The 1986 Winner0f BEFORE COLTJMBUS FOTJNDATION AMERICAN BOOK

ISBN 0-9i3175-03-x ISBN 0-913175-18-8

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I his Bridge Called My Back intends to reflect an uncompromised definition of feminism by women of color in the United States. Lontaining prose, poetry, personal narrative and analysis by Afro-American, AsianAmerican,Latina, and Native Americarr women, This Bridge Called My Back is divided into six powerful sections.
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CxruonnxPAssrHG rNTHE sTREETS

The Rootsof Our Radicalism Theory in the Flesh

ENrenrxcrHELrvEs oForHERs

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TAKE YOURPICTURES WITH YOU R a c i s mi n t h e W o m e n ' sM o v e m e n t

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O n C u l t u r e , C l a s sa n d H o m o p h o b i a The Third World Woman Writer The Vision

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KITCHEN TABLE: Women of Color Press

THIS BRIDGE

MY CALTED BACK WRITINGSBY RADICAL WOMENOF

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EDITORS: -

MORAGA CHERRIE ANT,ALDUA GTORIA

FOREWORD:

BAMBARA TONICADE
KITCHEN TABLE: Women of Color Press
New York

C o p y r i g h t o I 9 8 1 . 1 9 8 - lb y C h e r r i e M o r a g a a n d G l o r i a A n z a l d r i a . All rights reserved.-Nopart of this book may be reproducedwithout permissionin writing from the publisher.Publishedin the United Statesby Kitchen Table: Women of Color press, Post Office Box 908, Latham. New York l2l10-0908. Originally published bv Peresphone Press,Inc. Watertown, Massachusetts, 1981. Also by Cherrie Moraga Cuentos: Stories hy Latinas, ed. with Alma G6mez and Mariana Romo-Carmona. K i t c h e n T a b l e : W o m e n o f C o l o r P r e s s .1 9 8 3 . Loving in the ll/ar Years:Lo Que Nunta Pasd Por Sus lcbios. South End Press, 1983. C o v e r a n d t e x t i l l u s t r a t i o n sb y J o h n e t t a T i n k e r . Cover designby Maria von Brincken. T e x t d e s i g nb y P a t M c G l o i n . T y p e s e ti n G a r t h G r a p h i c b y S e r i f & S a n s , l n c . , B o s t o n , M a s s . S e c o n d E d i t i o n T y p e s e tb y S u s a n L . Y u n g SecondEdition, Sixth Printine. ISBN 0-913175-03-X, paper. ISBN 0-913175-18-8, cloth.

para l-arvretlcev Elvira Nloragut An-raliaLl arcia Ar-rzalciua ttr:rtires v p a r a t o t l a s) l u e s t r a s por lir obt'ciicncia rla ir-rsttrrtcciiitt enscilalrtl t:ilasttcts clLre
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This bridge called my back : writings by radical women of color / editors,Cherrie Moraga, Gloria Anzaldfa ; foreword,Toni Cade Bambara. - lst ed. - Watertown, Mass. : Persephone Press, c1981.1*1
xxvi,261 p. : ill. ',22 cm. Bibliography: p. 251-261. ISBN 0-930436-10-5 (pbk.) : $9.95 l. Feminism-Literary collections. 2. Radicalism-Literary collections. 3. Minority women-United States-Literary collections. 4. American literature -Women authors. 5. American literature-Minority authors. 6. American literature-20th century. I. Moraga, Cherrie II. Anzaldria, Gloria.

PS509.F44T5 810 i8'09287-dcl9

81-168894
AACR 2 MARC

Library of Congress [r88]rev [*]-2nd ed. - Latham, NY: Kitchen Table,Womenof Color Press.c1983.
C H R Y S T O S : " C e r e m o n y f o r C o m p l e t i n g a P o e t r y R e a d i n g , " c o p y r i g h t o 1 9 7 6b y C h r y s t o s ,f i r s t a p p e a r e di n W o m a n s p i r i t , . OMBAHEE RMR r e p r i n r e db y p e r m i s s i o n C COLLECTM: "A Black Feminist Statemenr," first appeared in Capitalist Parriartht' a n d r h e C a s e f o r S o c i a l i s rF e m i n i s m .Z i l t a h R . E i s e n : i e i n .e d . ( N e * Y o r k : M o n r h i v R^eview P r e s s ,I 9 7 9 ) , r e p r i n t e d b y p e r m i s s i o n .D O R I S D A V E N P O R T : " T h e P a t h o l o g y of Racism," copyright nl lS89 !V Doris Davenport, first appeared in Spinning O-li, r e p _ r i n t eb d_ y permission. H A T T I E G O S S E T T : " b i l l i e l i v e s !b i l l i e l i v e s ! , "c o p y r i g h to 1 9 8 0 by Hattie Gossett; " w h o r o l d y o u a n y b o d yw a n t st o h e a rf r o m y o u ?y o u a i n ' i n o t h i n g b u r a b l a c kw o m ^ a n i , " c o p y r i g h ro 1 9 8 0 b y H a t r i eG o s s e t t . MARY HOPE LEE:"on not being," co-pyright,o_19b 7y 9 M a r y H o p e L e e ,f i r s t a p p e a r e d i n C a l l a l o o ,r e p r i n t e db y p e r m i s s i o n . AUDRE LORDE: "An Open Letter to Mdry Daly," copyrighto'1980by Audre Lorde, I t r s t a p p e a r e di n T o p R o n k i n g , r e p r i n t e db y p e r m i s s i o n " . T h e M a s t e r ' sT o o l s W i l l N e v e r D i s m a n t l e t h e M a s t e r ' s H o u s e , " c o p y r i g h t o 1 9 8 0b y A u d r e L o r d e . P A T P A R K E R : " R e v l o u t i o n : I t ' s N o t N e a t o r P r e t t y o r Q u i c k , " c o p y r i g h r o 1 9 8 0b y P a r P a r k e r .K A T E RUSHIN: "The Bridge Poem, copyrighto l98l'by-Donna K. hushin. MITSUYE Y A M A D A : " l n v i s i b i l i i y i s a n U n n a i u r a l D i s a s r e r , "c o p y r i g h to 1 9 7 9 b y B r i d g e :A n A s t o n A m e r t t e n P e r s p e t t i v e ,r e p r i n t e d b y p e r m i s s i o n .

REFUGEESOF A WORLD ON FIRE

Foreword to the Second Edition
Three years later, I try to imagine the newcomer to Bridge. What do you need to know? I have heard from people that the book has helped change some minds {and hopefully hearts as well), but it has changed no one more than the women who contributed to its existence. It has changed my life so fundamentally that today I feel almost the worst person to introduce you to Bridge, to see it through fresh eyes. Rather your introduction or even reintroduction should come from the voices of the women of color who first discoveredthe book: The woman writers seemedto be speakingto me, and they actually understood what I was going through. Many of you put into words feelings I have had that I h a d n o w a y o f e x p r e s s i n g . . . T h ew r i t i n g s j u s t i f i e d some of my thoughts telling me I had a right to feel as I did. It is remarkable to me that one book could have such an impact. So many feelings were brought alive i n s i d em e . * For the new reader, as well as for the people who may be looking at Bridge for the second or third time, I feel the need to speak to what I think of the book some three years later. Today I leaf through the pagesof Bridge and imagine all the things so many of us would say differently or better-watching my own life and the lives of these writers/activistsgrow in commitment to whatever it is we term "our work." We are getting older, as is our movement. I think that were Bridge to have been conceived of in 1983, as opposed to 1979, it would speak much more directly now to the relations between women and men of color, both gay and heterosexual.In 1979, responseto a number of earlier writings by women of color which in the name of feminism focused almost exclusively on relations between the sexes,Bridge intended to make a c l e a n b r e a k f r o m t h a t p h e n o m e n o n . * I n s t e a d ,w e c r e a t e d a b o o k \)omen. which concentratedon relationshipsbetween
*Alma Ayala, a nineteen-year-old Puerto Rican, from a letter to Gloria Anzaldua.

When Persephone press, Inc., a white women,s press of Watertown, Massachuseus and the original pubrishersof Bridge,..ur.d op.ruii", i" ,rr. Spring of 1983,this book had alreadygone our of piint. Aft.. ;;; ;;nit , of negotiations, the co-editorswere finiliy able to retrievecontrol of their book, whereupon Kitchen Table: women of color press of N.* vo.t-ug...l ;; ..publish it. The following, then, is the second edition of rhis Britrge Caretr M.r,Bacx, conceivedof and produced entirely by women of color.

this right has been established,horvever,once a rnovement Or-rce has provided some basic consciousnessso that heterosexisrnand sexism are not consideredthe normal course of events, 'uve are in a lnuch stronger position to anaiyze our reiations u'ith the men of our families and communities fronr a position of power rather than conrpromise.A Bridge of 1983 could do this. {I am particularly e n c o u r a g e db y t h e o r g a n i z i n g p o t e n t i a l b e t w e e n T h i r d W o r l d lesbiansand gay men in our comr)runitiesof color.) The second major difference a 1983 version of Bridge rvoulcl prorride is ihat it would be much more international in perspective. Although the heart ol Bridgeremains the same, the impetus to forge iir-rks with women of color from every region grows nrore and more urgent as tl.renumber of recentll'-inrmigratedpeople of color in the U.S. grows in enonnous proportions, as lve begin to see ourselvesall as refugeesof a world on fire: The U.S. is training troops in Honduras to overthrort,the Nicaraguan people'sgovernment. Human rights violations are occurring on a lrassive scalein Guatenrala and El Salvador{and as in this country those most hardhit are often the indigenouspeoplesof those landsJ. Pinochet escalates political repressionin Chile. The U.S. invades Grenada. Apartheid continues to bleed South Africa. T h o u s a n d s o f u n a r m e d p e o p l e a r e s l a u g h t e r e d i n B e i r r . r tb y Christian rnilitiamen and Israeli soldiers. Aquino is assassinated b1' the Philippine governrnent. And in the U.S.? The Reagan adrninistration daily draii-rsus oi nearly evcry political gain rnade bv the feminist, Third World and anti-war u,ork of tl-re late 60's and earl1'70's. The question and challenge for Third \{orld ferninism rernains: what are the particular conditions of oppressionsuffered by rvonren o f c o l o r i n e a c h o f t h e s e s i t u a t i o n s ?H o w h a s t h e s p e c i a l c i r c u m stances of her pain been overlookedby Third \\brld mover.nents, solidarity groulls, "international ferninists?"Holv have the childlen suffered?How do u,e organizeourselvesto snrvive this war? To keen our farnilies,our bodies, our spirits intact?
*G,rlditi(r//s. ]"ivc.'l'ht Blor'.t l1'onr.'nls l s s r r ee d . b v L o r r a i n c I l e t h e l a n d l l a r b a r a S r : r i l lirr r l r 7 . r r r r ' , r r r r ; r j , c ' ;x c c l , t i o n

irr ti-reface own/our owrl lin-ritations' Sometimesin the face of my of books' j doubt even the significanceof such rvorld-wide suffering' so many people who^have tried Surely this is the sa'ne predlcametlt found themselves in- 2Cara Q cara to Lrsewords u, *"upo'-" have is especially true de quZ-valen mis palabras?* This conel enemigo who know full rvell otlr writings for Third World women wriiers' g:ew tip r't'ith' Sometimes ' each the people we seldom directl;r you're dunrping your words,into a knowing this makes 1'ot' t""i like But we contillue to write To the very deep and very dark hole' the peopie they touch' We even people of color we do reach and for rvhom books have been as comwrite to those classesof people r'vill finally' r't'ewrite to anyone who mon to their lives as bt"ucl ior of currents op"n {even if only a crack) to the listen lvith trr"i. "u., change arotrnd them -,- ^.^ri.,.icr l-otier ultimate optinrist' believing T I t e p o l i t i c a ] r ' r ' r i t e r ,t h e n ' i s t h e as one way to try and using.rvorcls people are capableof change and A privatism which keeps us penetrate the privatis'-''tof" ntt lives' renders us politically useless' back and arvay from each other' rvhich rnore discouraged oi tttis writlng horvever'I am ieeling At the tir.r.re unified Third World feminist movethan optimistic. The tlt"u'i of a of it when rve first embarked rnent in this country;t ;" conceived more possiblesomehow' because ." ,ft" f ."j.ct of thii book' seemed in the ranks begging to take as of yei, less tried. ti *a' stiil rvaiting I have learned that Third World forn and hold ln ti''eiast three years of easl'political framework that feminism cioesnot proviciettre i<ind llatdroves' We are not so rnuclt a women of color are running to ir-r politiof out together have come ural" affinity group, o""o'1ll"" rvho feminism iras proved to be World fn"a oi idea fne cal necessity. a book than between real live much easier U"tnt'""n the covers o[ divide us; and' recognizingthat \vomen. There are ;t;;; it;"tt that re"ote. Still, the need that dreanr at times see'r qrite fact can n.rake forabroad-basectu'S'womenofcolormoverrtentcirpableofspanhas never been so strong' ,ti"g tr"ta"ts of nation and ethnicity not constantly in builclinga movetnent that will If we are interesteci frorr the inbr'rild nust we tl.ren be subverted Uy i,''t""lut differe"nces' the sufu'ith terms to sideout, r-rotthe ottt""tuy arouncl'-Coming own' our from arvay ferlng of others has uever meant looking must acknowledge that to change And, lve n-rustlook cleeply'We sometitrtesour tnost the rt'orld, ,"" t-,ut'"io t}to"g" ourselves--even As This Bridge Catted M>' Back is cherished bloct-f'atci co'-'uiitio'''t is oltr political vision. lt is subject r r o t r , t , r i t t e nt n S t o n e , n e i t h e r to change.
*Face ttr face *tth enemr' uhat good arc nl1 uordsl

