In Cherríe Moraga’s poem, “Loving on the Run,” I was drawn to the speaker’s “improper” grammar and use of syntax to build an identity for herself. The speaker ends every “-ing” word with “-in,” like “talkin” instead of “talking” (19). This colloquial way of speaking highlights the speaker’s refusal to conform to oppressive societal expectations. This dedication to her identity, illustrated by her dialect, is a token of her authenticity and proves to her audience that she doesn’t owe anyone assimilation. Exploring and embracing authenticity is a motif that appears consistently in the readings for this class. Moraga’s linguistic authenticity connects with that of Gloria Anzaldúa’s in “Speaking in Toungues: A Letter To 3rd World Women Writers” as they both implement Spanish words and phrases throughout their writing to highlight their heritage and identity. This changes the scope of the audience for both works. Anzaldúa achieves this by addressing her audience directly as the receptors of a letter to “mujeres de color,” (165).
Cherríe Moraga also emphasizes the danger of comparing or “ranking” oppressions when discussing the treatment of minority groups (44). She compared herself—a white-passing lesbian—and her sister—who’s black—getting a beating on the street for their respective abnormalities in the eyes of “the Man.” Moraga declares, “We’re both getting beaten any way you look at it,” (44). This connection among marginalized communities rings true throughout our readings and I connected with it specifically in Susan Stryker’s novel, Transgender History where she discusses the connection between prejudice against transgender people and disabled people. Society governs people’s bodies and if the powers that be decide you are “enfreaked,” then you are subject to scrutiny regardless of whatever marginalized group you are a part of (xii). I found this very interesting because both physical disabilities and transness are often outwardly apparent to society, while Moraga’s lesbianism may not be immediately recognizable. This highlights the varying effects of different people living their most authentic lives. I think this idea of the connection between minority groups is incredibly important for activists to remember when speaking out for any cause and it can unite several causes for a more impactful result.
I enjoyed reading the first bit of your blog post about Moraga’s refusal to conform to societal standards. In my opinion, this can also be related to the video of Eli Clare that we watched in class. When asked if he would cure his Cerebral Palsy (CP) if he had the choice, Clare said he would not. Clare’s CP is a part of his identity and he has lived with it his entire life. Not accepting a cure if there is one can be viewed as refusing to conform to one of society’s norms: the norm that people should want to be able-bodied.
I really enjoyed what you said! Specifically, I really liked how you talked about use of language when it came to Cherri Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua as so often nonnative English speakers or people from non-Anglo backgrounds are subjected to changing their speech in order to fit with school curriculum and their standards of what is “proper” English and what isn’t. I think by them pushing away these standards and using language the way that feels most natural to them, it helps inspire others to be their authentic selves and to describe themselves and the world around them in a way that’s fluent and comfortable.