Anzaldúa writes: “I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.”

Reflection Question: How does her “embodied” experience of being told her tongue is “wild” affect her perception of the world? Using the Phenomenological lens, explain how her reality is shaped by these specific interactions.

When Anzaldúa describes her language as “illegitimate,” she is describing a high-stress environment. How might “silencing” a student’s home language function as an epigenetic event?

Our objective today is to analyze how Gloria Anzaldúa’s lived experience of linguistic identity (Phenomenology) impacts the biological and cognitive self (Epigenetics), and to reflect on how your own literacy journey shapes your “internal landscape.” Please comment on a passage where a passage where Anzaldúa describes a physical sensation or a specific memory of being silenced (e.g., the dentist scene or the “reprimand” from her mother).