2. Identity Rough Draft/ How to Tame...

Si le preguntas a mi mama, “Que Eres?”

"Identity is the essential core of who we are as individuals, the concious experience of the self inside."

GERSHEN KAUFMAN

Identity is an important aspect to who a person is, who they see their self as, and how others see them. Some people don’t know what to identify themselves as, and they can be lost because of that. Once you determine who you are and how you identify, it will make you a more confident, self assured individual.

Identity can be based off of one’s values, interest, appearance, ethnicity, friends, choices, creations, etc. It all depends on how you see yourself; it is not defined by how others think of you, unless you let it define who you are.

I know who I am and how I see myself. I am a well-rounded young woman with high aspirations, good values, with established beliefs, whom is proud to be Hispanic, Caucasian, Czechoslovakian, and a mix of a few other ethnicities. I also believe you are who you surround yourself with, therefore I aim to have good friends, whom are caring individuals, and the ones I have are good people. I have big dreams for my future, and I am doing my best to accomplish what I have started.

In Anzaldua’s article "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," she talks about how her identity is based on her language. As a Hispanic woman, she has learned many different variations to the Spanish dialect. When she is around different people, from different places, she has to speak a different variation of the dialect. People from Mexico speak a different dialect compared to other Hispanics in Texas, compared to the ones in Arizona or California. All the different variations are:

“1. Standard English

2. Working class and slang English

3. Standard Spanish

4. Standard Mexican Spanish

5. North Mexican Spanish dialect

6. Chicano Spanish (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California

have regional variations)

7. Tex-Mex

8. Pachuco (called cal6)”(p36)

At times, Anzaldua has problems with the dialect, so she has to adapt to the different regions that she is going to be in, as to not embarrass other Hispanics for not knowing the same transformation of a word. 

“With Chicanas from Nueva Mexica or Arizana I will speak Chicano-15 Spanish a little, but often they don't understand what I'm saying, With most California Chicanas I speak entirely in English (unless I forget). When I first moved to San Francisco, I'd rattle off something in Spanish, unintentionally embarrassing them. Often it is only with another Chicana tejana that I can talk freely.” (p36)

This makes me wonder how many people are the same, having to adjust for others of the same or similar language.

Being Hispanic I wish I could speak some Spanish, but neither of my parents can speak it, and only some family on my father’s side of the family can speak it, and they all live in Arizona. I still identify as being Hispanic, and I plan to learn the language at some point, so that people are more accepting of my background and what I identify with.

Anzaldua, Gloria. "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. 1981. 33-45. Print.