I must confessI hate the thought of this. Change don't come easy. For anyone. But this state of war we live in, this world on fire provides us with no other choice. If the irnage of the bridge can bind us together, I think it does so most powerfully in the words of Donna Kate Rushin, when she insists: " s t r e t c h . . . o rd i e . " Cherrie Moraga October 1983

Forevtord to the SecondEdition

2Qu6 hacer de aqui y c6mo? lWhat to do fiom hereqnd how?) Perhaps like me you are tired of suffering and talking about s u f f e r i n g , e s t d s h a s t a e l p e s c u e z o d e s u f r i n - r i e n t o ,d e c o n t a r l a s lltrvias de sangre pero no has iluvias de flores lup to ),our neck witlt suffering,of countirtgthe rains of blood but not the rains of flowers). Like me you may be tired of making a tragedy of our iives. A abandonar ese autocanibalismo: coraje, tristeza, niiedo (1el's abandon this autocannibalism:rage, sadness, fear). Basta de gritar contra el viento-toda palabra es ruido si no est6 acompaiada de acci6n lenough of shoutittgagainst the v,ind-all words are noise if not accompanied with action).Dejer-nos de hablar hasta que lraganros la palabra lunrinosa y activa llet'swork rrct talk, let'ssaynothtrry until we've made the world lumbtousand active). Basta de pasividad y de pasatiempornientras esperalros al novio, a Ia novia, a la Diosa, o a l a R e v o l u c i 5 n l e n o u g h o f p a s s i v i t y a n d p a s s i r t gt i m e w h i l e w a i t i n g f o r t h e b o y f r i e n d , t h e g i r l f r i e r t d , t h e G o d d e s s ,o r t h e R e v o l u t i o n ) .N o n o s p o d e r n o s q n e d a r p a r a d a s c o n I o s b r a z o s cruzados en medio del puente lwe can't afford to stop in the ntiddle of tlrc bridge u,ith arms crossed). Ancl yet to act is not enough. Many of us are learning to sit perfectly still, to sensethe presence of the Soul and cornmune rvitl-r Her. We are beginning to realizethat lve are not u'hoily at the utercy of circumstance,nor are our lives cornpletelvout of our hands. T}.rat posture as victirns rve will be victirhs, that iropelessnessis if r,n'e s u i c i d e , t l - r a ts e l f - a t t a c k s s t o p u s o n o u r t r a c k s . W e a r e s l o r , r - l v m o v i n g p a s t t h e r e s i s t a n c ew i t h i n , l e a v i n g b e h i n d t l " r ed e f e a t e d images. We have conre to realize that rve are not alone in our struggles nor separate nor autononlous but that r.l'e-u'hite black straight queer female lnale-are connected ancl interdependent.We are each accountablefor what is happening dolr.n the street, south of the border or across the sea. And those of us who have nore o f a n y t h i n g : b r a i n s , p h y s i c a l s t r e n g t h ,p o l i t i c a l p o w e r , s p i r i t u al energies,are learning to share them rvith those that don't have. We are iearning to depend more and more on our o\\'n sources for survivai, learning not to let the weigirt of this burden, the bridge, break our backs. Haven't we always borne jugs of rvater,child r e n , p o v e r t y ? W h y n o t l e a r n t o b e a r b a s k e t so f h o p e , l o v e , s e l f -

nourishment and to steP lightlY? a salir de las sornbras; With This Brid.ge...n"-ot iomenzado y costurnbres opresivas y a hemos comenzado a reventar rutina a acarrear con Orgullo la u.r"r-rtu.Ios tabues; hemos comenzado cambiar concieuciaslwe have begurt de deshelar corazonesy 'we tarea -to with routines have begun to break ,ome out oi the shadows; 'have commensed taboos; we and r o oppressivecustomsand to discard hearts a.nd c.hanging ,oiry with pride the task of thawing y Ia Mu;eres, a no dejar que el peligro del viaje consciousness/. y a adelante mirar hacia inmensidad del territorio nos asuste-a the o f d a n g e r not let the u b . i , p u u o e n e l m o r r te l W o m e n , l e t ' s look forward of the territory scare us-Iet's journey and the vasli?ess 'or,a se hace puetltes' hay no Caminante' woods) these in opnn paths as them builds bridges' one o.r"tt", al andar lVoyager,there are no ine watks). Contigo, Gloria Anzaldira

Foreword
How I cherish this collection of cables, esoesses, conjurations and fusile missles.Its motive force. Its gathering-us-in-ness. Its midwifery of mutually wise understandings.Its promise of autonorny and community. And its pledge of an abundant life for us all. On time. That is to say - overdue, given the times. ("Arrogance rising, moon in oppres- Cameron.) sion, sun in destruction" Blackfoot arnigaNisei hermana Down Home Up Souf Sistuh sisterEl Barrio suburbia Korean The Bronx Lakota Menominee CubanaChinesePuertoriquenareservationChicana campafrera and letters testimonials poems interviews essays journal entries sharing sistersof the yam Sistersof the rice sisters of the corn Sistersof the plantain putting in telecallsto each other. A n d w e ' r ea l l o n t h e [ i n e . Now that we've begun to break the silence and begun to break through the diabolically erectedbarriers and can hear each other and seeeach other, we can sit down with trust and break bread together. Rise up and break our chains as well. For though the initiai motive of severalsiter/ritershere may have been to proiest, complain or explain to white feminist would-be allies that there are other ties and visions that bind, prior allegiances and priorities that supercedetheir invitations to coalesce on their terms ("Assimilation within a solely westerneuropean herstory is not acceptable"- Lorde) the processof examining that would-be alliance awakens us to new tasks {,,Wehave a lot more to concentrate on beside the pathology of white wimmin,, - davenport) and a new connection: a new setof recognitions: a new site of accountability: a new sortrce of power: US US US US

And the possibilitiesintuited here or alluded to there or called forth in various piecesin flat out talking in tongues- the possibility of several million women refuting the numbers game inherent in,,mi'ority,,,the possibility of denouncing the insulated/orchestrated conflict game of divide and conquer - through the fashioningof potent'etworks of all the daughters of the ancient mother cultures is awesome, mighty, a gloriouslife work. This Bridge lays down the planks to crossover on to a new place where stooped labor cramped quartered down pressed

and caged up combatants can straighten the spine and expand the lungs and make the vision manifest ("The dream is real, my friends' The failure to realize it is the only unreality." StreetPreacherin The SqltEaters\. This Bridge documents particular rites of passage.Coming of age - race,group, ciass,gender'self and coming to terms r,t'ithcommr.rnity - its expectations, And coming to grips with its supports,and lessons. perversions- racism, prejudice, elitism, misogyny, homophobia, and strugmurder. And coming to terms with the incorporation of disease, gling io overthrow the internal colonial/pro-racist ioyalties-color/ hue/hair castewithin the household,power perversitiesengagedin accommodationto and colunder the guiseof "personalrelationships," -ambush and amnesiaand murder. And coming to laboration with self grips r,r'iththose faise awakeningstoo that give use easeas we substiiute a rnilitant mouth for a radical politic, delaying our true coming of principled combatants. age as comrnitted, cotr-rpetent, There is more than a hint in these pages that too many of us still a hot eye with clear vision, and congratuequate tone with substance, late ourselvesfor our political maturity. For of course it takes more than pique to unite our wrath {"the capacity of heat to change the - Moragal and to wrest power from thosewho have it shapeof thrngs" and abuse it, to reclaim our ancient powers lying dormant with neglect ("i wanna ask billie to teach us how to use our voices like she used hers on that old 78 record"-gossett),and create new powers in arenas where they r]ever before existed.And of course it takes more than the self-disclosureand the bold glimpse of each others'[ife documents to make tl-regrand resolve to fearlessly work toward potent meshings.Takesmore than a rinsed lens to face unblinkingly the particular twists of the divide and conquer tactics of this moment: the practice of withdrarving small businessloans from the Puerto Rican of stripping from Black grocer in favor of the South Korean wig sl-rop, students the Martin Luther King scholarship fund fought for and delivering thosefunds up to SouthVietnameseor white Cubans or any other group the government has made a commitment to in its greedy other betterand teacheach grab for empire. We have got to know eacl'r radical ("seeing other our \ /ays,our views, if we're to remove the scales differenceswhere they don't exist and not seeingthem when they are and get the work done. critical"- Quintanales\ This Bridge can get us there. Can coax us into the habit of listening to each other and learning each other's ways of seeing and being' Of as hearing each other as we heard each other in Pat Lee'sFreshtones, we heard each other in Pat Jonesand Faye Chiang, et. al.'s Ordinary

Wonren,as we heard each other in Fran Beale'sThird World Women's Alliance newspaper. As we heard each other over the years in snatched time moments in hallways and conference corridors, caucusingbetlt,eensets.As we heard each other in those spiit second interfacingsof yours and mine and hers student union meetings.As we heard each other in that rainbow attempt under the auspicesof IFCO years ago. And way before that when Chinese, Mexican, and African women in this country saluted each other's attempts to fornt protective leagues. And before that r,r,henNew Orleans African women and Yarnassee and Yanracrow worren went into the swamps to meet with Filipino r,r'ives of "draftees" and "defectors" during the so called Frer-rch and Indian War. And rvhen members of the maroon communities and wornen of the long lodgeheid council togetherln'hile the SeminoleWars raged.And way way before that, before the breaking of the land mass when we mothers of the yam, of the rice, of the maize, of the plantain sat together in a circle, staring into the camp fire, the answers in our laps, knowing holv to focus. . . Quite frankly, This Bridge needs no Foreword. It is the Aftenr,ard that'll count. The coalitions of women determined to be a danser to our enernies,as June Jordan would put it. The r.r'illto be dangerous ("askbillie so \A/ecan learn how to have those bigtime bigdaddies jumping outta windows and otherwise offing theyselves ir.rdroves" -gossell). And the contracts we creative combatants lr.iil make to rnutually care and cure each otiier into n'holesorneness. And the blueprints we will drarn'up of the new order we will rnake mar-rifest. And the personalunction we r,vill discoverin the rnirror, in the dreatns,or or.r the path acrossThis Bridge.The r,r'ork: To make revoiution irresistible.

Conterrts
lore$'oro l o n l L a d eb a m o 1 r ( t Preface CherrieMoraga The Bridge Poem Donna Kate Rttshirt Introduction ClrcrrieMoraga andGloria Anzaldila
vl xl11

XXI

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Children Passing in the Streets The Roots of Our Radicalism

When I Was Grort'ing UP Nellie Wong on not bein marytlPPn 1nn For the Color of MY Mother CherrieMoraga I Am What I Am Morales Rosario D r e a m so f V i o l e n c e Littlebear lttraomi He Salv Cftrystos

L2
T4
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Blessings, Toni Cade Barnbara Novelist Bambaraand interviewer Kalamu Ya Salaamu'ere discussing a call she made in The SaltEatersthrough The Seven Sisters,a rnultic u l t u r a l ,r n u l t i - m e d i aa r t s t r o u p e ,a c a l l t o u n i t e o u r w r a t h , o r . r r , i s i o n , our powers. Kalamu: Do you thirrk fiction is the most effective rval' to do this? No. The rnost effective way to do it, is to do itl*
*"ln Searcli of thc Nftrtht-rTonguL-: Al) [ntcrvier.r'rl it]r Toni Cade Bantbara' lFrrst ltrirrl.1 / r r r r r r , r lF a l i 1 9 8 0 1 .

