"Tlilli, Tlapalli: The Path of the Red and Black Ink" / 283

What's the difference between "high theory" and "low theory"? Have you ever read a book to catch a glimpse into what another culture is like? What is language?

These are questions to think about as you read Gloria Anzaldua's "Tlilli, Tlapalli." In some ways, Anzaldua's story is like Victor Villanueva's. She grew up constantly challenging her "old world" identity with her "new world" discoveries. She is a Chicana native of Texas, and writes about the condition of Chicanos in Anglo culture as well women in Latino culture and lesbians in straight environments. Among other works, she co-edited This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color (1983) as well as Making Face, Making Soul / Haciendo Caras: Creative and Critical Perspectives by Women of Color (1990). She also wrote Borderlands / La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1999). Each of these pieces address issues surrounding cultural, sexual and spiritual identity, racism, feminism, and multilingual/multi-ethnic literacy. Go to http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/gloriaanzaldua.html to read more biographical information.

The short story you're reading for this class is from Borderlands / La Frontera. A very good review of the text can be found at http://www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/English/resources/naww/authors/borderlands.htm. This review points out some key things to consider about "Tlilli, Tlapalli": what kind of text is it? Is it autobiographical memoir, lesbian feminist polemic, or cultural identity exploration? What's the relationship between Chicano/a identity and issues of sovereignty? And what is "mestiza consciousness"?

The critical readings for this section will ask similar questions.