Wild Tongue

Whether its spoken, some form of hand gestures, or possibly simply noises such as clicks, no person could go a day without using some form of language. With this in mind, it is easy to say that we go on with our days without giving a second thought as to how we are able to speak to one another and to communicate. In essence, language is taken for granted. Ever since its fruition, it has maintained the ability to communicate ideas and values which, in turn, is what allows humans to evolve and grow as both a community and as individuals. In her essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue.” Gloria Anzaldua gives respect to the importance of language and its everyday use. In her own way, specifically with focus on the Chicano tongue, she is able to redefine the true values and meanings that language holds. There, however, is something that goes much deeper and beyond what is superficially written on the pages. Through a lens of Kwame Appiah’s “Racial Identities,” Anzaldua’s essay can be ‘decode,’ and the true significance of language can be reestablished. In Appiah’s essay on racial identities, readers can find an interesting view on what the norms of identities are and what that means for both individuals and a community. This creates a lens a which to look at the ideas of language portrayed in Gloria Anzaldua’s essay. In this essay, Anzaldua gives a very personal spin on the idea of language. She does this by setting up the

Chicanos must reinvent themselves collectively in order to appear appealing and fitting to the American culture and the American people. If, as a community, they are not able to change their ways, they will be further pushed and deprived of what America has to offer. Personally, they must change in their day to day interactions with individuals. Keeping with the past, however, is also significant for creating personal identity. Appiah touches upon then by