Entering the Lives of Others Theory in the Flesh

Wonder Womar-r GennyLnrt La Giiera Cherrie lvloraga Invisibility is an Unnatural Disaster: Reflectionsof an Asian Americatl Wornat't Mitsuye Yamada It's In NIy Blood, M,v FaceMy Mother's \bice, The Wav I Sr't'eat Anita \,hlerio

z5
11

35

41

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"Gee,You Don't SeernLike An Indian From the Reservation" BarbaraCameron ". . . And Even Fide] Can'tChangeThatl" Aur<traLevinsMorales I Walk in the History of My People Chrystos

57

And When You Leave, Thke Your Pictures With You Racism in the Women's Movement
And When You Leave,Take Your PicturesWith You Jo Caruillo B e y o n dt h e C l i f f s o f A b i q u i u -lo Carrillo I Don't Understar.rd ThoseWho Have Turned Away From Me Chrystos Asian PacificAmerican Wonten and Feminisrn Mitsuve Yam<tda Millicent Fredericks GabrielleDaniels - Btrt I Know You, American Woman Iudit Moschkoviclt The Pathologyof Racism:A Conversation with Third \\brld Wimnrin doris davenport We're All in the Same Boat RosarioMorales An Open Letter to Mary Daly Audre Lorde The Master'sTooisWill Never Disruantle the Master'sHouse Audre Lorde

Act of Resistance Lesbianism:Ar-r CherylClarke Lowriding Through the Women'sMovement BarbaraNoda Letter to Ma Merle Woo I Come With No Illusions Mirtha Quintanales I Paid Very Hard for My Immigrant Ignorance Mirtha Quintanales Earth-Lover, Survivor, Musician Naomi Littlebear

r28
138 1.10 148
l5u
|tr7

65 68 71

Speaking in Tongues The Third World Woman Writer

A Letter Speakingin Tongues: To Third World Women Writers Gloria Anzaldria who told you anybody wants to hear from you? you ain't nothing but a black woman! hattie gossett In Searchof the Selfas Hero: Night Confetti of Voiceson New Year's Nellie Wong Chicana'sFeminist Literature: A Re-vision Through Malintzinlor Malintzin: Putting FleshBack on the Object Norma Alarcon Ceremony for Completing a Poetry Reading C&ry'5165 165

175

79

177

85 91

182 191

98

El Mundo Zurdo The Vision

Give Me Back Chryslos La Prieta GloriaArualdua A BIack FerninistStatement c tive Conrbahee River Colle The Welder Chenle Moraga 1.97 198

Between the Lines On Culture, Class,and Homophobia

The Otl-rer Heritage Rosario Morales billie livesl billie livesl hattie gossett Acrossthe Kitchen Thble: A Sister-toSisterDialogue Barbara Srnithand Bet,erly Smith

r07
109

2r0
219

113

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O.K. Momrna, Who the Hell Am I?: An Interview with Luisah Teish Gloria Anzaldua Brownness AndreaCanaan Revolution: It's Not Neator pretty or euick Pat Porker No Rock ScornsMe as Whore Chrystos Biographies of the Contributors Third World Women in the United States_ Byand About Us:A Selected Bibliography Cherrie Moraga

221 232 238

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Preface
Changedoesnot occur in a vacuum. In this prefaceI have tried to recreate for you my own journey of struggle, growing consciousness, and subsequentpoliticizationand vision as a woman of color. I want to reflect in actual terms how this anthology and the women in it and around it have personally transformed my life, sometimes rather painfully but always with richnessand meaning. I Transfer and Go Underground (Boston, Massaclrusetts July 20, 19801 It is probably crucial to describe here the way this book is corning together,the journey it is taking me on. The book still not completed and I have traveled East to find it a publisher. Such an anthology is in high demands thesedays. A book by radicai women of color. The Left needsit, with its shaky and shabby recorclof commitment to women, period. Oh, yes, it can claim its attention to "color"issues, embodied in the male. Sexismis acceptableto the white left publishing house,particularly if spouted through the mouth of a Black man. The feminist movement needsthe book, too. But for different reasons.Do I dare speakof the boredom settingin among the white sector of the feminist movement? What was once a cutting edge, growing dull in the too easy solution to our problems of hunger of soul and stomach. The lesbian separatistutopia? No thank you, sisters.I can't prepare myself a revolutionary packet that rnakes no sensewhen I leave the r,t'hitesuburbs of Watertown. Massacl-rusetts and take the T-line to BIack Roxbury. Take Bostonalone, I think to myself and the feminism my so-called sistershave constructeddoes nothing to help me make the trip fron-r one end of town to another. Leaving Watertown, I board a bus and ride it quietly in my light flesh to Harvard Square,protected by the gold highlights my hair dares to take on, like an insult, in this miserable heat. I transfer and go wtderground. Julie told me the other day' hou' they stopped her for walking through the suburbs. Can't tell if she'sa lnan or a woman, only know that it's Black moving through that part of town. They wouldn't spot her here, moving underground.

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Cherne Moraga

Cherrie LIora!11

The train is abruptly stopped. A white man in jeans and tee shirt breaks into the car I'm in, throws a Black kid up against the door, handcuffs him and carries him away. The train moves on. The day before, a 14-year-oldBlack boy was shot in the head by a white cop. A n d , t h e s u m m e r i s g e t t i n gh o t t e r . I hear there are some women in this town plottinga lesbianrevolution. What does this mean about the boy shot in the head is what I want to know. I am a lesbian.I want a movement that helps me make some sense of the trip from Watertown to Roxbury, from white to Black. I love women the entire way, beyond a doubt. Arriving in Roxbury, arriving at Barbara's*....By the end of the evening of our first visit together, Barbara comes into the front room where she has made a bed for me. She kissesme. Then grabbing my shouldersshe says,very solid-like, "we'resisters." I nod, put myself into bed, and roli around with this word, sislers, for two hours before sleep takes on. I earned this with Barbara. It is not a given between us - Chicana and Black - to come to see each other as sisters.This is not a given. I keep wanting to repeatover and over and over again,the pain and shock of difference,the joy of commonness,the exhilaratiot-r of meeting through incredible odds againstit. But the passage isthrough,not over, not by, not around, but through. This book, as long as I seeit for myself as a passage through, I hope rr,'ill function for others, colored* * or rvhite, in the same way. Hort''do rve develop a movement that can live with the fact of the lovesand lir.esof these women in this book? I would grow despairing if I believed, as Rosario Moraies refutes, we were unilaterally defined by color and class.Lesbiar-rism is then a hoax, a fraud. I have no businesswith it. Lesbianisntis supposedto be about corrnection. What drew me to politics was my love of women, the agony I felt in observing the straight-jacketsof poverty and repressionI saw people in my own family in. But the deepestpolitical tragedy I have experienced is how with such grace, such blind faith, this commitment to women in the feminist ntovement grew to be exciusiveand reactionary. I call my wy'rrfe srsterson this. I have had enough of this. And, I am involved in this book because more than anything elseI need to feel enlivened again in a movernent
* I l v a n t t o a c k n o w l e d g ea n c lt h a n k B a r b a r a S m i t h f o r h e r s u p p o r t a s a s i s t e r ,h t - r i n . s i g h t sa s a p o l i t i c a la c t i v i s ta n d v i s i o n a r v ,a n c le s p e . c i a l lfl o ' r her wa_v lvith u'ordsin helpirtgme pull this together. **'I'hrouglrouttlletext,thervord"coktre di l l rv beusedbytheeclitorsinrefcrringtoall T h i r d W o r l d p e o p l e sa n d p e o p l e o f c o l o r u n l e s s o t h e n v i s e s p e c i f i e d .

ask the right that can, as my friend Amber Hollibaugh states,finally all the answers' questiolrsand admit to not l.ravirrg A Bridge Gets Walked Over 25 19801 lBoston, Massachusetts July I am ready to go horne now. I am ready. Very tired' Couldn't sleepall night. Missing home. There is a deep fatigue in my body this morning' used ,.,j. Ad'"trtre asks me if I can write of what has happe'ed I f"eel I say, not worzld. while here in Boston. She asks me if I ca,-1, me with yes, I think so. And now I doubt it. The pain of racism, classism.Such trivialized words. The pain of it all. I do not feel people orre.rrr"d ar-rd of color are the only ones hurt by racism. Another meeting. Again walking into a room filled with white wornen, a splatteriirgof wonten of color around the room. The issue on the table, Racism.The dread and terror in the room lay like a thick immovable paste above all our shoulders, white and colored' alike' in the room, thinking back to square one, we, Third world \Arolrlen again. - this time - not useour bodiesto be throv,n over a river of How canyve "A bricige torntented historyto brid.gethegap? Barbara says last night: again' gets walked over." Yes, over and over and over I watch the white wonlen shrink before my eyes,losingtheir fluidity of argument, of confidence, pauseawkwardly at the word''race"' the ,,color." The pauses keepirrg the voices breathless,tl-rebodies word", deeply, to laugh, to moan in despair' to taut, erect unable to breatl.re cry in regret. I cannot continue to use my body to be walked over to -ik" u connection.Feelingevery joint in my body tensethis morning' used. what the hell arn I getting ntyself into? Gloria'svoice has recurred to and enme throughout this frip. A year and a half ago, she rvarned, , T h i sb o o k r v i l l c h a n g ey o u r l i f e , c h e r r i e . I t w i l l c h a n g e co.,raged: both our lives." And it has. Gloria, I wish you were here' Afelr,daysago,anoldfriendsaidtomehowwhenshefirstnretme, I seernedso white to her' I sairl in honesty, I used to feel more white' You know, I really did. But at the meeting last night, dealingwith white women here on this trip, I have felt so very dark: dark with anger, r,t,ithsilence,with the feeling of being walked over' as a woman of iwrote in my iournal: "My growing consciousness could it be How my experience. transform to color is surely seeming myself I feel more the of color, women other that the rnore I feel wilh attackl" racist am to I Chicana, the more susceptible

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C }itr l.' ,1Jlrtr;u

Cherrie Moraga

xvii

of Breakthrough: Coming Home O'"r*" - Septembe/ Francisco, California lSan ZO,lgSOl

When Audre Lorde, speakingof racism, states:,,I urge each one of us to reach dor,r,n into that deep place of knowledge insicleherselfand t o u c h t h a t t e r r o r a n d l o a t h i n go f a n y d i f f e r e n c et h i t l i v e st h e r e . , ' I anr driven to do so becauseof the passion for women that lives i. .rv body. I know now that the major obstaclefor me, personally, in corn_ pleting this book has occurred when I stopped *,iiti,-,g it for myself , lt'hen I looked away fron-rmy own source of kno$,ied-ee. Audre is right. It is alsothe sourceof terror - how deepr' separation between women hurts me. How discoveringdifference,piofound dif_ ferencesbetween myself and women I love has sornetimesrendered rne helplessand immobilized. I think of my sister here. How I stiil haven't gotten over the shock that she would nrarry this white man, ratheithan enter onto the journey I knew I was taking. iThis is the model we have from my rnother, 'urturingiwaiting on my father and brother arl the days of rrer life. Always how if a man lvalked into the room, he lt as paid aitentron t o [ i n d u l g e d ]i n a p a r t i c u l a r L a t i n - w o m a n _ t o _ n r a " *uy.1 For years, and to this day, I am still recoveringfrom the disappointment that thrs girl/this sister who had been with me everydayof my life growing up - who slept, ate, talked, cried, worked, fought with me _ irus srd_ denly lost to me through this man and marriage. I still struggle with b e l i e v i n g I h a v e a r i g h t t o m y f e e l i n g s ,t h a t i t i s n o t , , i m m a t u r e , , o r "queer"to refuse such separations, to still mourn over this early abandonment, "this homesicknessfor a woman.,'** So few people really u.derstand how deep the bond betrn,een sisterscan run. I ,"r,as raised ,,to to rely o' my sister, to believe sisterscould be counted or.r so the long hard way with you." Sometimesfor me "that deep place of knowledge,,Audre refers to s e e m sl i k e a n e n d l e s sr e s e r v o i r o f p a i n , w h e r e i m u s t c o n t i n u a l l y unravel the damage done to me. It is a calculatedsystem of damage, intended to ensure our separationfrom other women, but particulaily those we learned to see as most different from ourselvesand therefore, most fearful. The women whose pain we do not want to see as o u r o w n . C a l l i t r a c i s m ,c l a s so p p r e s s i o n , n r e n ,o r d y k e _ b a i t i n g t ,h e system thrives.
*From "The l\{astcr's T b o l sw i l l N e v e r D i s r n a n t l eT h e N { a s t e r ' s H o u s e "i f r o l r t h e t e x t l . **Adrienne R i c h " T r a n c e n d e n t a l E t u d e , " T h e D r e c t mo f a c t ) m n r c n . L a n g r a g e 1Nr,rv Y o r k : N o r t o n , 1 9 7 8 1p , .25.

