This past week we were assigned readings of both Anzalduas How to Tame and Levyas Sail On.

It is an interesting pairing of readings to be assigned, for both authors base their topics on language. The way they view them however, are in two very different lights. Anzalduas essay takes on a frustrated tone throughout the text, tends to verge on anger even. She is speaking out about her frustrations about being caught in between two languages: English and Spanish. English speakers dont quite accept her for she still carries the accent of a Spanish speaker, however Spanish speakers look down upon her for her Americanized version of Spanish. Being labeled as a Chicana irritates her. Levya views it entirely differently. She finds being labeled as a Chicana a positive thing. She feels blessed to be a part of both cultures. Anzaldua tends to think of language dealing only in the present, where Levya takes language and looks at it in its roots. She uses language to connect to her ancestors. She can use language to help bridge the gap between both cultures. Im not saying Anzaldua is wrong. I understand her frustration at being isolated among both groups, but Levya takes the situation in stride is on the better side of the argument.