Free writing final copy

Jack Wilmott

8 September 2016

Prof. Young

Writing Skills Workshop 1100

“Freewriting Assignment”

                 Identity is a word that almost everyone has their own meaning of. Gloria Anzaldua the author of “How To Tame A Wild Tongue” states that “Wild tongues can’t be tamed, they can only be cut out.”(Anzaldua247) Gloria writes this because she believes her language is a major part of her identity and you can’t just control somebody’s identity much like the language they speak. When defining identity there are a lot of factors that go into it. People are identified by language, wealth, appearance, personality, race, and many other things. One of the largest influences on a person’s identity would be their race. No matter who you are or where you live you have an identity that defines you as a person.

               “How To Tame A Wild Tongue” is a story written by Gloria Anzaldua which explains the fight Mexican Americans go through everyday trying to sustain their identity in the U.S through their native tongues. Gloria states “We know what it is to live under the hammer blow of the dominant norteamericano culture.”(Anzaldua254) Throughout Gloria Anzaldua’s writing she explains that her language is the most prominent representation of her identity. Anzaldua tells us about the many variations of Spanish that she had picked up throughout growing up, and how in America her language is oppressed. The reason she feels that her language is oppresses is because the general public wants her to learn English. The problem with this is that Gloria sees her language as a representation of she is. If Gloria were to give up her Spanish tongue than she would be attempting to be something she’s not. 

          My identity is important to me because it shapes how I am viewed by society. Race in my opinion can play a major role in the type of friends you have, sports you play, and even what neighborhood you live in. For example, when I was in middle school I loved playing basketball. I would go to the park near my house and play with other kids from the neighborhood. One day when I had arrived at the court I was the only person there that was white.  I wasn’t really bothered by it but, when I asked to play someone said "This sport isn’t for white people" and they all laughed. This relates to Anzaldua’s writing because it is stated “If you want to be American, speak American.”(Anzaldua247) Gloria Anzaldua was being rejected for her tongue and I was rejected for my color.

          Ever since I was a child I have never cared about what race someone was. The way I thought of it was that if you treated me with respect than I would respect you back no matter what color skin you had. As I’ve grown older reality has shown me that not everyone thinks the same as I do. Whether it was in school or on the street, there have been many times where I’ve heard people make racial statements or do something unkind to someone of another color.  To this day there are still groups such as the KKK who discriminate against people for the color of their skin, African Americans in particular.

           Being racist is not something people are born with they are taught it either by their family or the people they interact with outside of home. In “How To Tame A Wild Tongue” Gloria Anzaldua states “when we know we are more than nothing we call ourselves Mexican, referring to race and ancestry.”(Anzaldua254) The problem I have with this statement is the part when she says “when we know we are more than nothing.”(Anzaldua254)No matter what race you are you are never considered worthless because, every race has a history some more harsh than others. You should be proud of what you come from and embrace your culture otherwise you’re pretending to be something you’re not.

          No matter who you are or where you live you have an identity that defines you as a person. The reason identity is important to me is because no one else can have my identity but me and I am proud to be who I am. Everything I have done in life whether I’m proud of it or not has shaped me into what I am now. All the years of school, the people I’ve met, my teachers, my family, my race, the different places I’ve seen, and even the type of dog I have has had an impact in my life and affected my identity. Without an identity I am nothing but a lost person and it is the same for everyone else. As long as I have my identity than I will always have something to be proud of, it doesn’t matter what color I am.