Borderlands & Code Switching (& Homework)

As we move deeper into the Borderlands text, we begin to see how Anzuldúa is layering her different identities over top of one other. First as a Chicana (female of Mexican descent) living in the borderland. Second as a woman, in both Latino and American cultures. And third as a lesbian. I love the way she allows these different identities to intersect as well as the way she explores, especially through the use of language, the challenges of each identity, separate or unified. I find Anzuldúa's prose to be beautiful, powerful and, most importantly, compelling. And why some audiences might be alienated by her passion and, at times, her anger, I don't think this text would function as well as it does if it were 'toned down' or less abrasive. It wouldn’t have the same impact. Her appeals are both logical and emotional. It's the emotional appeals—sometimes in the form of anger—that are the risks an author takes. In fact, many of you have already said it's uncomfortable, or maybe 'annoying,' to read a text that occasionally blames the reader. But don't forgert Anzuldúa's position. Her emotions, whether you agree with them or not, are real. Her views on the world, her opinions, her ideologies, her anger. All of that is real. And to Anzuldúa, her message, wrapped and presented in a myriad of ways, is important to her. She feels the need to say and voice her opinions. She feels the need to be heard, so much so, that she is willing to risk the potential alienation of her readers. But as readers we have to figure out ways to internalize what she has to say, even if it goes against what we think and feel, what we believe to be true. That's tough. That's a tough thing to do. It takes a certain amount of patience, that's for sure.

I still have a few questions for you about the overall role of the text. Who is the intended audience of this text? In other words, whom is she writing this for? If this text is to be a transformative piece of culture (as she hinted at on page 38), would it not be, then, for a white audience? After all, if she wrote it for other people like herself, I think she might be preaching to the choir, so to speak. BUT, if this book was written for a white audience, why would she blend various forms of Spanish and Indian language into her writing? Don’t you think this kind of approach would inherently turn off people who don’t speak Spanish? Or is she trying to say something else, something beyond the written word? I mentioned that both times I read this book, I have skimmed over and mostly skipped the parts in Spanish. Do you think there is significance in the act of reading?

Please finish chapter 2 for Monday.