Anzaldua Blog Post- Gamarra

What stood out to me in regards of Anzaldua's writing style was her dynamic use of the written text as a way to showcase the indefinite boundaries of her mestiza heritage.
"The first time I heard two women, a Puerto Rican and a Cuban, say the word "nosotras," I was shocked. I had not known the word existed. Chicana uses nosotros whether we're male or female. We are robbed of our female being by the masculine plural. Language is a male discourse." (RT 1586)
 This quote showcases her understanding of the rhetoric of language, how discourse is controlled by dominant narratives, the malleability of history, the female experience, Latino experience, and even her singular narrative. Her commentary relies of the fluctuation of storytelling, which allows the reader to feel the dynamic aspects of her life  as well as her awareness of accepted academic subjects. The use of a poetic tone, quotes, autobiographical retelling, and the Spanish language create such a rich and personal experience. This experience manages to be so singular yet tell the story of an entire group of people. When reading Anzaldua I found myself drawn to her multiple layers. I think this exemplifies mestiza rhetoric. Her writing also shows the need for the culmination of composite ways of experiencing life or what she calls Nepantilism. Her rhetoric was effective due to my background as someone who speaks Spanish and experiences Hispanic culture constantly. I may not be Anzaldua's primary audience however, I found her story extremely touching and was able to see fragments of myself in it. Anzaldua's writings of her experience want to be acknowledged without the need for taming or assimilation. I admire this in her rhetoric and I think this is what makes it so effective and memorable.