I mourn the friends and lovers I have lost to this damage.I mourn the women lvhom I have betrayed with my own ignorance,my own fear. been one of such deep damage.I have felt between my The year l-ras hands the failure to bring a love I believed in back to life. Yes, the failure between lovers, sisters, rnother and daughter-the betrayal. How have we turned our backs on each other - the bridge collapsing - whether it be for public power, personalgain, private validation, or more closely, to save face, to save our children, to save our skins. whose face it wears,"* Audre says.And I know I must open my "See eyes and mouth and hands to name the color and texture of my fear. I had nearly forgotten why I was so driven to work on this anthology. I had nearly forgotten that I wanted/needed to deal with racisnr from other women. Because I I couldn'tstand being separated because felt my lesbianism that seriously. I first this the most acutely with took Black won-ren- Black dykes - who I felt ignored me, wrote me off because I looked white. And yet, the truth was that I didn't know Black women intimately (Barbara says "it's about who you can sit down to a meal with, who you can cry with, whose face you can touch").I had such strong "coloredhunches"about our potential connection, but r,r'as basically removed from the lives of most Black wolnen. The ignorance.The painful, painful ignorance. I had even ignored my own bloodline connection with Chicanas and other Latinas. Maybe it was too close to look at, too close to home. Months ago in a journal entry I wrote: "I am afraid to get near to how deeply I want the love of other Latin women in my life." In a real visceralway I hadn't felt the absence(only assumedthe fibers of alienation I so often felt r,r'ith anglo women as normative). Then for the first time, speakingon a panel about racism here in San Francisco,I could physically touch what I had been missing.There in the front row, nodding encouragementand identification, sat five Latina sisters.Count them! Five avowed l,atina Feminists: Gioria, Jo, Aurora, Chabela y Mirtha. For once in my life every part of me was allowed to be visible and spoken for in one room at one tirne. After the forum, the six of us walk down Valencia Street singing songs in Spanish. We buy burritos y cerveza from "[,a Cumbre" and talk our heads off into the night, crying from the impact of such a reunion. Si son mis comadres.Somethins my rnother had with her women friends and sisters.Coming homJ. For once, I didn't have to choose
- From "The (from the textl. N,laster's Tools lVill Never Dismantle The Master's Hor.rse"

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ClterrieNlorapa

Cherrie Moraga

between being a lesbianand beirlg Chicana;between being a feminist and having family. I Have Dreamed of a Bridge 25, 1980) lSan Francisco,California- September Literally, for two years now, I have dreamed of a bridge. In writing this conclusion, I fight the myriad voices that live inside me. The voices that stop my pen at every turn of the page. They are the voices that tell me here I should be talking nore "materialistically" about the oppressionof women of color, that I should be plotting out a "strategy" for Third World Revolution. But what I really want to write about is faith. That without faith, I'd dare not expose myseif to the potential betrayal, rejection, and failure that lives throughout the first and last gesture of connection. And yet, so often I have lost touch with the simple faith I know in my blood. My mother. On some very basic level, the woman cannot be shaken from the ground on which she walks. Once at a very critical point in my work on this book, where everything I loved - the people, the writing, the city-ali began to cave in on me, feeling such utter despairand self-doubt, I received in the mail a card from my mother. A holy card of St. Anthony de Padua, her patron saint, her "special" saint, wrapped in a plastic cover. She wrote in it: "Dear Cherrie, I am sending you this prayer of St. Anthony. Pray to God to help you with this book."And a cry came up from inside me that I had been sittingon for months, cleaning me out - a faith healer. Her faith in this saint did actually once saveher life. That day, it helped me continue the labor of this book. I am not talking here about some lazy faith, where we resign ourselves to the tragic splittings in our lives with an upward turn of the hands or a vicious beating of our breasts. I am talking about believing that we have the power to actually transform our experience, change our lives, save our lives. Otherwise, why this book? It is the faith of activists I am talking about. The materialism in this book lives in the flesh of these women's lives:the exhaustionwe feel in our bonesat the end of the day, the fire we feel in our hearts when we are insulted, the knife we feel in our backs when we are betrayed, the nauseawe feel in our bellies when we are afraid, even the hunger we feel between our hips when we iong to be touched. Our strategyis how we cope - how we measureand weigh what is to be said and when, what is to be done and how, and to r,l'hom and to

who it is we can call an alwhom and to whom, claily decidinglrisking skin, sex, or sexuality)'We are person's iu, .utt a friend (whatever that each other' contradict who women withouia line. We are ;;;"" Thisbookiswritter.rforalltlrewomeninitandallwhoselivesour first only knew each other in our lives wiil touch. We are a farnily who pagesto make faith a reality these on dreams,who have cornetogether hard on that reality' down to bear bring all of our selves --tt ""J,"i, abo,it physical and psychic struggle. It is about intimacy, a desireforlifebetweenallofus,notsettlingforlessthanfreedomeven total vision' in the most private aspectsof our lives' A body down for that vision' my lay I will book, in thls For the *o-"t This Bridge Called Mv Back In the dream, I am always lnet at the river' Cherrie Moraga

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The Bridge Poem

Donna Kate Rushin
I've had enough I'm sick of seeingand touching Both sides of things Sick of being the damn bridge for everybody Nobody Can talk to anybody Without me Right? I explain rny rnother to my father my father to my little sister My little sister to my brother my brother to the white feminists The white feminists to the Black church folks the Black church folks thc t h e e x - h i p p i e st o t h e B l a c k s e p a r a t i s t s To the ex-hippies to the artists the artists to rny frie nds' parents. . . Black separatists Then I've got to explain rnyself To everybody I do more translating Than the Gawdamr.rU.N. Forget it I'm sick of it I'm sick of filling in your gaps Sick of being your insurance against The isolation of your self-imposed limitations Sick of being the crazy at your holiday dinners the odd one at your Sunday Brunches Sick of beir-rg Sick of being tl'rcsole Black frierrd to 34 individual white people Find another connection to the rest of the world Find somethir-rg else to make you legitirnate Find son-re other way to be political and hip

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Ilonir,r Aolt,Rzrslul

,l,tt be the bridge to your womanhood "* Your rnanhood Your huntan-ness I'rn sick of rerr.rinding you ltot to Close off too tight for too long fm sick of rrediating with your worst self On bchalf of your better selves I ar.nsick Of havingto rernindyou To breathe Before vou suffocate Your olvn fool self Forget it Stretch or dro'uvn E v o l v eo r d i e The bridgc I n-rust be Is the bridge to my o,rvnpo\\,er I must translate My own fears Mcdiate My own weaktresses I n-rust be the bridge to nowhere But nty true self And then I will bc useful

Introduction
How It All Began In February of 1979, Gloria attended a women's retreat in the insistence, three country just north of SanFrancisco.At Merlin Stone's Third World women \\rere to receive scholarships to her workshop on goddessesand heroines taking place during the retreat. Only one made it - Gloria. The managementand some of the staff made her feel an outsider, the poor relative, the token woman of color. And all becauseshe was not white nor had she paid the $ 150fee the retreat organizershad set for the workshop. The seedthat germinated into this anthology began there in Gloria's talks with Merlin. What had happened at the women's retreat was not new to our experience.Both of us had first met each other working as the only two Chicanas in a national feminist writers organization.After two years of involvement with the group which repeatedly refused to addressitself to its elitist and racist practices,we left the organization and began work on this book. In April, 1979,we wrote: We rvant to expressto all women - especiallyto white middie-class which divide us as feminists;we want to women - the experiences examine incidents of intolerance, prejudice and denial of differences within the feminist movement. We intend to explore the causesand sourcesof, and solutionsto these divisions. We want to create a definition that expands what "feminist" means to us. (From the original soiiciting letter) The Living Entity

What began as a reaction to the racism of white feminists soon became a positive affirmation of the commitment of women of color to our own feminism. Mere words on a pagebegan to transform themselvesinto a living entity in our guts. Now, over a year later, feeling greater solidarity with other feminists of color across the country through the making of this book, we assert: This Bridge Called My Back intends to reflect an uncompromised definition of feminism by women of color in the U.S. We narned this anthology "radical"for we were interested in the writings of women of color who want nothing short of a revolution rn

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Cherrfe!\'Ioraga.tGlr>riaAnzaltl*a

/ G loria Anzaldila r aga Cherri e M c;

the hands of women - who agreethat that is the goal, no natter how we might disagreeabout the getting there or the possibility of seeingit in our own lifetimes. We use the term in its original form - stemming from the word "root"- for our feminist poiitic emergesfrom the roots of both of our cuiturai oppressionand heritage. The Parts of the Whole The six sections of This Bridge Called My Back intend to reflect what we feel to be the major areas of concern for Third World women in the U.S. in forming a broad-basedpolitical movement: 1) how visibility/ invisibility as women of color forms our radicalism; 2) the ways in which Third World women derive a feminist political theory specifically from our racial/cultural background and experience; 3) the destructive and demoralizing effects of racism in the women's movement; 4) the cultural, class, and sexuality differences that divide women of color; 5) Third World women's writing as a tool for self-preservation and revolution; and 6) the wavs and means of a Third World feminist future.

final two sectionsof the book Gloria wrote the introductions to the and The VIsion of the *fri.n explore The Third World Woman Writer we both bore the burden of Third World feminist. Together as editors' - this being our first the book (even more thJn rve had anticipated proof-reading and the attempt ui st.h a projectl, not.onlv doing answerlIlS a telephone *uki"g editorial decisions,but also acting as and interviewers and courier sert'ice, PR persons ancl advertisers' the of some for transcribers, and even occasionally' muses contributorsduringtheir,sometirnesratherpainful"'writingblocks"' Mostimportantiy,wesa\Arourmajorroleaseditorsbeingtoencourage lives' to make some writers to delve even more deeply into their readers meaning out of it for thernselvesatld their Time and MoneY speedin which this Many people have commented on the relative grew from a anthology the book was pioduced. In barely two years' fast' worked has everyone seed of an idea to a published work' Tfue' including the Publishers. urgency' From the The anthology was created r'r'ith a sense of 'TWoyears ago overdue long moment of its conception,it was already should already have when rn,estarted, we knew it was a book that been in our hands. about paytng worrie-d an a project u'hen >'ou're How do you concerttrate attempt color of women few so why the rent?We have sorely iearned thisbook ln compiling on' -,'to back fail to this kind of project "lo^"y just to keep the book and ourwe both ,llulntui.t"d trvo or more jobs tables' No time for class lvaiting whiie selvesalive. No tin-reto write with your boss' have a preparation, to reaci students'papers' argue lovelifeoreatadecentmeal^lvhe.'thedeadlir-remustbenet.No "to go over the contract"' to money to buy stamps, to hire a lawyer of our:1"try u"d an agent. Both of us became expertjugglers 'little chicken" and ".,gug" the few pennies in our piggybanks: Gloria's Cherrie's "tecatebucket'" Agradecimientos Abigail' Leigh and her who helped:Leslie' Btft oh therewerethepeople con picadillo and loving IBM selectric,Ranciy,David, Mirtha's arroz faith in the book' Jane and encouragement,Merlin and Adrienne's our wonten's studiesstudents Saliy'sleitir'tgCherrie change her mind ' up with their two.over-tired put who at San FranciscoStateUniv"ersity typed the whole damn who backrubs' Jo grumpy teachers,Debbie's crew' BarbaraS"swork in manuscript, BarbaraC' and her cameraancl who lent us money' and all spreadingthe word in Boston the friends

The Writers and Their Work

The women in whose hands This Bidge Called My Back was wrought identify as Third World women and/or women of color. Each woman considers herself a feminist, but draws her feminism from the culture in which she grew. Most of the women appearing in this book are first-generation writers. Some of us do not see ourselves as writers, but pull the pen across the page an)'way or speak with the power of poets. The selections in this anthology range from externporaneous stream journal entries to well thought-out theoretical stateof consciousness ments; frorn intimate letters to friends to full-scale public addresses. In addition, the book includes poems and transcripts, personal conversations and interviews. The lt'orks combined reflect a diversity of perspectives,linguistic styles,and cultural tongues. In editing the anthology, our primary comrnitment was to retaining this diversity, as well as each writer's especialvoice and style. The book is intended to reflect our color loud and clear, not tone it down. As editors we sought out and believe we found, non-rhetoricai, highiy personalchroniclesthat presenta political analysisin everyday terms. In compiling the anthology, Cherrie was primariiy responsiblefor the thematic structure and organization of the book as a whole. She alsowrote the introductions to the first four sections of the book which cover 1) The Rootsof Our Radicalism;2l Theoryin theFlesh;3l Racisnttn the Women'sMovement; and 4) On Culture, Class, and Homophobia.

