JE#9 How Border Conscious Am I?

1	What aspect of the historical borderlands section of the course do you feel you've learned best? What do you really know now about the history of the U.S.-Mexico border that you did not know before you took the course? # Response 1 I feel like I learned part two (cultural schizophrenia and life in Nepantla) best because I have always felt stuck between cultures. After taking 10A my freshman year, I was able to grasp a general understanding of the history of the US-Mexico border, but in taking this class it has made me take a more personal approach in understanding the history. We have gone so much more in depth and this class has helped me in making connections to my family history in relation to the general history of the US Mexico border.
2	Which one(s) of Gloria Anzaldúa's theories about the borderlands do you feel you really understand? How does this theory (or these theories) apply to your own life? # Response 1 It took me a while, but I think reaching Mestiza consciousness is finally clear to me. I feel like I understand it best because I feel like I have truly experienced that especially throughout this course. I have had to come to terms with who I am and accepted the fact that I can't change where I come from and where I am now, but I can just embrace it. I am both Mexican and American and I am not ashamed to be either. I have come to realize that it is part of my identity and I like the fact that I can easily relate to people of the Mexican culture and people of the American culture. What's interesting, however, is that I feel like although the other theories lead up to mestiza consciousness, there are still some aspects in which I feel that I am still working on fully understanding or dealing with.
3	Which theory or theories of Anzaldúa's are you still having difficulty understanding? Please discuss the difficulties you're having? # Response 1 I feel like overall I understand the concepts of Anzaldúa's borderland theories. I really am struggling with grasping the concept of entering the serpent though. I feel like I understand the symbolism but I was just confused. I know we discussed about how the snake can represent the shedding of skin but we also discussed that it symbolizes femininity. What I understand is that this is a concept of rebirth which is associated with child bearing. Dealing with the negative images and the oppression and just letting go of it all and using it to your advantage to become stronger and smarter. This is what I have gotten from the reading and from discussion, but I just don't know if my understanding is correct or if it's missing something.
5	How would you rate your own level of border consciousness at this point in the course? Are you, for example, just coming face to face with your monstrous Shadow Beast? Are you "entering into the Serpent," or do you feel like you're falling into the "Coatlicue State"? How are the films and readings contributing to this experience? # Response 1 As I said in question 3, I feel like I understand her 7 theories and I feel like I understand mestiza consciousness, but I feel like for me personally, it is still an ongoing process. I have come to terms with the fact that I am both Mexican and American but also that I am neither. I still feel, however, that I am in the trying to figure out how to enter the serpent and get through the coatlicue state. I am still working on shaking off this negative image I have of my own culture and fully embracing it. Like I said, I have accept that that is part of my identity but I personally believe that it is an ongoing process and I'm still learning as I go