Gloria Anzaldua (1987). Borderlands - La Frontera : The New Mestiza

In this text, Gloria Anzaldua writes about the Mexican-American border. She explores the notion of traversing borders, whether this is literally between two cultures at a point of meeting -- where the USA meets Mexico at the Texan border --, or metaphorically the borders of societal categories and the cultural intersection of being a lesbian and Mexican.

Through creative writing, Anzaldua informs the reader of the history of the borderland that is now known as ‘Texas’. She includes a mix of memoirs, autoethnography techniques and reference to national and cultural history to bring her points forward. The borderlands, however, are not just geographical or moments in time. She uses the diversity of races, heritages, languages, sexualities and religions to signify borderlands, especially when they mix, conflict, or coincide.

In the USA until very recently, Trump's call for a literal border and construction of a wall between the US and Mexico, demonstrates how Anzaldua’s writing is still very relevant today. However, closer to home in the UK the issue of Brexit recently brought forth the problems of racism and xenophobia. With Brexit a new border between the UK and ‘Europe’ formed. Europeans who transversed cultural borders of their own to become accepted, created a new life in the UK and started a family were subjected to issues such as their right to remain in the uk. Although Brexit talks have seemingly disappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is worth noting the racial undertone the original Brexit campaign had and how, even today, there are governing decisions that can displace entire communities.