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YC her ri e ill rt r apa/G !r.t ria An :ald ua

the other folks who supported our readings,our benefit parties, our efforts to get this book to press. Most especially, of course, we wish to thank all the contributors whose commitment and insight made the nightly marathonswe spent pulling out our hair worth it. They inspired the labor. Putting Our Words into Practice

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with the completion of this anthology, a hundred other books ancl projectsare waiting to be de'eioped. Already, we hear tell in the r,vind from other contributors the possibiiity of a firm about Thircr world Ferninists,an anthology by Latina lesbians,a Third worrd ferninist publishing house. We, wome. of color, are not without plans. This is exactly the kind of servicer,r'e lvish for the anthology to pro'ide. It is a catalyst, not a definitive statement on "Third world Feminism in the U.S.' we see the book as a revolutionary tool falling into the hands of people of all colors.Just as we have been radicalizedin the processof compilir"rg this book, r.r'e hope it will radicalizeothers into action. \\,e errvision the book being used as a reqtired text in most \vomen's studies courses. And u,e don't mean just "special,, courses on Third World Wornen or Racism, but also courses dealing with sexual poiitics, feminist thought, !\'omen's spirituality, etc. Sirniiarly, rn,e want to see this book on the shelf of, and used in the classroornor', every ethnic studies teacher in this countrl', male and female alike. off campus, r,r'e expect the book to function as a consciousness-raiser for rvhite women meeting together or u'orking alone on the issuesof racism. And, lve want to see our colored sistersusing the book as ar.r educator and agitator around issues specific to our oppression as wonlen. We want the book in libraries, bookstores, at conferences,and union meetings in every rnajor city a'd hole-in-the-wall in this countrv. And, of course, we hope to eventuall,v see this book translated and leave this country, n'rakingtangibre the link betr,r'een Third \Abrld wornen in the U.S. and throushout the world. Finally tenemos la esperanztt que ThisBrtdje CailedMy,Bacli will find its way back into our fantilies'iives. The revoiution begir.rs at horne. Cherrie N{oraga Gloria Anzaldira

THIS BRIDGE CAttED tuY BACK WRITINGSBY RADICAT WOIUENoF

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Children Passing in the Streets

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':

of Our Radicalism The Roots

"I learned to make nr,vmind large, as the universe is large, so that tl.rereis room for paradoxes."-Maxine Hong Kingston* We are \\'omen frorn all kinds of childhood streets: the farms ol Puerto Rico, tl-redowntorvr.rstreets of Chinatorvn, tl-rebarrio, cityBronx streets, quiet suburban sidewalks, the plains, and the reserr.'ation. In tl-risfirst section, you rvill find voices from our childhoods, our youth. What lve learnecl about survival -trying to-pass-for-wl-rite, easy-to-pass-for-rvhit" es , h e c o u l d n ' tp a s s i n a r n i l l i o n y e a r s . "H e r e , "color to yor.r problenr"as it was first introduced to us: we introclr.tce the "not rvl'riteenuf, not dark enuf", always up against a color chart that first got erected far outside our families and our neighborhoods,but which ir.naded them both r'r'ithsystematicdetermination. I n s p e a k i n go f c o l o r a n d c l a s s ,T i l l i e O l s e n o n c e s a i d : " T h e r e ' s no * Here are wonren of every shadeof color and as passing."* sucl.r t].rir.rs grade of classto prove that point. For although sonre of us traveled more easilr'fror.u streetcorner to corner than the sisterrvhosecolor or p o v e r t l ' n r a d eh e r a n e s p e c i a l l l . v i s i b l e t a r g e t t o t h e v i o l e n c eo n t h e street, cr1/ of us have been victims of tlie invisible violation r,t,hich h a p p e n s i n t l o o r s a n d i n s i d e o i . r r s e l v e st:h e s e l f - a b n e g a t i o n , the s i l e n c e .t h e c o n s t a n tt h r e a t o f c u l t u r a l o b l i t e r a t i o n . We lvert-born into colored homes. We grew up lvith the inherent contradictions in the color spectrum right inside those iromes: the I i g h t e r s i s t r - r t h e r n i x e d - b l o o dc o u s i n , b e i n g t h e d a r k e s t o n e i n t h e fan-rily. I t d o e s n ' tt a k e m a n v y e a r s t o r e a l i z et h e p r i t ' i l e g e s , or lack t h e r e o f ,a t t a c h e dt o a p a r t i c u l a r s h a d eo f s k i n o r t e x t u r e o f h a i r . I t i s this experience that moves light-skinned or "passable" Third World \\,'ornen to put ourselveson the line for our darker sisters.We are all family. Frou'rthose far-nilies we were on the one hand encouragedto Ieave, to clir.nbup rvhite. Anc'lrvith the other hand, the reins r,vere held t i g h t o n u s , o r l r p a r e n t su n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e d a n g e r t h a t b o r d e r e do u r homes. We learr.red to live u'ith these contradictions.This is the root of our radicalisrl.
' I 1 : r r i r r c 'l l , ) n { K i r ) c s t o n 7 ' l u \ \ ' , t n a t t l t r i l l i o r l N e r v Y o r k : \ ' i n t a g e 1 9 7 7 ) ,p . 3 5 . t-Frour ir ta)k given at Tl.rr\ \ b n r e n s B u i l t i i n g s p o n s o r c db y ' T i r e F e n r i n i s tW r i t c r s G u i l c l .S a n l i r a n c i s c o \ o v e n r b e r 1 9 7 9 .

L-.

When I Was Growing Up

NeIIie Wong
I know now that once I longed to be rvhite. How? you ask. Let n-retell you the ways. when I was growing up, people told me I was dark and I believed my own darkness in the mirror, in nry soul,rny own narrow vision when I was growir-rg up, my sisters with fair skin got praised f o r t h e i r b e a r r t va n d i n t h e d a r k I fell further, crushed between high walls when I was grolving up, I read magazines a n d s a w n r o v i e s ,b l o n d e m o v i e s t a r s ,w h i t e s k i n , sensuouslips and to be elevated,to become a \^,oman,a desirable woman, I began to wear irr-ragi nar_v pale ski n rvhen I was growing up, I was proud o f m y E n g l i s h ,m y g r a m n r a r ,m y s p e l l i n g fitting into the group of srnart chilclren s m a r t C h i n e s ec h i l d r e n , f i t t i n g i n , g e t t i n gi n l i n e belonging, u'hen I rvas growing up and went to high school, I discoveredthe rich white girls, a few yellor,t,girls, sweaters their imported cotton dresses,their cashn-rere their curl,v hair and I thought that I too should have what these lucky girls had r,vhenI was grou'ing r.rp,I hr.rngered for Anrerican food, American styles, c o d e d :w h i t e a n d e v e n t o m e , a c h i l d b o r n o f C h i n e s ep a r e n t s ,b e i n g C h i n e s e Iirriting, was feeling foreign, r,r'as was unAmerican

r/lll
lrt

when l was growing up ar-rd a lvhitc ntan \\.iuttL_d to takc rne out, I thougirt I n,as special, a n e x o t i cq a r d e n i a , a n x i o u st o f i t the stereotype o f a n o r i e n t a lc h i c k lr'hen I lvas srolving up, I felt asharnecl of some yellon rnen, their small trones, t h c i r f r a i l L r o d i e st,h e i r s p i t t i n e on the streets, their cotrghing, their lying in sunless roonls, shoclting thenrselves in the arms

on not bein
mqry hope lee
b e a s n i a r t c h i l c lt r f i n g t o b e d u m b . . . n o t b l k e r r u ft o l o v i n l i i g n o r e .. . not bitter enuf to die at a early age.. .
rrtnz:ke shense+

when I was gro'nvine up, people r,r.ould ask if.I rvere Filipino, polyr-rersian, portngucse. Thev nan.red all colors except r,r,hitc., the shell of ury soul, btrt not r.rrv clark, rough skin wher.rI r,r.as sror,r,ingup, I felt dirtr.. I thought tl"rat goci rriacle n.l.rite people clean anci no n-iattcrhor,r, rnuch I bathecl, I could not change, I could not shcrl my skin in the gray rvater when I vvasgrowir.rg up, I srvore I would run a\^,ayto purplc n,rountains, h o u s e sb 1 ' t h e s e al v i t h n o t h i n q o v e r r r r vh e a d ,r n , i t h s p a c et o b r e a t h c , uncongestedrvith t,ellclrvpeoltlc in an arca calleclChinato,"vn, ir.ran area I later learned r v a sa g h e t t o ,o n e o f r l a n v h e a r t s ttf Asian Anrerica

l,i

',l

she never wantecl no never once did she \\ranna be r'vhite/topass darker drear-ned only of beir.r r,r,anted to darker she be not yellorv/not no high bror'r'rtneither but brou'n/n arrl brolvrr she drearned/herbody rnoist earth bror,r't.r she pray'ed/forchocolate tter/su,eet semi/srveet/bi dark chocolatenipples cro\\'nln her sn-rall chestedtits 2 l'relshel'skisses s i t t i ns u ' e e tl i k e t o p o l 2 round scoopsof sn.rooth m i l k c h o c o l a t ei c e c r e a r n ! momma took her outta a l m o s ta l l b l a c k l i n c o l n h i g h cuz sl'reuseta catch hell every da,vin gyrn class t h e o t h e r g i r l s r e a c t i nt o h e r l i k c she'uvas t h e c a u s eo f s o m e kinda gau'dar,r'ful allergy'they all had c o n t a c tc o u l d b e f a t a l sun'ivors w,oulclbe scarrecl with kindness
-.\'a||,. l1lgg. lNen \brk: St. \lartin s Prcss lrl73l

I knorv nolt'that once I longed to be ,uvhrte-. llow r.t'ranyntore rta)'s?,vor-r ask

F{ar,'en't I t<,rld 'ou enor-rgh?

I
L-_

10 cuz she wasn dark enuf was stnart enuf wasn rowdy enuf had a white girl friend cuz none of them would be beige or buffiecru or chamois jus wasn color/ed enuf to get picked for the softball team wasn sufficient protection 'gainst gettin tripped in the shower she wondered/ would they have treated florence ballard so shabbily I but sheenviedthem all felt every once now and then they just mighta been righteouslyjustified since/afterall they was brown like the sun loved they skin special cuz it warmed'em chestnut bronze copper sepia cinnamon cocoa rnahogany her/shewas drab faded out yellow like a scorchedjuly sky just fore it rains & rinses away tl-rehint of brown fror-r-r the smog sl.rewasn/ no rnaureen peal

tnan ht 'p,' ls2

man holre lee

no'high yellorv drearn child' not/dichtY a hex muttered not/hinkty a curse let fly not/saditty like girls rt'as spozedto be did they urent to catholic school or was they frour geruranto$'nor hilis or baldr,,,'in valencia park

tr
the first one to ask/her he r'r'as {the rnan she r.trarried/cuz he thought he was gonna u'ould/said else bein afraid no body find him no colored couldn rt ltitc cuz/he hisself hafta marry h e r bein the next r n ' i t h e n u f f f / b u t girl was/in-tel-li-gent . t o w h i t e . b e s tt h i n g

\-_

Cherrte l\fu;ragtt

For the Color of MY Mother

Cherrie Moraga
mother I am a white girl gonebrown to the bloodcolor of m2mouth part the of unnamed the speaking for her through muzzleof brou'nwotnetl the wide-arched at two my upper lip split oPen clear to the tip of mY nose it spilled forth a cry that would not yield that travelled down six floors of hospital where doctors wound rne into white bandages only the screaming mouth exPosed the gash sewn back into a snarl wolrld last for years I ant a white girl gone broutn to the blood colu' of mv mother speak[ngfor her at five, her mouth pressedinto a seam a fine blue child's line drawn acrossher face her mouth, pressedinto mouthing english mouthing yes Yes Yes mouthing stooPlift carrY (sweatingwet sighs into the field her red bandana comes loose from under the huge brimmed hat movilrg acrossher uPPerliP) at fourteen, her mouth painted, the ends drawn ttP the rnole in the corner colored in darker larger mouthing yes she praying no no no lips pursed and moving

l'rerrnouth at fortY-five, her ston'rach [i""aing ir-rto gupinggrortirrgrt.-lder if,"-r-tor" pallor father's i""p""i"g nitir rny breaslbotte

ro r r o l l l h i 1 't f i n a l l y s t i t c h e ds n u l V arr irrverted Vera Elvira my mctlher brrtwn tctthe bktod coktrof I am a white girl gitrte speakingfor her as it should be dark lvor'retl col''e to t'"rrrrrr-,, I passthrough their.hands the head of uv nlother painted in claY colors touching each carved feature srvollen eYesand mouth the splitting they understand the explosion expresslon fixed the n'ithin contained open they cradle her siicnce oddi.g to me

ir-rci,rcles

L-_

fi"r,rr ".\l"r'r''

