Living Language

Stasia Skonberg

Cultural Geography: Dr. Richard Simpson

2/16/21

Response Paper 5

A Living Language

         In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” Gloria Anzaldua brings us through the complexities of her identity and the identities of many Spanish speakers as their languages change and grow through time and place. “Nostros Los Chicanos straddle the borderlands. On one side of us we are constantly exposed to the Spanish of the Mexicans, on the other side we hear the Anglos’ incessant clamoring so that we forget our language (Anzaldua, 43).”

         Throughout the essay, Gloria speaks about how as a child she was punished for speaking Spanish on the playground and not conforming to the “American” accent and language. In college, her and other Chicano students were forced to take speech classes in which the goal was to strip them of their Mexican accents to further create the whole “American” ideal. This treatment caused major pain and a loss of identity among Chicano people because they were constantly being drowned with the pressure to conform to the anglo side but then also be in touch with their Spanish side.

         Out of this came a culmination of different dialects and languages among Spanish speakers in the U.S in order to keep their languages alive in a constant English driven country. A mixture of slang terms from English and Spanish formed Chicano Spanish, a living language. The reason Spanish has and will continue to grow and grow as a main spoken language is because of this resilience and ability to live. Just as our place names and locations should change with the generations that come and go, so should our languages in order to continue them on. Without them being spoken, they disappear and with our languages, cultures disappear. Gloria’s entire argument is that being ashamed of who you are and what you speak is a part of  your growth and apart of your identity.  Just as you grow and change throughout time, so does your culture and your language.