Reaction to La Conciencia de La Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldua

Firstly, I found the way this piece was written to be the most intriguing and beautiful in comparison to the other works we have read. Anzaldua's utilization of poetry helped in creating an immediate connection to her writing, allowing me to walk away from the piece with a deeper understanding and appreciation for her many messages and ideas. Poetry is an art form that connects people emotionally and, sometimes, even spiritually, especially with the proper use of imagery and beautiful stanzas.

Anzaldua, being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, effortlessly incorporated that aspect of her identity into her writing; many of her points resonated with me. Her quote on page 380 reads, "As a Lesbian, I have no race; my own people disown me, but I am all races because there is the queer of me in all races." This idea of being inherently connected to every race through her sexual orientation was very compelling, and I appreciated how she didn't sugarcoat the fact that homophobia is still a prevalent issue within her community. She states that LGBTQ+ people of color have been at the forefront of all liberation struggles in the United States and that we have "suffered more injustices and survived" (383). Whether intentional or not, she made me extremely proud of those in my community who have come before me and risked their lives and well-being to better the world. Moreover, she repeats the idea of acknowledging harmful tendencies in her communities and holding those accountable. For example, when speaking about Machismo, she first sympathizes with them as a whole, stating: "The loss of a sense of dignity and respect in the Macho breeds also breeds machismo, which leads him to put down women and even to brutalize them" (383). She then asks for an apology and, at the very least, respect for women.

Overall, the messages present in this piece, along with the beautiful poetry and use of her native tongue, create a highly captivating and successful argument.