the physical area along the border between the United States and Mexico, specifically in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. In the context of Gloria Anzaldúa's work, it also symbolizes a cultural and ideological intersection where different identities, languages, and spiritualities converge, sometimes harmoniously and sometimes in conflict. The concept is central to the video's theme, illustrating the complex identity formation within these liminal spaces.

💡Mestizaje

Mestizaje is a historical process that describes the mixing of European, particularly Spanish, with indigenous peoples in the Americas, resulting in a new ethnic and cultural group. In the video, 'mestizaje' is used to discuss the formation of a new identity, the 'New Mestiza,' which represents the Chicano experience of being both distinct from and influenced by both Mexican and American cultures.

💡New Mestiza

The 'New Mestiza' is a concept introduced by Anzaldúa to describe a modern identity that emerges from the Chicano experience. It encapsulates the unique cultural synthesis of Mexican and American influences and the rejection of being fully identified with either. The term is used in the video to highlight the protagonist's struggle and pride in her bicultural heritage.

💡Chicanos

Chicanos are people of Mexican ancestry living in the United States. The term is used in the script to denote a group that does not fully identify with either Mexican or mainstream American society. The video discusses how Chicanos, like Anzaldúa, navigate and affirm their identity within the broader cultural landscape.

💡Language Identity

Language Identity is the connection between an individual's sense of self and the language they speak. In the video, Anzaldúa emphasizes the importance of language in shaping her identity, particularly through the various versions of English and Spanish she speaks. The script illustrates how language is integral to her self-definition and resistance against cultural assimilation.

💡Spanglish

Spanglish refers to a hybrid form of communication that mixes elements of Spanish and English. The term is relevant in the video as it represents the linguistic creativity and cultural fusion of Chicano identity. Anzaldúa's embrace of Spanglish is a form of resistance against the marginalization of her bilingualism.

💡Cultural Assimilation

Cultural Assimilation is the process by which a minority group adopts the customs, language, and practices of a dominant culture. The video discusses how the dominant society's push for assimilation often involves the suppression of minority languages and cultures, as exemplified by the historical discouragement of speaking Spanish in American schools.

💡Linguistic Identity

Linguistic Identity is the aspect of a person's identity that is tied to the language they use. The video emphasizes that for Anzaldúa, her unique forms of Spanish and English are inseparable from her sense of self. It is highlighted in the script where she asserts that an attack on her language is an attack on her identity.

💡Hetero-normativity

Hetero-normativity refers to the societal expectation that people should adhere to a heterosexual orientation and traditional gender roles. In the video, Anzaldúa challenges these norms as part of her broader critique of dominant narratives that marginalize her identity as a Chicana-dyke feminist.

💡Chicana-dyke

The term 'Chicana-dyke' is used by Anzaldúa to describe her identity as a feminist poet who is both Chicana and a lesbian. The video discusses how this self-identification is part of her resistance against societal norms and her assertion of a multifaceted identity that includes race, culture, gender, and sexuality.

💡Cultural Synthesis

Cultural Synthesis is the blending of different cultural elements to form a new, unique culture. The video uses this concept to describe how the Chicano identity, as represented by the 'New Mestiza,' is a result of the synthesis of Mexican and American cultural influences, creating a distinct and vibrant cultural expression.

Highlights

Borderlands represents not just a physical area but also a place where different spiritual, linguistic, and cultural ideologies come together.

The New Mestiza concept refers to the blending of European and indigenous influences to form a new ethnic cultural group.

For Chicanos, identity is based on both Mexican and American cultures but also involves a rejection of each.

Language is crucial to Anzaldúa's identity, with her speaking eight different versions of English and Spanish.

Anzaldúa rejects the disparagement of non-standard versions of language, viewing them as integral to her identity.

Robbing people of their language can be as violent as war, according to Ray Gwyn Smith.

Anzaldúa sees Chicano identity as unique due to the lack of a dominant Spanish language in everyday life.

Chicanas feel uncomfortable speaking Spanish to Latinas due to fear of censure and the historical suppression of the Spanish language.

Spanish was historically looked down upon and associated with the working class in a negative way.

Anzaldúa's upbringing involved a strong push to eradicate the Spanish language and assimilate to standard English.

Anzaldúa argues that Chicano identity should have its own unique language, separate from standard Spanish or English.

Ethnic and linguistic identities are intertwined, with language being a core part of self-identity for Anzaldúa.

Anzaldúa challenges gender stereotypes and heteronormative language use in her work.

The book 'Borderlands / La Frontera' incorporates elements of autobiography, anthropology, cultural studies, critical race theory, and linguistics.

Anzaldúa's work reflects the blending of different influences to create something new, as suggested by the title 'The New Mestiza'.

Anzaldúa identifies as a Chicana-dyke feminist poet, incorporating her perspectives on gender, language, and sexuality into her writing.

