Rhetorical Analysis of “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”: Language as Identity

Gloria Anzaldua’s Struggles with Identity in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”

Gloria Anzaldua reveals her experiences with the American culture and how Americans treat her. Gloria lives between the borders of two different countries and cultures and is on a journey of finding herself. The essay starts with her in a dentist’s office, and she uses a metaphor to point out the issue towards her tongue and not her teeth. She speaks differently from the rest, all due to her accent.

Her childhood impacted her whole life and shaped her into the woman she is today. ‘If you want to be American, speak ‘American.’ If you do not like it, return to Mexico, where you belong.’ Her teacher told her to go away and that her tongue and the way she spoke were not American enough in this country. A country where many immigrants and people gather and can eventually be connected but judged all due to the language, English. Chicanos are not the only ones judged for not speaking the correct English; Asian Americans are, too. Gloria took the adverse reactions of the Americans and shaped her identity, which influenced her self-esteem.

Language as Identity and Connection

Language is defined as a system of methods of communication within a country or society. It has a lot to do with one’s identity. For example, a person can speak English with an accent, but in the American culture, there are different accents; Texas, New Jersey, and even New Yorkers have an accent, so judging a person from another country for having an accent is not ethical. As long as we all can communicate with each other, it should not matter how the person speaks, with or without an accent.

“How to Tame A Wild Tongue” is quite similar to “Mother Tongue” By Amy Tan because the essays convey that immigrant tongues are beautiful and how they communicate may not be ideal, but they are still speaking English. If an American were to try to speak another language, they too might be judged for having an accent and not speaking a slang version of the language.

As for me, I was not born as an American; English is my second language, and I am proud that I have not forgotten about my homeland. I still speak the language, and yes, sometimes my American accent may come out, but it does not matter because sometimes my Asian accent will come out when I speak my language. How our tongues move to formulate the words spoken to one another is precious; it should not be judged. It should be cherished that not all of us are the same; we are unique and different in our way, and in this American culture, English is the one way to connect.

So, whether a person is speaking slang or simply mixing the languages, take the time to realize that one immigrant took time to at least study the language and adapt to the American culture. Immigrants tongues have done nothing wrong; they only improve the American culture, changing the country and developing diversity, bringing new cultures and traditions.

References

1. Anzaldúa, G. (1987). How to tame a wild tongue. In Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (pp. 53-64). San Francisco: Aunt Lute.
2. Tan, A. (1990). Mother tongue. In The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life (pp. 275-293). New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

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