Exploring Borderlands

Stephanie Gassner
Ms.Fodahl
English 11
17 Feb 2014

Exploring Borderlands

   In Exploring Borderland we explored how different cultures did things. Borderlands are know as "scars between the countries". The place and time do shape literature. Think of the US- Mexico border as social and cultural space. Think of the border as a ethnic region. In this unit we read "How To Tame A Wild Tongue" written by Gloria Anzaldua and also a video written by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Americo Paredes, Gloria Anzaldúa.

  What do you think of when hear the word borderlands? Do you think of the as "scars between countries" or do you think of them just as borders between nations. The borderlands are a place of conflict, and where new cultures come together. What do you think of when you hear the word mestizo/mestiza? When i hear that word i think of people who are born into mix cultures.  Boundaries that are challenged in border regions as different languages, different ethnics and friendships forming. In one of the stories Gloria Anzaldua was born in between borderlands.

 Gloria Anzaldua was born in Texas. The borderland between her was the border between the US and Mexico. For Gloria the border where she was, was a place for racial problems, political and cultural problems. When Gloria was in school she was not aloud to speak her language which her language was Spanish. If she spoke Spanish she would get hit on the hand three times with the sharp end . When Gloria went off to collage she found out that she was not aloud to even speak Spanish when she was in collage. Gloria also describes how the space of meeting two cultures were contact zones. In "How To Tame A Wild Tongue" Gloria describes how different cultures are different.

 "Wild tongues can't be tamed, they can only be cut out" (2947).  What that means is that the language spoken is different between everyone. Once the tongue goes you can not stop what it does it just goes and goes.  In How To Tame a Wild Tongue Gloria explains how the language is a male discourse. What that means that that males are dominate and they "own the language". In How To Tame A Wild Tongue the author relates the language to self identity. The languages is similar to self identity because it defines who you are as a person. In the video "Exploring Borderlands" Dona Marina was into slavery and was a translator for Cortes. Dona Marina was also know as La Maliche or a trader. She be traded everything she worked for Cortes and did stuff for him.

 In Exploring Borderland you see how there was slavery and traders. Borderlands are "scars between countries". Spanish Conquistadors were sent in to take over or conquer what they needed to. Do you know see why the US- Mexico is social and cultural space? You see the historia between each point of view and how each culture were different and how Gloria was not aloud to speak Spanish in school at all.