I Am What I Arn
Rosario Morales
I haven'twanted to say it I am what I am and I am U.S. American becauseif I did you'd take away the Puerto Rican but now I say go to hell I am what I arn and you can't take it away with all the lvords I am what I am I am Puerto and sneers at your command Rican I am U.S^ Arnerican I am New York Manhattan and the Bronx I am what I am I'rn not hiding under no stoop beirind no I am what I am I am Boricua as boricuas come from the curtain isle of Manhattan and I croon Carlos Gardel tangoesin my sleep and Afro-Cuban beatsin my blood and Xavier Cugat's lukewarm latin is so familiar and dear sneer dear but he's familiar and dear but not who's a joke becauseI never was a joke I was Carmen Miranda a bit of a sensation See! here's a real true honest-to-god Puerto Rican girl and she'sin college Heyl Mary come here and look she'sfrom right here a South Bronx girl and she'shonest-to-godrn r,r'howould believed it Ain't college now Ain't that something sciencewonderful or sorne such thing a wonder a wonder And someonewho did languages for a living stopped me in the subI mean there it was way becausehow I spoke was a linguist'streat yiddish and spanisl-rand fine refined college educated english and I haven't It's dusty now irishwhich I mainly keep in my prayers said my prayers in decadesbut try rny Hail Marrrry full of grrrace its all true and its all with the nun's burr with the nun's disdain nre do you know I got an English accent from the BBC I always say For years in the mountains of Puerto Rico when I was22 and24 and 26 all those young years I listened to the BBC and Radio Moscow's English english announcers announce and denounce and then I read Dickens all the way thru three or four times at least and then later I read Dickens aioud in voicesand when I came back to the U.S. I spokemockdickens and mockBritish especiallywhen I rvant to be crisp efficient I know what I am doing and you can't scarerre tough that'swhy I am what I am and I'm a bit of a snob too Shit! why am I calling rlyself names I really really dig the funny way the British speak and it's real it's true and I love too the singing of yiddish sentencesthat go with sirrugs and hands and arms doing

sound and look of yiddisli in I love tl-re nrelancholyor livell'clatlces . ir.rtl-restreets in the English language in tlle boclf i^fr"'rt. so go by the grocer ancl bu'v some fruit so u'hat's tlert' nooo oh and ti"toscu'ords raisele gevalt gcfilte fish thc like raisins',in englishlanguage "iJ""", h t r n d r e d so t t h e n r t t o t t i ' ' ' gt h e thosc all schn-rata tush scl-'leriiiel tuttiX shnook ar.'cl b;;; I an'rrvhat I arn and I'rr sharp things sl'rarp 'o1'".tg sottnds soft srveet anclnelv but Jewish ioreign t"u'p i' lertirn-a'tt!'icu" naturalizecl arrdits r'redcars its farniliar schmata fa.iliar is ord sr.r.,,v Americar.r Thke it or leave me am I I anr rvliett bagelsblintzesanclall ltle alone.

llo',ntt LtttleLtttl

Dreams of Violence
Naomi Littlebeor
I was awakened by the sound of school children screamingat each other. I thought I heard them beating some one. Loud solid thun-rps quivered in my ears,a hoarsevoice, horribly chanting in rapid succession, "oh my god, oh my god". . . I closed my eyes and sunk into the panic that terrorized my morning. I fiew back in time, somewhere in grade school, walking home with my cousin Virginia. . . I There was an unmistakeable bitter taste in the air around us, forewarning. It was the moment before the actual sight of thern coming that froze our heartswith fear. Suddenly like a stampedeof wild bulls they plumrneted towards us. A half dozen or more boys, a frenzied blur of leatherjackets, screamingwild devils, thrashing at us with the harsh stiff leather, metal teeth zippers battering our bewildered bodies. We ran on rubber band legs; I could hear Virginia calling, "Mama, Mama." In my ears was a sound like the beating of wings, barbed wings that stung rny skin, that made my lip swell in pain, we ran hard thru the obstaclecourse of confusedbodies, their horrifying shrieks of rage thru the rain of leather. By some miracle they scattered,the same force that brought them seemedto snatch them up again and they were scatteredto other dark corners of the barrio. My facewas hot and swollen, i felt my tearsburning rivers down my cheeks.I could still hear Virginia crying for her mother, though now she was just a mass of pain & crying. I could remember my own silence thundering thru my body. As we neared home, my fear increased.I knew what would await me there. I could close my eyes and see the vision a hundred times over. I would siowly approach the door and before my entire body entered, she could smell the mischief, sensethe energy- my grandmother immediately stopped whatever she was doing and demanded a fuil story. But always my story would be cut in mid-sentence. Becausewhatever state i was in, i orovoked it.

been {ighting?""Did you tear your "Why are you Dirty?" "Have you demands and accusationscame threatenar*rZll-u ,rott"y of quick her come towards me' r" -", -uttir'g *" i""f scared'watching "her bonito" as where the razor strap hung "rit reaching over to tn" aoo' to me, strap rn hand. My feet turning she called it. Reachingtowards backing into a corner' Iead. Trying to run au'ay' II me' a vicious pinch could' I fiew But where the strap couldn't reach more leather stings' thru the door being chasedby away, my skin boiling' red criss blocks I ran far, sometlnes two cried that the leather jackets had-made'.I crossesatop the my thru cars "'uttlt"' the shapesoi people and alorrebarery able to make out tears.

T
beside me' wondering how I am awake now, my lover still sleeping to mend the holes in our pasts' we can blend our two worlds' How walk away bravely from the nightnares' . within the falseshelter of her Her attacks*"'" ^o" "tUtt"iniaa"n her' her brother was the nighthome; insteadof gutg' olloys chasing U"oayto masturbate with' as she ;"";;;;g-child ly intrusion, "ri"g to speak' closed her eyes too numb and scared though the fears are still survir"ors be to but t;;i;; no We both have heart tt^Ot my men' there. Whenever I see a crowd of ::':-I^l::l crashing' anger' male nolses' whenever i hear sudden noises'sudden to ears l shrink inside' walk close their very laughter o uUtuti"" to my hide' place to the walls of my soul, i look for a

L-_

Chry'sto's irr tlatrqcr We are both a t l c i e n tI e a r ^{ r'our t t rf i s ho . r r r ) ' ( ) \ t r r ilJutn"a

s t o p p e c l r . . . . . i , , . rr , \ \ \ ' L ' a y e n e [ \ lLrarlllll{ t() \ Now l'rr-r

He Saw
Chrystos
his roots/went back to the reservation old pain/old hunger None of the ghostsrvere there caught He went fisl-ring one or rnore ever)' do t<> The fishing is n'irat he r-reeded day y e a r so f s u i t s ,t i c s ' c l o c k s a f t e r G a t h e r i n gw i l d r i c e , r e r n e n r b e r e d adjustments what he began & left He lvrites me abottt tl'refisl-r I grovl' hungry advantages He gave rne all the lr,l'ritest squarc house, football school, r'vhitemother baking I,vhitebread in a u,hite ovelt to spare r-nehis pairr He r,r.anted didn't shred rage clouds our blood ties Silently our nrisunderstandings wonder u'ho i.reis I stare at his words nitre Lonely recldaddy cradling ghost of his natna died u'hen he r'r'as rt'ithout a father lt'ithout straightiacke-ts pretending he u'as borr.r Daddy you r,r.rite in a painfully practiced scra'uvl a dying fish learned learned beaien dor'r,n you leanrt-d You go back & can't stav Bring me a sack of rice $'arlt the boy lt'ho left ol.ra freight car I war-rtyonr r,r'ildness, I n'ant a boy rvl'rocried becausehis rrrotheris clead & his daddy's gone crazy I r.t'anithe one u'ho gathered lvater & r'r'ood I don't l,"ant this t'ttanrvho cut off ilis hair joined the governnrent to be safc

' And When You Leave, \Take Your Pictures With You Racismin the Women'sMovement

"The reason racism is a feminist issue is easily explained by the inherent definition of feminism. Feminism is the political theory and practice to free all r,r'omen:women of color, working-class women, poor \\romen,physically challengedwomen, lesbians,old women, as well as white economically privileged heterosexual women. Anything lessthan this is not ferninism, but merely female s e l f- a g g r a n d i z e m e n t*. " BarbaraSmith We women of color are the veteransof a classand color war that is still escalatingin tl-refeminist mol'ernent. This section attempts to describe in tangible ways l.row, under the name of feminism, white privilege have usedthat privilege women of economicand edr-rcational at the expenseof Third World women. Although the original intent of including a section in this anthology specifically about racism in the movement was to make a connection with white women, it feelsnow more like a separation. Things have gotten worse. In academic and cultural circles, Third World women have becornethe subiect matter of many literary and artistic endeavorsby lvhite women, and yet we are refusedaccess to the pen, the publishing house, the galleries,and the classroom."Only for the sake of art/Millicent, do you rise/tall from the ink" (Daniels). Our traditional native cultures are ripped off from us and are displayed as the artifacts of "primitive" peoples by white Bohemian liberated women headed for the West Coast. Iir leftist feminist circles \\'e are dealt with as a political issue, rather than as flesh and blood human beings. We represent the party line, but the truth is, "We're not as huppy as we look/on theirhvall" {Carrillo). We have had it with the word "oalreach" referring to our joining racist white wornen's organizations. The questior.r keepscoming up - where exactly then, is irr?It sn-rells like r,vhiteto us. We have had it Repeatedlvacknowledged throughout this section and infusing the entire contents of this anthology is our understanding that theory

i F r o m a t a l k g i r e n a t t h e c l o s i n gs e s s i o n a t t h e \ a t i o n a l W o m e n ' sS t u d i e sA s s o c i a t r o n (NWSA) conference. . ol. V. No. l. 1980. M a 1 ' 1 9 7 9 :a p p e a r e di n F r o t t t i c r . sV

---

alone can r"lot wipe out racisn. We do not experienceracism, rvhethe r Neither do rvhite wonren. directedat ourselvesor others,theoretically. How doesone then emotiorrallycorneto terms with racisnr?None oi us in this book can challengeothers to confront questionsthat rve our, selveshave lrot confronted. How do we deal with the ways in rvhich this diseasedsociety has infused our ver)' blood systems? How do rr r take personal responsibility for our own racistactions and assr.rmptions? As Third World women we clearly have a differer-rt reiatiorrshipto racism than white \A/olnen, but ali of us are born into an environn'rcnr where racism exists.Racismaffectsall of our lives, but it is only rvhite wornen who can "afford"to remain oblivior.rs to these effects.The rest of us have had it breathing or bleeclingdorvn our necks. But you work with what you have,whatever your skin color. Racisn.r is societaland institutional. It implies the power to implement racist ideology.Women of color do not have such power, but white wotnen are born with it and the greater their economic privilege, the greater their power. This is how white middle ciasswomen energe among greatestpropagatorsof racism in the movetnent. feminist ranks as tl-re the privilege they have to crurnble the institutions than Rather using that house the source of their own oppression- sexism, along u'ith racism - they oftentimes deny their privilege in the form of "dorvnward mobility," or keep it intact in the form of guilt. Guilt is not a feeling. It is an intellectual mask to a feeling. Fear is a feeling - fear of losing one's power, fear of being accused, fear of a loss of status, control, knowledge. Fear is real. Possibly this is the emotional, nontheoretical piace frorn which serious anti-racist work among white feminists can begin. The wornen writing here are comrnitted feminists. We are challenging white feminists to be accountablefor their racism becauseat the basewe still wanf to believe that they really want freedom for all of us. The letter from Audre Lorde to Mary Daly appearingin this sectionis an example to all of us of how we as feminists can criticize each other. It is an act of love to take someoneat her word, to expect the most out of a woman who calls herselfa ferninist - to challengeher as you yourself wish to be challenged. As women, on some level we all know oppression. We n-rust use thrs knowledge, as RosarioMorales suggests, to "identify, understand,and feel with the oppressedas a way out of the morassof racisrnand guilt." . . . For "We are ali in the same boat." And it is sinkins fast.

And When You Leave, You fuU"Your Pictures With

Jo Carrillo
Our white sisters radical friends of us love to own Pictures machine factorY sitting at a wielding a machete in our bright bandanas red childreu ;;ldt.; biown vellorv black campalgns . reaciing -n"iai"g books fron-rliteracy knives nlachirreguns bayonets bornbs Our rvhite sisters radical friends should think again. Our w}-ritesisters radical friends love to own Pictures of us hot sun walking to the fields in if brorr'n head on u'ith stiau' hat bandana if black shirts irr bright en-rbroidered red children black t of,ltit trtottrr Yellort' calnpalgns readin[ books from literacy smiling. friends Ou. lrlhite sistersradical again' should think No one smiles at the beginning of a da;- sPent of ttranlum aigging ilr souvenir chunks of cleaning uP atter our rt'hite sisters radical friends Arrd rvhen or;r rvhite sisters radical friends see us

61 lo(-rrriii,,

in the flesh not as a picture they own, they are not quite as sure if they like us as much. We're not as happy as we look on their wall.

