Anzaldua, Chapter 7

In chapter 7 of  “La conciencia de la mestiza: Towards a New Consciousness,” by Gloria Anzaldua, the author explains what it’s like to be a mestiza, a multiracial woman, in an Anglo driven world. Anzaldua wants the reader to believe that even though she is biracial and woman, that she is not inferior to those around her. She is just as capable as anyone to change the world and the ignorance in the world. 

Anzaldua uses quite a bit of metaphors in her writing. One significant metaphor was the physical border that divides the United States with Mexico. For Anzaldua, the physical border symbolizes the boundaries that she feels she is held to because of her cultural issues. She is caught between two extremely different cultures which is like being on the border of different countries. They may be so close to one another but yet, they still seem to be very different and have very different beliefs. Because Anzaldua has many different cultures, she feels she doesn’t belong anywhere specific because she’s different than those who may not be biracial. 

Anzaldua also mentions that she has a mestiza consciousness. The mestiza consciousness is “the idea of dualistic thinking.” Having a mestiza consciousness helps see things for more than one point of view. It helps her see problems from different sides which in turn, can help her solve certain issues. She also believes that embracing this consciousness helps one because you’re not stuck in just one way of thinking. You have more of a mix of ideas. It helps you also because you know who you are, ironically, because you have to fight more to be yourself. You have to learn to love who you are because not everyone is going to like you. 

I would have to agree with Anzaldua because although I am not biracial, I am a minority. I’m hispanic and a lot of the times people don’t think you are capable of doing the same things they are because you don’t come from the same background as them. Anzaldua is different is so many ways and she learns to embrace them because her distinctions are what set her mind apart from others.