maedae_703 's review for:

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria E. Anzaldúa

4.5

challenging informative reflective sad slow-paced

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Gloria E. Anzaldúa was a revolutionary Mexican writer and activist during the time of the publishing of "Borderlands/La Frontera". I had little prior knowledge of Mexican/American relations before reading this book (which I read for a university class), and it was a great introduction to Mexican/American relations. If you can't read Spanish or are unfamiliar with Mexican culture and its lore, this novel may take a while to really soak in, but I think that, as an American, this should be a required reading. It delves into the complexities and the foundations of Spanish and American colonization in Mexico, how it affected the writer and everyone around her for their entire lives. Not only does this short novel give a good introduction to Mexican history, but it reads almost like Gloria E. Anzaldúa is having a conversation with the reader themself. Due to this interesting narrative choice, sometimes it feels like you're having a conversation with someone but it was partially out of context, and you don't completely understand what's going on, and that is okay. I understand, as a White woman, that I may not completely catch on to cultural nuances and references. Reading this is a learning experience, which comes with doing your own research in tandem with Gloria E. Anzaldúa's recount of Mexican/American history. Many times, when we read news articles or textbooks about immigration and America's faults, America is the center of the story, but in this book, the lived experiences of Mexican people, especially Mexican feminists and LGBTQ+ Mexicans were the center, allowing for a more personalized and humane recount of colonization itself as well as how it's lasting impact lingers today.