How to Tame a Wild Tongue

Patrick Darling
English 1100
8-31-15
Prof. Young

How to Tame a Wild Tongue

     In the beginning of her story Anazaldua makes her connection of her past with a trip to the dentist, and how its hard for the dentist to work in her mouth because of her tongue being stubborn. This reflects how she was told to learn "American" speech, and to leave her old language, and essentially her culture behind. Her "stubbornness" still exists today with her writing as she still embraces her Chicano, Tex-Mex, etc language, still incorporating it into her speech and writing. It makes perfect sense why she does this too, why would she just try to write this in pure Spanish or English, when she is more comfortable using her language, even if some people (like me) might not get some of the words she used.

     To a pure Spanish speaker the Chicano Spanish might seem like the nonstandard version of Spanish. I makes them seem like they are being called inferior even though the Chicanos just throw different flairs and words from english into their language. Just like with Spanish, there are different types of English. It might not be as noticeable as Spanish but different kinds of English defines English speakers identity. We have British English, Australian English, different kinds of American English too, depending were you live like: East Cost, Mid-West, California/West Coast, etc. I am also part of a somewhat secret language, people that are aware or are know what the things me and my friends say would also get our "Nerd Speak." Examples being like, "Hey Dante, wanna go frag some scrubs later?" However I wouldn't talk like this to others as they most likely would not get it, people like my parents or teachers, unlike my friends who would get it. Otherwise I speak like East Coast American, so I wouldn't be speaking like a British person.

     "I am my language," means that the way you speak and the language you speak defines who you are. I'm not going to define myself as a for example as French, I don't know french, I would be defined as American, due to my very Americanish English that I speak. And that can be a part of my identity as when I speak that, people could tell that I'm most likely American with my American English. At the beginning of the story Anazaldua says how stubborn her tongue would be at the dentist, and it connects to the ending where she says how patient Chicanos are, and how they can hold on to their Chicano identity even after everything will rot out before they give up there language. Identity is important for everyone to have, identity is the reflection of you, who you are, how you act, what your interests are, and what makes you different from other people, Anazaldua would agree. In here school see was punished for using Spanish, were she was from, and then called a traitor for speaking english, even though thats whats spoken in the country. Being Chicano gave them the identity that they are a little of both but not the same as the two, they are unique.  

"So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity-I am my language."

"There existed a sense of shame at being caught listening to our music. Yet I couldn't stop my feet from thumping to the music, could not stop humming the word, nor hide from myself the exhilaration I felt when I heard it."

"Stubborn, persevering, impenetrable as stone yet possessing a malleability that renders us unbreakable."

Anzaldua, Gloria "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Teaching Developmental Writing. Ed. Susan Naomi Bernstein. Fourth ed. New York : Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 245-255. Print.