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Intersectionality


In "To Live in the Borderlands Means You," Gloria Anzaldúa’s main idea is that when you are a person with so many intersectional identities, you cannot depend on being wholly accepted by one of the groups you belong to.  Instead of being accepted as your whole self, people will pick at and point out the ways you are different.  In order to survive where all these groups meet, you can’t fully identify with any of them.  She means that you are basically on your own.  The stanza that was most difficult for me to read was the one that talks about the struggle to not commit suicide.  It makes me understand how much people in her position are dragged down because of other’s unacceptance of them as a whole being at the intersectionality of different race, a female, and with gender nonconforming identity (Anzaldúa).
Evelyn Alsultany, who is a female of Cuban and Iraqi descent, and is Muslim – describes how she is seen differently by different people she encounters (Alsultany).  I do think that she lives in the “Borderlands” as described by Anzaldúa.  People don’t easily accept her uniquely whole self. 
Even though the video of Cherríe Moraga: “You're Not Really Mexican, Are You?" is very short, there is so much information packed in.  I found it very interesting and disturbing that she was made aware of social inequities at such a young age.  She saw that people were treated differently and had different opportunities based on their race (Cherríe).
An interesting thing about the video on "Gloria Anzaldua: Reflections from the Borderlands" was that there was a whole semester class about Anzaldúa.  She sounds like such an influential woman intersecting in so many different ways and I’m sorry that I have never heard of her before.  I will definitely do more research on her on my own (Gloria).


Works Cited
Alsultany, Evelyn. "Los Intersectios: Recasting Moving Selves." Women In Culture An Intersectional Anthology for Gender and Women's Studies, Second ed., Wiley Blackwell, 2017, pp. 63-67.
Anzaldúa, Gloria. "To Live in the Borderlands Means You." Women In Culture An Intersectional Anthology for Gender and Women's Studies, Second ed., Wiley Blackwell, 2017, pp. 62-63.
"Cherríe Moraga: 'You're Not Really Mexican, Are You?'" Youtube, 19 June 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6698ws-8LE. Accessed 13 Sept. 2018.
"Gloria Anzaldua: Reflections from the Borderlands." Youtube, 16 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI6AGsbHMFc. Accessed 13 Sept. 2018.

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