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Language And Culture: A Look Into How To Tame A Wild Tongue

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Language and Culture: A Look Into “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, Gloria Anzaldua explains her emotions and personal situations about social and cultural difficulties that Mexican immigrants, or any immigrant could face when being raised in the United States. She creates similarities between English, Spanish and their variations and how cultural imperialism, defined as, the influence on people’s preference to speak one language rather than the other. And she discusses current social problems in the United States such as sexism, cultural imperialism, racism, low self-esteem, and discovering oneself. Anzaldua wishes to be able to speak freely in Chicano Spanish and to have her and her people’s language and culture respected wherever she is …show more content…

Anzaldúa was influenced by the social destruction when she wrote the article. Her writing also comes from personal experiences from when she was younger. One of the article’s strengths is stated by the author when she qualifies the acculturation defined as, the process of adopting the cultural traits of another group, process as violent. She uses the term “linguistic terrorism” and explains how the First Amendment is violated, because linguistic terrorism takes away a person’s freedom of speech. In a country where the First Amendment is so heavily influential by freedom of speech and states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”. A person should have their own right to live per their cultural backgrounds up to the point of not overstepping the bounds of the

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