Anzaldúa uses both Spanish and English in her writing. This is called codeswitching. Codeswitching is a popular strategy used by folks, often from marginalized communities, as a way to signal belonging in different contexts. We can also understand Anzaldúa’s codeswitching in terms of Ahmed’s notion of disorientation: it takes the straight lines of theory (formal English written for a specially educated audience) and slants them with the introduction of a new language. But not any codeswitching is queer in a theory context. French and German, for example, make up much of the theoretical canon. They are dominant voices in theory. Anzaldúa's use of slurs also invoke ethnic and class differences, further queering her theory. This is an embodiment of her multiple selves, but it is also a way of haciendo entradas for readers to encounter her work.
Caption this Meme
