Identity Struggle

Wilson and Anzaldua's thesis statements are similar but different. Wilson argues that the way a female presents herself can hold a huge impact on the way others may identity you. Anazaldua demonstrates that the language that you speak and the accent that you carry along with it plays a big role in the way people can narrow down your identity. Both author's dicuss their struggle of having their own true identity shown."My point is, peolple get so twisted over female presentation that my bald head is cause for pause." (22)I think that she believes no matter how short or how long her hair is, she is still a woman clearly. One's identity should not be judged with such shallow perception." All Chicano students were required to take two speech classes: to get rid of our accents." (54) Her true identity was out shinig the identity of the american culture; which should have not been seen. Therefore causing her culture as a whole to be shut out of their own identity identifier, their beautiful accents.
The authors' personal experiences supported their arguments fully.The "Ice Cream Man" really made me see that gender is definately an identity marker. He was so quick to assume that Wilson's short hair was only a male characteristic, he passed over her " 40 C's "! And Wilson was so eager to say " What about these 40 C's?"(22) proving to me that not only do the people around her use gender as a identity marker but herself included." I am a black woman whose bald head makes me invisibleto some, boyish to others, and beautiful to me." (23) I believe that your identity should not be composed of the level of masculanity or feminity characterics you may have. It is a really narrow-minded concept.The situation when Anazaldua was caught speaking spanish and being punished for it, allowed me to see clearly that her identity was seen from her ethnicity." If you want to be American, speak 'American'. "(54) To me that is bascially saying hide and eliminate Anazaldua's identity of being a Chincano by down-grading her to speak her second language, english, all the time." Repeated attacks on our native tongue diminsh our sense of self."(57)