Rachel Alvarado

Holly

English 28

12 November 2017

The Importance of all Languages in different Cultures.

Language is a very important aspect of communication. In fact, it is essential. Many cultures have

different languages and values which lead people to portray themselves differently. The way

someone see themselves is directly linked to language because they are able to identify with the

cultural of the language, they adapt to the values of the culture, and through all of this, an

individual's self-identity is created. Language can be linked to even more complex topics because

without language, humanity would be lost.

It is safe to say that there are thousands of different cultures around the world that vary in

times that they were established. Each one of those cultures have had a special way of doing things

from the start. And one of the things that was developed along with culture, is language. The ability

for people to communicate with one another is what makes civilization grow. Without language,

there is no possible way that humanity would be making cars and medicine like we do now.

Language has also given rise to jobs or roles in each respective culture. People have been telling

other people what to do and telling other that they are better than them since the beginning of the

earliest civilization.

The only proof that is needed is the role of women in every family and village that ever

existed before government was established. Women could only do certain things in every different

culture. No one really abides by the same rules that early Native Americans did, that is why there
was a woman running for president, but without the culture of America being catalyzed by

language, women would identify differently. A woman who runs for president today would be

weaving baskets and being forced to cook hundreds of years ago,. The language of each individual

culture created and identity for women because the language created the culture which in turn

created the role of women.

Speaking in terms of men, language also created an identity for them. It is not a coincidence

that men have always been seen superior to women. It is because of how the different languages

around the world allowed for the men in every part of the planet to tell women that they are stronger

than them and that they belong in the kitchen. According to Gloria Anzalduas summary she

states that she transforms the cultured beliefs into accomplishment both backgrounds can admire

and respect.(tantilawordpress) . Gloria is trying to explain that language will always be an

important content that everyone should respect and really understand what its like to admire a

language that youre profoundly interested in. Without any language, who knows how women and

men would identify themselves. It is certain that men might not have been able to establish

themselves as the strong and brave people they saw themselves as, and women may not have been

so subservient and might have been dominant if there was no way to communicate verbally. But

at the end of the day, it was language that allowed men to be thought of as the heads of the house

and it was language that pushed women into their house wife stereotypes. This is what allows for

men these days to act tough and be aggressive, and it can be what makes women act helpless and

needy when they are in fact very capable of doing more than men.

In modern day society, language is important in the development of the personal identity.

Of course, there are certain things that cultural differences give rise to such as clothes and religion,

but cultural values emerged from the creation of language. There are many people who struggle to
figure out who they really are and what they really want even though there is a name for everything.

And that is what identity is, just a name for something or someone. Gloria Anzalduas quotes If

you want to be American, speak American.' If you don't like it, go back to Mexico where you

belong.(wendtenglish). This quote made her feel like if she was worthless and didnt know who

she was as a person, not only because she was humiliated but was very confused about this whole

language idea. But this is something common when it comes to people who are part of the LGBTQ

community. There are many people who feel like inside, they fit into another class identity. Or

they feel as if that they maybe should identify as homosexual. Without language giving rise to

these now common life choices, these individuals would be seen as outcasts and identify as an

outcast. The language that we speak gifted us the ability to communicate our feelings and our

intentions. Since language makes it easy for people to communicate, it is easier to understand what

you are going through and how you are changing as a person. And because we are able to

understand everything that is going on, identity can be developed.

A society without any language is one that will not last. It is important to know who you

are and what role you play in the bigger picture. It is cruel to allow someone to go through their

entire life not knowing why they feel a certain way and what that makes them. Language and

communication is the base of everything, not just identity. But language has given mankind the

ability to know who we are and know what role of importance that every one of us play in our

everyday lives. We might identify as male or female, Catholic or Jewish, homosexual or straight,

and child or adult, but at the end of the day none of this would be possible if we were not able to

speak the language that allows us to know who we are.

This whole topic relates to the Garcia Girls in many ways. The Garcia girls had to go

through a lot, one main problem would be the fact that they didn't know how to speak English.
They would get made fun of because they could pronounce some words in English and not say it

in a correct manner. Later, throughout this book they start to acknowledge the fact that they want

to learn English and they should learn how to speak it. YoYo also known as Yolanda quotes in the

book finally sounded like herself in English (2.2.40). She was starting to feel the confidence that

no one gave her when was starting to talk in English.

 Works Cited

Summary on How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua. English 1 A Angela Rodriguez,

1 Sept. 2013, tantila2006.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/summary-on-how-to-tame-a-wild-tongue-by-

gloria-anzaldua/.

Napikoski, Linda. Gloria Anzaldua: Multi-Identity Chicana Feminist Writer. ThoughtCo,

www.thoughtco.com/gloria-anzaldua-3529033.