How to Tame a Wild Tongue

Language is a key component of identity. Anzaldúa writes, “Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity—I am my language” (39). The essay calls on Chicanos to embrace their cultural and linguistic hybridity and reconceptualize how they think about the language. From a young age, Chicanos grow up internalizing the idea that they speak “broken” English and Spanish because they speak English with an accent and do not learn formal Spanish. Anzaldúa encourages Chicanos to feel empowered speaking their languages and dialects because they are an inherent part of their identity. She argues that only by embracing one’s language can one embrace one’s identity.

Throughout the essay Anzaldúa practices this theory, embedding Spanish throughout her primarily English-language essay. This stylistic choice is significant because she demonstrates Chicana conversational language while also showcasing her literary prowess and linguistic talent. She employs code-switching throughout the essay to illustrate her argument about the interconnectedness of language and identity among the Chicano people living on the border. She writes, “Nosotros los Chicanos [we Chicanos] straddle the borderlands” (42). As a young girl who learned formal English in school and informal Spanish at home, Anzaldúa, like many Chicano children, has a “split tongue,” speaking a variety of languages that includes different Spanish and English dialects and slang.