Identity Essay
What if we lived in a world where everyone was exactly the same and no one could tell anyone apart? This sad and homogenous state would not only be dull but would also lack creativity. Everyone has different backgrounds, languages, values, and even stories to tell. Gloria Anzaldua talks about how a huge part of her identity is her language and how her language defines her in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” Language is a huge part of everybody’s identity. Your identity is a series of traits and characteristics that individualizes you.
Identity can be defined by many things. One way you can describe identity would be geography. You can understand a great deal about a person from location. Geography funnels down into other categories such as culture and language. For example, A person from the rich part of England might speak english more proper then someone that is from a poorer part of England. This relates to “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” because it shows how just because your ethnic group speaks a language does not mean that there are not little things such as geography that can play a part of how there can be slang and new words in a language. Anzaldua talks about how she was shocked when a Puerto Rican and a Cuban were speaking spanish and how she heard words she never knew existed. “The first time I Heard two women, a Puerto Rican and a Cuban, say the word “nosotras” I was shocked. I had not known it existed. Chicanas use nosotros whether…” (Anzaldua 2948). No one in this worlds has the same identity and anyone else.
Having an identity is a vital part of surviving in society. Without an identity how is one to further succeed in life? Nothing would set you apart from the next individual. How are you suppose to get a job if you and the next person are the same. How is one suppose to bring a resume to a job if theres nothing to set you apart as a single organism that is capable of doing certain task on your own.
Some may argue that if everyone was the same then there might totally equality. For example some institutions require students to wear uniforms. I think the uniforms have something to do with unity. When wearing a uniform to a certain degree your identity is compromised and its just not fully there. Your identitity is compromised because you conform and you dont look like an individual but more like a group.
Everyone one passes judgements and assumptions based on your identity. One false action can perplex one to make false presumptions. Everything you do and everything you say is watched and judged upon. Whether people like it or not society revolves around stereotypes. I would not say everyone in society is racist but more along the lines of culturally aware of their surroundings. . What country do you root for in the Olympics? You tend to cheer for your country because you think its better than the rest. Some may argue that if everyone had was the same then there would be s
Identity is something that constantly growing. Your identity is one neverending story; its basically your history. No one can change your identity unless you let them. Gloria Anzaldua talks about when she moved to north america she was forced to acculturate to the American ways by being taught to not speak her own language and to speak only proper english. “If you want to be American, speak ‘American.’ If you don’t like it, go back to Mexico where you belong.” (Anzaldua 2948)
Work Cited
Anzaldua Gloria, How to Tam a Wild Tongue. N.p 2948, print,
