Blog Six
Gloria Anzaldua introduces the consciousness of the Borderlands explained as the mixing of races, creating a hybrid human being. Those following one culture are on one side of the border and those following another culture are on the other side of the border. Those following both cultures are thought to be in the “borderlands�. With the mixture of cultures, some feel “torn between ways� as to which culture to follow, causing a “cultural collision�. One in the borderlands is thought to not reject any part of either culture even though they may contradict the other. They only try to embrace these differences. We have talked about those as a part of several cultures are thought to be less powerful but Anzaldua explains, if one remains close to their roots and embraces their culture(s), they will be stronger.
Paula Gunn Allen introduces a consciousness of women and their power through an Indian perspective. Women in Indian cultures are never portrayed as “mindless, helpless, simple, or oppressed� as in Western culture. She mentions how the Western culture has weakened and devalued tribal traditions of women’s power. In Indian culture women are oppressed in some ways by men but they also hold a very important role in society and therefore hold a great amount of power. She did not experience gender oppression until she experienced Western culture.
Both Anzaldua and Allen relate mixing/adding one’s cultures together with Western culture. Anzaldua’s piece focuses more on showing one’s culture(s) and being proud of all of them while Allen’s piece seems to show the incorporation of Western ideas into Indian culture and the differences between the two. Also, Allen shows how the Western culture has affected Indian ideas and how it has weakened the Indian ideas.