My Identity

Every human is unique. No one person in the entire world is the same. I, as a human, have many flaws. I think that everyone shares a trait. The trait of public vs. private. Most human beings generally don't show their private self to just anyone. Personally, my first impressions aren't the real me. When I meet someone for the first time, I show less of what I really feel, and show more friendly emotions. That way, by showing a little of myself, I save myself from embarrassment. Every human, I assume, shows their public self because they fear that society will judge them differently, so they use the “norm” which is what society thinks is “publicly accepted”. For me, I think that my public vs private self isn’t as noticeable. I usually act the way I would act by just talking to me. I’ve gotten comfortable with showing my self no matter who it is. Showing your true self is not that simple. Many people say that they know themselves well enough, however, more likely than not, they do not know. Anzaldua, a female who learned who she is abusively, had her religion shoved down her throat because she spoke Spanish. Anzaldua could’ve kept her private personality to herself, however she chose to accept her religion and she fought for her freedom. She fought her way through pain and suffering and managed to keep her religion to her identity, making her a unique human being.

"How to Tame a Wild Tongue"

1. The opening paragraph is the thesis, about how she needs to be tamed. It's also important because the quote "And I (Anzaldua) think, how do you tame a wild tongue, train it to be quiet, how do you bridle and saddle it? How do you make it lie down?" These foreshadow the purpose of what is to come.

2.Throughout her article, she explains her work differently. At times, it's just english, other times, spanglish, or just spanish. By doing this, Anzaldua is teaching her works so that we too can speak her language and pass it down. She's keeping her language strong.

3.The benefits of speaking one language (Standard) is that as a whole community, language/jobs would seem easier to find. However, if there are multiple languages(Non-Standard), there can be more information passed on.

4. By speaking and/writing in Academic English, it shames the spanish language. Anzaldua wrote "Chicano Spanish is not incorrect, it is a living language." By speaking in Academic English, you speak the native tongue.

5. Some spanish identities are:
--Sexism- Women must be "well-bred girls (that) don't answer back"
--Racism- Americans treat Anzaldua's people very poorly, some have the audacity of saying "If you don't like it, go back to Mexico where you belong."
--Self Esteem- Most Mexicans have low self esteem because of racism. This can cause more deaths, less "smart people" causing less of a desired population.

6. I do not use a seceret language.

7. I speak mumbling english, I always speak quietly and mumble alot, causing confusion and aggression. I speak english so I could learn proper english while I speak it.

8. "I am my language" a phrase used to describe oneself. This quote can mean a couple of things. For example; the language that I speak, makes me who I am Religiously. Religiously, as well as Naturally and Forcefully. Naturally through birth, the language has been passed down by his/her parents, and naturally comes to them and grows up knowing the language. Forcefully through maybe a school? Or maybe through forceful parents.

9. Anzalda describes that in the beggining, the doctor says how her tongue needs to be tamed, and she accepts it. However in the end, she describes that she will never go down without a fight for her tongue, her native tongue. "We know how to survive"

10. Yes, sometimes the way people talk truly describes them. If someone is a loud person and very violent, we can "assume" that his childhood was rough and had bad parents. Usually we can tell, however there are those moments where someone isn't as they seem.

11. I believe that my true friends should know the real me. I don't have many friends, but the friends I have all know about me. Making them irreplaceable. As for my outer shell, I'm usually someone cooperative, someone who would be scared "at the risk of being tired."