Anzaldua, Gloria

Gloria Anzaldua (b. 1942) was among the first writers to critique academic feminism for constructing theory and practice based on white, middle-class, heterosexual experiences and for excluding the experiences of “other” women from its analyses. In This Bridge Called My Back (1981), she joined with other women whose voices and experiences had been ignored. This anthology initiated a call for feminists to create theory and practice that address the situations of all women: women of color, working-class women, lesbians, and aging women as well as white, economically privileged, heterosexual women. Only through inclusion can real social change emerge. Indeed, Anzaldua's writings and theorizing partly reflect her lived experiences as a lesbian Chicana.

Drawing on her own experiences as a Mexican American, lesbian woman, Anzaldua explores the ...