Beyond the Cliffs of Abiquiu*

Jo Carrillo
She calls you a rock. He calls you a rock. They both agree that you are unworthy of anything but a slow death. Her skin is white; more parched than the land she hates. Silver fades into her arm turquoise matches nothing more than her eyes but she wears it. two cliffs Iittle trees lots of rocks is this Iand nothing but a rock? she asks while gracefully walking back to her MG OH, yes I know, I live here in this desert and let me tell you. . . l The whole place is parched. J u s t o n e g r e a tb i g r o c k . Let me see, do I have time to put on my my my squashblossorn.
* M y p o e m t o t h e l a n d t h a t a J o n gu ' i t h S o u t hD a k o t a , i s a " p r o p o s e d N a t i o r . r aS l acrifice" etc.l. area for energv luraniunr, coai,coal gasification,

-&,i

66 .lctCurrtii,

It's Authentic Navajo Indian Laguna pueblo design from Buen Muir Indian TFadingpost completely staffed by whites except of course for the janitor. How can it be that the mines the uranium cancer causingdangerous radon gas emitting mines are worked by Navajos and othei assorted types and the trading posts are all all worked over by whites? The mines belong to them too; don't enjoy the work as much? Rather sell Authentic Navajo Hopi Zuni Indian made real live Laguna Santa Ana Santo Domingos? It's less of a mess. Oh, those Indians. They are all just drunks. C a n ' te v e n g o t h r o u g h G a l l u p w r t h o u ts e e i n g at least at least at least ten of them.

Io Carrtll"

Oh, let's step into this Navajo rug shop while we're here. Bet you don't have lftal in San FranciscoLos Angeles New York ,{lbuquerque. They are really lovely rugs my whole house is done in Navajo rugs it's adobe in Corrales by the river lots of rich whites with Authentic Navajo Hopi Zuni Indian made real live Laguna SantaAna Santo Domingo artifacts.
Therc i< r *riIl" -o

over that hill.

fhrystos

I Don't Understand Those Who Have Ttrrned Away From Me

Chrystos
5:23 am- May 1980 I am afraid of white people Never admitted that before deep secret I think about all the white women I knew in San Francisco women with Master's degrees from Stanford University & cars thal daddy bought, women with straight white teeth & clear skins fron.r thousands of years of proper nutiition They chose to be poor They were quite convincing in the role of oppressedvictim I wanr to tell them to go down to Fiilmore & Haight & teil somebody about it Tell Jim my old landlord who picked cotton since he was 6 moved here for a better life lost his hearing & his teeth & his hair f ror.' wo.rkingin the shipyards for 35 years The constantvibration of his drill on the metal literally shook his teeth out He went bard from always wearing a safety helmet He can,t hear after years of that racket He worked so hard for 35 years & he is still pooi They live on Webster street, across from the projects The house is an old victorian which will not be paid ofi uniess he lives to be g9 which is unlikely. I read the funniest Iine in a health book yesterday It said, that for some "unknown" reason, more black people had hypertension than white people Not funny No mystery Most Injian people don,t usually live long enough to even GET hypertension All the deaths I carry so heavily FacesI knew tvtani muidered in phoenix by whites outside a bar whites who_still have not gone to trial Ron iying of pneumonia I still mourn him death None of my relativei h)s a degree from Stanford Neither did Jim so those poor white girls are still suffering mightily in my old home town of Sin Franciscl It did not help that it occurred to me that no amount of educatron was going to improve my lot in life if I didn,t also change my attitude about the society I still think thatggvo of what happens'riberal, conservative or radical lesbian separatist is: bullshit My attitude is all I own so I quit school All the schools & crazy houses I was in were simply brainwashing & most of the feminist movement that I workea so ha.a to be a puri of was propaganda This is heresy but it held no solution for me surely Jane.suffers oppression on heijob because she is a woman All the problems and issues which feminism raises are valid & important It simply does not give me any answers for correct behavior in my own

nonsensethat one must [fe certainly I won',tobey that lesbian mafia real Those are all the dressin a certain way or cut off one'shair to be feminism is a tool 6ost superficial rules silly I no longer believe that understanding which can eliminate racism or even promote better have felt less underI women of kinds races & different between women than I standingbetween different races& from many lesbian indifference do fro- ro-e straightpeople At leasttheir heterosexual stricture & much allows me more freedom to be myself I felt so to prove I censorshipfrom lesbians I was supposedto be a carpenter of them None over *u, u ,"ui dyk" My differenceswere sloughed ail I rne Above about cameto a pow wow or an AIM* fundraiser to see first I when could not enjoy & love being a \\roman Janecommented like met her that she didn't care for most lesbiansbecausethey didn't to difficult it is extremely women didnt like themselves of course disease a like oneself in a culture which thinks you are Many of the lesbiansI knew seemedto throw off the outer trappings joy' of theii culture & were very vocal in criticizing it Yet, they had no discussing meetings picky no new roads Night after night in endless everyone'sinadequacies& faults & the harm which men do or night afte;night in dreary body shop bars drinking themselvesinto a stupor I worked so hard as part of a locai women's coffeeshop& bookstore' harder than I've ever worked I ordered for the kitchen, & the art shows,did shifts,brought flowers, cleaned,met the pest man & phone man. did entertainment, lvashed a million coffee cups Recently someonetold me that a young lesbianwhose parents have given her a law practice, commented that she remembered me I didn't work she said all I did was talk to people I remember her too she was one of the thousandsof n,omen rvhosenames & facesI memorized & tried to understand oniy to have them disappearafter 3 months or whenever they found a lover After 3vz years I had so little ieft of myself so many bitter memories of women who disrespectedme & others A woman who called herself a communist but supported capitalist rather than our brave collectiveworker-owned enterprises of r,t'omen, efforf The lies, pretensions,the snobbery & cliquishness The racism which bled through every moment at every level The terrifying & The awful gossip, bitchiness' useless struggle io be accepted backbiting & jealousy The gross lack of love movement utterly drained I have no interest in I left the \A,omen's returning My dreams of crossingbarriers to true understandingwere false M6st oi the white women I thought I was closeto want nothing to do with me now Perhapswhite women are so rarely loyal because
*American lnclianN{ovement

they do not have to be There are thousands of them to pick up & discard No responsibilityto others The bathing beauties They r'vant the status of reality & respect without labor Respect us simp15becausewe exist Give us lvhat we want now My bitterness distorts my words I don't understand those who turned alvay from me

Asian Pacific American Women and Feminism

Yamada IVIitsuYe
we women I know agree that Most of the Asian Pacific American condition out-o'nthe more visible by speaking need to make ourselves concern us' certain political issues which of our sex anci race u'-'a ot-t is the perspective tnt""elt the {eminist Some of us feel tn"t "lltiliiiit problems with fraught is this path only logical step for tt' Ho*"t'"r' we t", b"tuttt" in order to do so' among to ,otu" re which \ are unable the leaders' feminist oftrl",white need the help and t;;^;; women's buildings' and edit women wiro coordiuut" i'ogtu-s'.direct organlStlons

iii""gr'tt"t th: :",:f 1 womens publications women's them and give them "input'"

h"u"" tts'join" tell us they would tif<eto feel we least theyknow we exist and These are the betterl*t' every "' to say bf.interest to them' but might possibly have *-"tf-ti"g life my of condition the 3rp"opt" about time I read or speaKt;;;;G if I as ii i' ut ir i naa never spoken before' as an Asian Pacific '";';'u; never of people who had audiencewere speaking to a brand new than the passive' sweet other is putiiJ *o"l-un u'ho known an Asian woman' etc^stereotypeof the "Oriental" our asked to speak representing are World;;;"" When Third entertain' to move' charm or racial or ethnic cro;, ;;';;; ";p"cted to our audiences'we threatening are but not to educatei^ ways that what we those parts of our speech (if speak to audiences tt-tur'itt out hands our ' come up to shake have of us1 say does not fit the i-ug" iit"y tn"

just iovely" with "That*u. ro""i]"-v a"ut' "id.C" l:1l."J:t: do' the No mat[er what we say or

with same mind set they ttt'l" i'-t of starting from scratch each i'";;*ry rta'-'is"o; ,till stereotype no history behind us' of hearing time I speak or rvritJ, as if there were or women are the leastpolitical' that among the rt'omen "o' of color' Asian people many not ift" -"t' polite' It is too bad the least opp.",,"a, up to persons in Seattle who stood remember that one of the two a was 1942 in of the Evacuation Order contest the constrtr'rtionality we in anf cro:ps' woman' As A-;;;" young Japanese lldividuall than ever in the intensively (n'rore been Asian Pacific women have writing affairs and speakingand past few y"u.r1 utt'i" Jlo--tt"ity in published highly political writings about our activities' Fronr the and poems articles' and Asian Women in 1971(incisive -trenchant Workshop in New Basement the from articlesl, to more t;;i;;i;"s

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York City to Unbound Feet in San Francisco, as well as those Asian Pacific women showcased at the Asian Pacific women's conferences in New York, Hawaii and California this year, theseall tell us we have been active and vocal. And yet, we continue to hear, ,,Asian women are of course traditionally not attuned to being political,, as if most other women are; or that Asian women are too happily bound to their traditional roles as mothers and wives, as if the sarnecannot be said of a great number of white American wornen among us. When I read in Plexusrecently that at a Workshop for Third World women in San Francisco,Cherrie Moraga exploded with,,What each of us needsto do about what we don't know is to go look for it,,,I felt like standing up and cl-reering her. She was speakingat the Women's ,,it Building to a group of white sisterswho were saying, in essence, is )our responsibility as Third World women to teach us.,'Ifthe majoritl, culture know so little about us, it must be ourproblem, they seemto be telling us; the burden of teachingis on us. I do not want to be unfair, I know individual women and some wonen's groups that have taken on the responsibility of teaching themselvesthrough reaching out to women of color, but such gesturesby the majority of women,sgroups are still tentatively made becauseof the sometimestouchy reactionof women who are always being asked to be "tokens', at readir.rgs and workshops. Earlier this year, when a group of Asian Pacific American women gathered together in San Francisco poet Nellie Wong,s home to talk about feminism, I was struck by our generalagreementon the subject of feminism as an ideal. We all believed in equality for women. We agreed that it is important for each of us to knor,t,what it mea'rrs to be a woman in our society,to know the historical and psychologicalforces that have shaped and are shaping our thoughts which in turr.rdetermine the directions of our lives. We agreed that feminism nteans a commitment to making changesin our own lives and a conviction that as women we have the equipment to do so. One by one, as we sat around the table and talked (we women of all agesranging from our early twenties to the mid-fifties, single and married, mothers and lovers,straightwomen and lesbians), we knew what it was w,ewanted out of feminism, and what it was supposedto mean to us. For women to achieve equality in our society, we agreed, we must continue to work for a common goal. But there was a feeling of disappointmentin that living room toward the women's movement as it standstoday. One young woman said she had made an effort to join some women's groups with high expectations but came away disillusioned because these groups were not receptiveto the issuesthat were important to her as an Asian woman.

