Lily Terhune
September 24, 2014
ENGL 1100, Writing Skills Workshop
Professor Young
Essay 1
Identity
When I walk through the streets I feel as if people’s eyes can see right through me. Who do they see? Do they see my baggy jeans, my sneakers, and my hoodie and think I am a guy? Or do they see my small frame, long eyelashes and cheekbones and think I am a girl? My name is Sam. I was born a girl, yet I know inside I am a guy. If I want to change into who I truly am, Im not going to let anyone stop me. My sex is not my identity. My sex is not who I am. In Gloria Anzaldua’s passage, “ How to Tame A Wild Tongue”, her identity is her language. Gloria speaks in her own “slang”, Chicano Spanish, a mix of Spanish and Mexican. She is told that her language is not correct and that she needs to change it. However, Gloria says you cannot change ones identity, “Wild tongues cannot be tamed, they can only be ripped out” (Anzaldua 244). Anzaldua’s language makes up who she is and I stand by her and admire how she does not change her native language for anyone. Identity is important because it makes up who we are and who we will become.
Identity is made up of who you are and it is important because it is a sense of self and an acceptance of your inner pride. Anzaldua belongs among the Chicano’s and grew up always being corrected for the way she spoke. She says, you cannot “tame” a wild tongue. Her native language cannot be controlled or changed because it is who she is; her identity. Anazdula felt as if she had to hide her language because she was always being told she was wrong. She feels very passionately about her language being part of who she is. Anzaldua says, “ I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself” (Anzaldua 251). I think its important to be passionate about your identity because it shows the inner pride you have in yourself.
If identity never existed we would be always searching for something we would never find. Searching for your identity is a common thing for teenagers. We all experience those awkward years from middle school into sophomore year of high school. We struggle to find a place and meaning in this world. We meet new people and experience new things that all have an impact on who we are. But sooner or later we find who we are and where we belong. In middle school going into my freshman year of high school I wasn’t sure who I belonged among. I wanted to be part of the popular kids and be involved in the things they would do, yet my friends from middle school meant a lot to me. I enjoyed my time spent with my old friends better. It took me a while to realize that it was not important to be popular and do things popular kids did. It was more important to have true friends. These friends shaped who I am today which is a big part of my identity.
Once we reach find who we are, we have completed our search. But what if there was no such thing as identity? I can’t imagine a world without it, it is necessary. It is made up of a lot of things like characteristics, beliefs and morals, hobbies, and language. I would feel lost without music which is part of my identity just as Anzaldua would if she did not identify herself with the Chicanos. She feels a sense of home among them. It is necessary and without it we would be lost, never finding a place where we belong.
Our identity is necessary and without it we would be lacking something crucial to our development. Our identity is complex and changes over time by internal and external forces within our everyday lives. We are able to control some of those forces. Our self- identities show our perception of how we belong in different social groups. If we do not find our identity, that may lead to weakened sense of self. I believe it is important to have a strong sense of self because that leads to a strong self esteem. People with strong senses of their identity have a better chance at being aware of their future and feel confident in social situations. All of these things are essential to our development and the people we become.
Identity is important to the way we carry ourselves. It is the way we view ourselves as well as the way we are viewed by others. Its important to our development and its also important to be confident about your identity and not change it for anyone. Gloria Anzaldua is told her language is wrong and that she has to change who she is to be proper. She sticks up for herself and does not change because being Chicano is who she is. As I walk through the doctors office doors the beat in my chest gets faster and faster. My face masks exactly the way I feel. I keep my expectations low. Now that I am eighteen, I finally have the ability to do this without the permission of my parents, which I would never receive. Today is the day, the day I can start my transition into the real me. My search for my identity is over. My looks will soon portray the way I feel. I have pushed through all the obstacles, never stopping to give up. I never let anyone stop me from being who I am. Im now standing in front of the doctor, my feet cold against the tile floor, about to finally take the steps that I have been waiting to complete. I am ready for the next step in my life, I am ready to be the real me.
