La conciencia de la mestiza: Gloria Anzaldua

This land was Mexican once
                was Indian always
                                       and is.
                                               And will be again. 

Absolutely loved this article by Gloria Anzaldua. I have absolutely no idea what it is like to be a mestiza but the message this article is very powerful. First off, a mestiza would be considered a woman of racially mixed ancestry typically crossed between Idian and Latin cultures. Anzaldua portrays what it is like to try and cross cultures. On page 380 she quotes:

" As a mestiza I have no country, my homeland cast me out; yet all countries are mine because I am every woman's sister or potential lover. (As a lesbian I have no race, my own people disclaim me; but I am all races because there is the queer of me in all races.)" 

She brings up two huge things in this paragraph; First one being that she doesn't have a "homeland".  Obviously she does, but it is just multiple countries instead of just one. She is embracing her ethnicity and wanting to be apart of numerous cultures and love every one of them. Second, she brings up the fact that she is a homosexual biracial woman. which leads me into the next quote:

" Colored homosexuals have more knowledge of their cultures; have always been at the forefront (although sometimes in the closet) all of liberation struggles in this country; have suffered more injustices and have survived them despite all odds. Chicanos need to acknowledge the political and artistic contributions of their queer."

I do believe that being a homosexual woman AND colored affects the life she's lived more than just being a white homosexual woman. I feel as if she is wanting to show people that she embraces the fact that she is a colored homosexual and that makes it even better for her being a mestiza. I think Anzaldua wants to show that this can bring cultures together instead of pulling them farther apart.

"I will not be shamed again

Nor will I shame myself" 

This quote reminds me of the movie "Walkout".  Walkout tells the story about the Chicano students in 1968 who walked out of their East LA highschool to protest prejudice and dire school conditions. In this YouTube clip, they group of Chicano students who are planning the walkout keep saying "Que viva la raza" which means "long live the race". It's a breath of fresh air to see the biracial culture being proud of their heritage and wanting to not be ashamed of where they came from or how they were raised.