Gloria E.

Anzaldúa’s Biography
(1942-2004)

Gloria E. Anzaldúa was a queer Chicana poet, writer, and feminist theorist. Her poems and essays
explore the anger and isolation of occupying the margins of culture and collective identity (Poetry
Foundation).
Gloria Evangelina Anzaldua was born in Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas on September 26,
1942 as the oldest of four children. Growing up her family moved to various ranches working as migrant
farmers. Anzaldua gained all of her knowledge about the Southern Texas and Chicano discrimination
while working on the farm and ranches. By age eleven her family moved to Hargill, Texas, which is on
the border of Mexico and the United States, for the chance of a better education for the children. At age
fourteen her father was killed in a car accident.
Although she was faced with discrimination and hardships for being Hispanic and a female she
remained strong and focused on her education. Gloria Anzaldua went on to receive her bachelor’s degree
in English at the University of Texas-Pan American. She taught preschool and special education before
moving to California in 1977. While in California she supported herself through her writing, lectures and
teachings about feminism, Chicano studies, and discrimination. In 1974, Anzaldua moved back to Texas
to continue her graduate and doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Austin. While at UTA,
she taught a course called "La Mujer Chicana" and this is where she began to notice the lack of material
written for or about Chicana women. She is most famous for her work co-editing the anthology This
Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color in 1981. Anzaldua also wrote various
children's books including:
 Prieta Has a Friend (1991)
 Friends from the Other Side/Amigos del Otro Lado(1995)
 Prieta y La Llorona (1996)
 La Fea (1958)
However, her main focus was the border created by language and even writes in a bilingual manner in
order to highlight the distinct troubles with language. Anzaldua mainly exhibits her own life and the
treatment she received for her way of speaking. Her book also examines the borders for women in
Chicano and Latino culture, lesbians in the straight world, and Chicanos in white American society. She
is the author of several books of poetry and non-fiction, including:
 This Bridge Called My Back:Writings by Radical Women of Color (1981)
 Borderland/La Frontera (1987)
 Making Face, Making Soul/Haciendo Caras (1990)
 This Bridge We Call Home (2002)
Anzaldua died at the age of 61 from diabetes related complications on May 15, 2004. Anzaldua
continues to be recognized for her great contributions Especially, for her book, Borderlands/La Frontera:
The New Mestiza (1987) and her essay, “La Prieta,” which are considered groundbreaking works in
cultural, feminist, and queer theories. Anzaldúa list of awards and accolades include:
 the Lambda Lesbian Small Book Press Award,
 a Sappho Award of Distinction
 an NEA Fiction Award
 Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award (1986)
 Lambda Lesbian Small Book Press Award (1991)
 Lesbian Rights Award (1991)
 Sappho Award of Distinction (1992)
 National Endowment for the Arts Fiction Award (1991)
 American Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2001)
MY NOTES FOR CLASS:
Gloria Anzaldua was more than just an activist for feminism, she also spoke strongly about her feelings
towards the connection between language and identity. In her essay "How to Tame a Wild
Tongue" Anzaldua outlines her strong emotions towards the disposing of one's native tongue in order to
conform to any given environment. The issue she addresses is the criticizing of one's accent and how that
shapes an individual. Anzaldua spoke the 'improper' and 'poor' Chicano Spanish throughout her childhood
however, she was constantly scolded and criticized by her mother as well as educators; according to
Anzaldua this is where society is messed up. The way a person speaks also illustrates who they are and is
intertwined with their identity. Ethnic identity is a twin to linguistic identity, therefore the critique of
one's way of speaking also criticizes who the individual is. Not only does language shape individuals, it
shapes all environments. Anzaldua calls this "Linguistic Terrorism" because it is an attack on individuals
to shape what is acceptable and what is not, which also creates a hierarchy. Just because one form of
Spanish is different from another does not mean that either is more or less authentic. Her main point is to
support and further promote the acceptance of all languages and accents.

Resources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/gloria-e-anzaldua

Early Life, Education and Career

Grew up
The Life of Gloria Anzaldua
By using the two variations of English and the six different variations of Spanish in Borderlands/ La
Frontera, Anzaldua puts the reader right in her mind and exposes the way she thinks.
"Linguistic Terrorism"