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Gloria Anazaldua's 'To Live In The Borderlands'

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Recommended: Racism in literature

Conflict in Identity
Most people on this earth have dealt with borderline conflicts at some time in their lives. Trying to find where to fit in; which race will accept them? There are so many different ethnicity in this planet, which look like a mixture of species in one bowl of soup. Different flavor, color, and spice. In the poem “To live in the Borderlands means” by Gloria Anazaldua gives a vivid detail how mix people struggle to be recognized by their culture. The speaker has dealt with this issue during her own childhood. Gloria Anazaldua analyzes the struggle she had to endure, not only belonging to one or two races both five races. The speaker had no idea which race was better suited for her. Gloria was neither Hispanic nor Indian or black yet she was living on the borderline of Mexico and Texas. She was in a conflict between identities. The poem shows a …show more content…

In the poem she wrote
“put chile in the borscht” (19) or “eat whole wheat tortillas” (20). Every cultures has its own selected dishes, which they inherited from their ancestors. Gloria wanted to acknowledge the different type of food in the poem. Using food to express how different cultures can blend together. In the borderlands there is different types of species, from the Americans and Mexican cultures. Just like species in the food she had to blend in with both culture. In conclusion, in the poem “To live in the Borderlands means you,” she had to deal with the conflicts between her identities. Living in borderland means not knowing where to stand. Gloria realized that you have to break down the walls of the borderlands in order to be free, when she wrote “you must live in fronteras” (42). There’s always going to be people who are torn between cultures, but it’s up to the person to make the best of what they have. She wanted to belong to both culture, but being that both culture didn’t accept her, she had to create her own

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