Borderlands/La Frontera

Name: Borderlands/La Frontera
Rating: 4.1 (10 reviews)
Author: Gloria Anzaldúa
ISBN: 9781879960121

by Gloria Anzaldúa

4.1

(10 ratings)

251 pages1987Aunt Lute BooksISBN 9781879960121

nonfiction fiction

Open in BookOwl Download on App Store

About this book

First published in 1987, "Borderlands" has become a classic in Chicano border studies, feminist theory, gay and lesbian studies, and cultural studies. Anzaldua, a Chicana native of Texas, explores in prose and poetry the murky, precarious existence of those living on the frontier between cultures and languages. Writing in a lyrical mixture of Spanish and English that is her unique heritage, she meditates on the condition of Chicanos in Anglo culture, women in Hispanic culture, and lesbians in the straight world. Her essays and poems range over broad territory, moving from the plight of undocumented migrant workers to memories of her grandmother, from Aztec religion to the agony of writing. Anzaldua is a rebellious and willful talent who recognizes that life on the border,"life in the shadows,"is vital territory for both literature and civilization. Venting her anger on all oppressors of people who are culturally or sexually different, the author has produced a powerful document that belongs in all collections with emphasis on Hispanic American or feminist issues.

Publication Details

Publisher: Aunt Lute Books
Published: 1987
Pages: 251
ISBN: 9781879960121
Language: en

About Gloria Anzaldúa

“A woman who writes has power, and a woman with power is feared.” – Gloria Anzaldúa Gloria E. Anzaldúa was a guiding force in defining the contemporary Chicano/Chicana movement and a leader in lesbian and queer theory and identity. Born in southern Texas in 1977 she moved to California where she supported herself through her writing, lectures, and occasionally teaching courses in feminism, Chicano studies, or creative writing. She is perhaps best known for co-editing This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color (1981) with Cherri Moraga, a groundbreaking publication not only as a collection by feminists of color, but also for confronting the racism/classism found at the time in feminist thinking. The collection is also noteworthy for fully embracing lesbian voices and concerns and making a clear case that feminism should be inclusionary. Anzaldúa also edited the follow-up volume Making Face: Making Soul/Hacienda Caras: Creative and Critical Perspectives by Women of Color (1990). Voted one of the 100 Best Books of the 20th century by both The Hungry Mind Review and Utne Reader, her semi-autobiographical book, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1987), explored the borders between countries, languages, genders, the classes, and even within oneself. She also wrote several bi-lingual children’s books and co-edited This Bridge We Call Home: Radical Visions for Transformation (2002). Anzaldúa was adamant about the limiting quality of labels and against all things that separated people. For her, inclusion was essential in the gay movement as well. She was one of the first to champion the “otherness” of the queer movement. The recipient of numerous accolades and awards, she died in 2004 from complications due to diabetes. -credits to legacyprojectchicago.org