Kevin Blog Post

I have come across Anzaldúa and her writing in a class I have taken before during the Spring 2019 semester. We talked at length about the concept of the borderlands and how it is addressed in literature and in the Latinx culture. The writing of Anzaldúa is most characterized by her use of her native languages, balancing between mostly English and Spanish. Her writing occupies a space between languages, much like the borderlands occupies a space between countries and cultures.

I think this sort of style is very appropriate for the sort of writing and the subject matter that Anzaldúa writes about. One can only truly take on such a complicated subject with the full understanding and experience Anzaldúa has and with the approach of utilizing multiple languages and cultural references in order to establish herself as someone who is authentically a member of the mixed culture that is associated with the borderlands. I like the poetic nature and seamless flow from English to Spanish and back again. I was born and raised in Miami as was my wife. Her Mother came to Miami from Cuba and her Father came to Miami from Chile. I would argue that South Florida, especially Miami, occupies a space similar to the borderlands of the American southwest. The sort of exchange Anzaldúa has with her reader reflects the conversations I have with my in-laws and the discourse I overhear when out and about in Miami. As a result, Anzaldúa's writing creates a type of nostalgia for me which I think is why I enjoy it.