Decolonizing our ways of knowing - Gloria Anzaldua

“But we Chicanos no longer feel that we need to beg entrance, that we need always to make the first overture – to translate to Anglos, Mexicans and Latinos, apology blurting out of our mouths with every step. Today we ask to be met halfway. This book is our invitation to you – from the new mestizas.” (Anzaldua)

Gloria Anzaldua’s book Borderlands is her take on her experience as a Chicano American. Although the physical border in question is the “Texas-U.S Southwest/Mexican border”, the term Borderlands has a much broader and profound implication which, in Anzaldua’s experience, has much to do with culture, language, identity, and societal norms defined by those in power. The language used in the book is something which the author refers to as a “bastard language” consisting of a combination of “English to Castillian Spanish to the North Mexican dialect to Tex-Mex to a sprinkling of Nahuatl to a mixture of all of these”. This mixture of languages, referred to as Chicano Spanish, is a result of the particular geography and history that Anzaldua’s happens to be a part/result of, and thus is a reflection of a culture specific to her. 

The language used in the text is of great significance given the fact that Chicano Spanish is, according to the author, not approved by any society. In this regard, the book is not merely Anzaldua’s take on Chicano history, but also a personal statement about herself, which is conveyed through the mere form of the text. Referring back to the quote mentioned earlier, “to translate to Anglos, Mexicans and Latinos, apology blurting out of our mouths with every step” Anzaldua’s unapologetic use of a language that reflects her specific cultural context implies the denial of an assumption that was previously considered to be a given: The culture of the colonizer is the norm of the society and one must therefore align themselves with it in order to be accepted as a normal (or even beneficial) member of society. That assumption of course, is challenged by the author.

“Culture forms our beliefs. We perceive the version of reality that it communicates.” (Anzaldua)

Anzaldua cites that culture is made and sustained by people in power and gives the example of the patriarchal culture guarded by men, which is manifested in the behavior and limitations of women. The societal practices and norms that reflect the culture are not mere isolated actions, but rather reflect and are guided by certain beliefs that form the backbone for them. In the case of a dominant language, the assumption sustaining that dominance is the belief of its superiority and the superiority of the people it originally belongs to. For many, the dominant culture succeeds in making them internalizethe beliefs behind that culture, which is why there is a temptation to hide certain aspects of one’s identity and highlight others in the hopes of aligning oneself with the dominant culture. 

“To avoid the rejection, some of us conform to the values of the culture, push the unacceptable parts into the shadows. Which only leaves one fear – that we will be found out and that the Shadow-Beast will break out of its cage.” 

However, that is not the case with the author in this book. The unapologetic tone of the author and her unwillingness to hide any cultural aspects of herself in the book are clearly guided by another countering belief: the minority’s culture is just as valid as the majority’s. It is a clear challenge to the notion what is normal. This is how Anzaldua seeks to decolonize our ways of knowing. To imply no hierarchy in the medium (language) or the place of origin (geographical/cultural) of the knowledge being transmitted. To transcend the notion of normal. To not put a limit on our imagination and therefore the many ways of expressing and being.