Transcripts

"How to Tame a Wild Tongue" comes from her book "Borderlands / La Frontera the New

Mestiza" now this book chronicles her life

originating in the borderlands the physical area of the border in South

Texas in the Rio Grande Valley but it is a lot more than that I think for Gloria

Anzaldúa. Borderlands is not only a physical area where two countries come

together but it also represents a place where different spiritual,

linguistic, and cultural ideologies come together and sometimes that coming

together is productive and results in a new type of identity and

sometimes it's violent. Sometimes it can be a clash but if we see in the sub-title

of her book "The New Mestiza," this really is a reference to the idea of "mestizaje"

now "mestizaje" originally referred to the process the Spanish other European

conquistadores and explorers coming into the Americas colonizing and either by choice

or by force

intermarried with indigenous groups in the Americas, and the result of this

process is a new group of people, a new sort of ethnic cultural group that is

the result of the result of European influence as well as indigenous/Native

influence and the degree to which the European influences seen and the

indigenous influence is seen can vary by region and sometimes you have very

strong commitment to indigenous spirituality preserving language

preserving the culture and sometimes

you see that the Catholic religion and the Spanish language predominate

depending on the region. For Anzaldúa, I think she calls it the new mestiza

and that really takes the idea of cultures coming together sometimes

violent need sometimes and brings it into the modern world and she's talking

about Chicanos as a group of people living in the United States whose

ancestry goes back to Mexico who do not see themselves as Mexican per se they

weren't born in Mexico they weren't raised in Mexico on the other hand they

don't see themselves as fitting into mainstream American Society either and

that really is what the new mestizo is just sort of Chicano identity based on

Mexican culture American culture as well but also in some way of rejection of

each. She talks about language and language's importance to her identity we

really see as she identifies the eight different versions of English and

Spanish that she speaks that to some degree she's accepting standard English

for example standards Spanish versions of those languages that she's familiar

with and this can include Chicano Spanish include working class English or

slang English and really she does not want to see these versions of language

disparaged

she believes that because they're so important to how she sees herself to how

she's grown up that really you cannot rob a person of any version of his or

her language and we see that quote right at the beginning after the third

paragraph. Ray Gwyn Smith

saying "who is to say that robbing of people of its language is less violent

than war?" and really you know historically I would say that

robbing the people of his language is very often a result of war sort of

acculturation after maybe some dominant society conquers some other society

there is a process of acculturation by which the dominant society hopes to

assimilate the newly conquered peoples and I think that's something that she really wants to reject

wants to distance herself from people who have heard leave her different

versions of English and Spanish in Spanglish and Chicano Spanish and really

when you look at this book you sort of reflects all of the different influences

actually has and the book itself isn't easy to pin down has elements of

autobiography of personal narrative but also of anthropology cultural studies

critical race theory and linguistics so the book itself is taking in all of

these different influences in order to create something new just as the title

"The New Mestiza" hints that she might do you really think she's working in a

border lands on many different levels about the contributions of ideas

influences and cultures. I'm going to look at the night at the essay a little bit from

paragraph 12 I think this really sums up how these sort of different versions of

Chicano Spanish and Chicano English originated so I'll read paragraph 12

"For a people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country in which Spanish is

the first language for a people who live in a country in which English is the

reigning town but who are not Anglo for people who cannot entirely identify with

either standard formal Castilian Spanish nor standard English, what recourse is

left to them but to create their own language?" and this really is I think where

Anzaldúa sees Chicano identity as very unique it's not like some of the other

latino identities say Colombian Cuban Puerto Rican because she's talking about

coming from a place where the dominant language is not Spanish having some

familiarity with Spanish to different degrees depending on the individual

not having that be a dominant language and everyday language really she

saying because we are in a unique situation here socially why

wouldn't our language also be unique? why wouldn't we create our own? Paragraph 24

think this highlights what was just talking about "Chicanas feel

uncomfortable talking in Spanish to Latinas, afraid of their censure. Their

language was not outlawed in their countries. They had a whole lifetime of

being immersed in their native tongue. Generations, centuries in which Spanish

was a first language taught in schoo,l

heard on radio and TV, and read in the newspaper? and I think this is another

source of Anzaldúa's aversion to the way people are treating Spanish and nowadays you flip through

the channels on your TV you gonna come across some spanish-language channels

absolutely but really when Anzaldúa was growing up in Spanish was a language

that was sort of looked down upon

it was considered a language that was not highly cultured and it was

associated with working-class people in a very negative way. Even in my own family

I can tell you for example my mother in Southern California and my father in the state

of New Mexico when they showed up to school kindergarten first grade speaking

Spanish or even pronouncing their names in the Spanish way, they would be hit

with a ruler across the hand. So for example you could say "my name is

Felipe." You would have to say "my name is Phillip" because there was a very strong push

and attempt to eradicate the Spanish language and it was considered by

mainstream America un-American to speak anything other than standard English. Now

that's a problematic idea because it's impossible to define what Standard

English is languages are changing all the time but still this was a very

serious concern and this is the context that Anzaldúa is coming from. So she says

their own paragraph 24 "their language was not outlawed in their countries" meaning

in Latin American countries she really is referring to the idea that Spanish

was seen as simply wrong with in this country and

society. So I've got a couple more quotes I'd like to look at paragraph 27 "So if you

really want to hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identities twin

skin to linguistic identity. I am my language. Until I can take pride in my

language I cannot take pride in myself," which really I think speaks to the idea

that a Spanish and different variations of Chicano Spanish and English

were not respected. Also, just because we're on the subject of Anzaldúa, I

really have to point out that I cannot talk about Gloria Anzaldúa without

talking about the aspect of her identity and her sort of social force behind

feminism and lesbianism and she was a self-described Chicana-dyke

feminist-poet that was how she liked to call herself and really in talking about her

identity as a Chicano I think that you have to also take into consideration the

fact that she's looking at gender stereotypes she's looking at the

gendered use of language and sort of hetero-normative approach to language as well

and really she's looking to question a lot of these practices and to say that

even though there is perhaps a dominant narrative that does not value her use of

language, her gender, or her sexuality she is going to maintain a firm identity and

pride in who she is.