Women irr thesegroups,were, she said "into pushing their own issues" and were no different from the other organizationsthat imposed opinions and goalson their members rather than having them shaped by the needs of the members in the organizations.Some of the other women present said that they felt the women's organizationswith feminist goalsare still "a middle-classwomen's thing." This pervasive feeling of rnistrusttoward the women in the movernent is fairly representati','eof a large group of women who live in the psychological place we now call Asian Pacific America. A movement that fights sexism in the social structure mttst deal with racism, and we had hoped the leadersin the women's nlovement wouid be able to seethe parallelsin tl'reIiVesof the women of color and themselves,at]d would 'join" us in our struggleand give tts "input." It should not be difficult to see that Asian Pacific women need to affirm our own culture while working within it to changeit. Many of the leaders in the wornen's organizationstoday had moved naturally from tl-recivil rights politics of the 60's to sexual politics, while very few of the Asian Pacific women who were involved in radical politics during the same period have emerged as leaders in these same women's organizations.Instead they have become active in groups promotitrg ethnic identity, most notably ethnic studiesin ur-riversities, ethnic theater groups or ethnic community agencies.This doesn't have placed our loyalties on the side of ethnicity over mean that r,r,e womanhood. The two are not at war with one another; we shouldn't have to sign a "loyalt,voath" favoring one over the other. Hotvever, women of color are often made to feei that u'e must make a choice between the tr,r,o. If I have more recently put my energies into the Pacific Asian American Center (ajob center for Asiansestablishedin 1975,the only California) and the Asian Pacific one of its kind in Orange Cor.rr-rty, Women'sConferences(the first of its kind in our history), it is because the needs in these areas are so great. I have thought of myself as a feminist first, but my ethnicity cannot be separatedfrom my feminism Through the women's movement, I have cot-neto truly appreciate the meaning of my ntother's life and the lives of immigrant womer) from her large like her. My mother, at nineteen years of age,r-rprooted extended family, was brought to this country to bear and raise four children alone. Once here, she found that her new husband r,t'hohad been here as a student for severalyears prior to their marriage was a bachelor-at-heart and had no intention of changing his lifestyle. Stripped of the protection and support of her family, she found the responsibilitiesof raising us alone in a strangecountry almost intolerable during those early ,vears.I tl-roughtfor n.rany years that my

yariirrrir ,\f rl.stn,e

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mother did not love us becauseshe often spoke of suicide as an eas' way out of her miseries.I know now that for her to have survived "just for the sake"of her children took great strength and determination. If I digress it is because I, a second generation Asian American woman who grew up believing in the American Dream, have come to know who I am through understanding the nature of my mothers experience;I have come to see connectionsin our lives as lr,'ellas the lives of many women iike us, and through her I have become more sensitiveto the needs of Third world women throughout the world. We need not repeat our past histories; my daughteri a.d I need not merely survive with strength and determination. we can, throuch collectivestruggle,live fuller and richer lives. My politics u, u *,o.-,L, are deeply rooted in my immigrant parent,sand rny ou,n past. Not long ago at one of my readingsa \voman in the audierrcesaid she was deeply moved by my "beautifully tragic but not bitter carnir poems which were apparently written long ago,,,* but she nas distressedto hear my poem "To A Lady.,' ,,Why ui" yo.,, at this late date, so angry, and why are you taking it so personallyZ, she said.,,We need to look to the future and stop wallowing in the past so much." I respondedthat this poem rsnot at aIIabout the past. I am talking about what is happening to us right now, about our nonsupport of each other, about our noncaring about each other, about not r""it-rnconnections between racism and sexism in our lives. As a child of iJ-rmisrant parents, as a woman of color in a white society and as u *o-un i,.,u patriarchical society, what is personal to me is political. These are the connections\^'e expected our white sistersto see. It should not be too difficult, we feel, for thern to seewhy being a femrnist activist is more dangerousfor women of coror.They should be able to see that political views held by wornen of coror are often misco'strued as being personal rather than ideological.views critical of the systemheld by a persor in an "out group" are often seenas expressions of personal angers against the dominant society. (If they hate it so much here, why don't they go back?)Many lesbiansI knou,have felt the same kind of frustration when they supported unpopular causes regardedby their critics as vindictive expressions to ,,get back,,at the patriarchical system. They too know the disappointments of havi.g, their intentions misinterpreted. In the 1960'swhen my farnily and I belonged to a neighborhood church, I becameactive in prontoting the Fair Housing Bill, and o'e oi my church friends said to me, "Why are you cloingthis to us? Haven't
*Canp Nolcs ttntl Ollrcr Rretnsbv N'litsu,ve Yar.nacla (San Francisco: ShanrelessHussr. P r ts s l 1 q 7 6 .

Haven't we you and your fanrily been happy u'ith us in our churcl.r? part of the church not really that I was I knert'then ireated you rvell?" told I being guest who was a only this person, but of at all in the eyes like one. to behave good manners the should have Remembering the blatant acts of selectiveracistn in the past three decadesin our country, our r.t'hitesistersshould be able to see hor,r' tenuous our positiortin this country is. Many of us are now third and but tl-rismakes no difference; periodic Ar-nericans, fourth ger.reration r,t'hite peoples can abruptly cl-range World conflicts involving Third in demonstrated clearly This was us. tor,r'ards American's attitudes great pursuit of the hot in rt'ho were Anrericans 1941to the Japanese American Drearn, rvho lr,ent around saying, "Of course I don't eat We found our statusas true-blooded food, I'r-r'r an r"rnerican." Japanese 1942when we were singled out to in illusion or-rly an r,r'as Americans the war by our o\\'n governmellt of for the duration imprisoned be because of the holding of Iranians the against recent outcrv The since has not char.rged rne that the situation tells hostages American againstthe Iranianshere rny studentssay"We'rer.rot When I l.rear 1941. who are rninding their olvu business. We're just against those our hospitality by denronstratingal.rd ungrateful ones rvho or,.erstep our government," I knol'r' they speak about me. badmouthir-rg \vomen will not speak out to say rt'hat we Asian Pacific Anrericar.r until rt'e feel securewithin ourselvesthat this is our have on our mir-rds home too; and until our rvhite sistersindicateby their actionsthat they want to joir-rus in our struggle becauseit is theirs also. This lneans a commitrnent to a truly conttnunal education rt'here lve learn fron.l we $,ant to learn from eachother, the kind of con.reachotl.rer because mitmer]t we do not seernto irave at the presenttirne. I arl.lstill hopeful that the \volnen of color itt our country rn'illbe the link to Third World women thoughout the rt,orld,and that we can help eachother broaden our visions.

6abrielle

Dantels

Millicent Fredericks
Gabrielle Do.niels
Millicent Fredericksis part of my anthology of forgotton Thirql World women celebratedin poetry, A WomanLeft Behind.Sheu'as Anais Nin's housemaid,and the quotesabout her and on black people in general are the original ones from Anais' Diary. Millicent has been on my mind sinceI first read the Diaries rt,hile g e t t i n gm y B . A . ( I a m g o i n g f o r m y M a s t e r sn o w ) . O n e d a y i t j u s t poured out. I haven't been able to find a publisi'rerfor her, because some people will not touch it. Too much for them to take, I guess. Too damn bad. All our saints have a few taints of sin. . . Millicent Frederickswas a black wornan from Antigua, who rnarried an American black man and had four children. He had a tradc as a tailor that he refusedto irlplement after a while. Miliicent rvas an alien, therefore she could not teach schoolas she had in Antisua. The only way out was housework. As far as I know she remained the sole support of her family. As noted in the Diaries of Anais Niu o n e s o n w a s s h o t u p i n a g a n gw a r . Here were two women, one black and one white, both educated a n d s i l e n c e d i n t h e i r o w n \ ^ / a y s ,y e t c o u l d n o t h e l p e a c h o t h e r becauseof race and classdifferences. Anais could not get beyond the fact of Millicent's blacknessand poverty and suffering. The stenchof the padronajust reeks about her. "I would like to write the life of Miilicent. But saints'livesare diff i c u l t t o d o . . . A N e g r o i s a c o n c e p t .. . M i l l i c e n t p e r h a p s . becomesa symbol of what they have to endure. . . the very first day she came to me sent by -y mother and she sat sewing, the thread rolled to the floor and I picked it up for her. . . This gesture established the quality of our relationship. . . I would like to devote my life to the recognition of the Negro'sequality, brrt I always feel ineffectualin political battles. . . one can only win b-v force or trickery. . . she has fine features, which a Gauguin would have enjoyedpainting. . . " - from the Diary of Anais Nin.

art Only for the sake of ri'se Millicent, do You tall from the ink in the PuPils You sought dark and wide taking You irr like the letters vou would have Performed rnemories' chalk dust lJ-r.f't"A indeiibly on slated A teacher' fingers gold on Your From A to B from Antigua to Harlem is no giant steP Brown sYruP from the cane stills of home stick like skin shanty girls udh"r", to the sharpenedribs of from responsibiiity husband ."""i"g careiesslike your shoulders catcheswhite heat rubbing and rt'indows o" tn" Nelv York trolley, the floors fingers rnaid's your from sucking the strength on s'uveetness tar same the your teats dribbling curse' same the io yorlt smacking children Beyond introductions the thread of your lives intersected' basket' .u., fro- the tangled nest in the sewing a-lie1s TWo equality' dared The spools . two mothers well met, living on little thanks' T h e p i n m o n e y f e e b l Ys P r e a do u t for Dad and his drink, Patchen a pair of shoesfor the youngest tle pr:s: English Pressure.Glimpses ln ine tilt of clipped from both sidesof the ocean: up Harlen-rclubs, black street gangscutting a son, the broken families and the literati dining on themselves words The riending to be done, the mending of mind the of the hunger t<nitin the growling guts Publish, Publish our crres' You the ministrant above the small r,r'hitefact which was but one seam
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pinchcd in emergency in the creeping taxi is your last consciousscene. No curtain c-alls in the proceeclinspaces in the wake of her saving ,love to Califo.,r,a you colttlnue to.runtmage through days_oldbread, t r i c k l e d o w n s h o p s .T h e k i l l i n g r o u t i n e she admired of you, and becatise of you escaped t o w r i t e , t o c a b l eH e n r v ever the iast sum. ,,Tl.re lvriter,,,she said, "must be serr.edar.rcl taken c;lre of,,, lessenirrg the time you could afford for breath to clean your own home for Sunday nteetin, Perhaps to clustoff your teacher,s diplorna with more care. N o i s l a n d e r ,d c s p i t c h e r pralse Gauguin coulcl not have tracecl the furrows in your face, the buried seecls w a i t i r r gi n v a i n for spotligirt to flolver a smile,Madonna,smile please. .. In your uniforr.n you were iike everyonc oi tire nr at war to survive ar-rd then like no other.I have lcarned from suchself-denial, martyrs and saints are nrade or forgotten.

, -Bttt I Know You, American Woman"

nrlit Moschkovich
I am Latina Jewish and an imrnigrant (all at once). When I tell people lt'ho I am, I usually see a puzzled look on their face. I arn Iikely to tell them, "l realize that you are a little confused by rne hou.'I can be both Jewish and Latin American at the sarnetirne but just take my word for it. It is possiblel" The following letter was originallytlvritten in responseto a letter with nationaldistribution. which appearedin a women's ne\ rspaper This letter reflected the blatant ignorance n-rostAnglo-Arrerican women have of Latir-rcultures. My response is directed to all women of the dominant American culture.* The Anglo n'ornan's vielvs and ieelings that I letter representsspoken and r.rnspoken have repeatedlv encounteredin n.ranyAnglo-American worrlen. My irnmediate reaction to reading the letter rt as: don't speak abclut unless )'ou can admit .vour ignorance on tl.re someone/son-rethir-rg women". I subject.Or, "you don't know rne, but I know you, An-rerican believe that lack of knon'ledgeabout other cultures is one of the base-s for cultural oppression.I do not hold any individual Ar-nerican wornan responsiblefor the roots of this igr.rorar.rce about other cultures; it is encouragedand supported by the American educationaland political system,and by the Americar.r media. I do hold every woman responsibie for the transformtttion of this ignorance. In her letter, the Ar-rqlo rt'oman seemsto ask for inforrnation about Latin culture.** She wants to knor,r, nhat lve want as [,atin people, what rve are strugglinsfor, etc. First of all, it is harclfor me to respond to even a sirnple request for more information about Latin cultures without experiencingstrongand conflicting feelings.We'veall hearclit before: it rsnot the dutyof the oppressed to educttte the oppressor. And yet, I often do feel pressr.rred to become an instructor, not t'trerely a "resourceperson".I don't usually hear "Hey, what do you think of the w o r k o f s u c h a n d s u c h L a t i n A m e r i c a n f e m i n i s t a u t h o r " ,b u t r a t h c - r ,
*When I s a y A m r l i c a n c u l t u r c ' l o b , , ' l , r r r s lc v l r rn o t i n c l u d c A f r o A n r c r i c i : n N a t r v c A m e r i c a n A s i a n A n r c r i c a n C h i c a n a ,e t c . I a n ) s p e a k i n go i t h c ; 1 i l L : kc rultur.'ulriclr d o m i n a t e sA n t e r i c a n s o c i e t v. * *!Vhcn 'Latin nr - r l t u r . ' s n ' h i c h l r a r ' . ' i th i s t r r r ro f l s:r1 c u l t u r r . I n r c a n l , a t i r rA n r c - r i c : r e o p p r e s s i o nd i f f e r e n t f r o r n t h e E u f t r p e a n L a t i n c u l t u r e s 1 L ' r e n c hl t a l i a n c t c . l

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t, luili[ lfut.schlr.trr,,

81 Judtt M'tscltktt'rch

"Teach me everything you know". Latin American women rvritc books, lnusic etc. A great deal of informatior-t about Latin Arnerican is readily available in most libraries and bookstores. I say: read and lisleri.We may, then, have sornethingto share. Second,it is very hard to respond to a requestfor information n'he1 it follows paragraph after paragraph that belittles and insults Latin culture. Anyone that was raised and educated in this country Iras a very good chanceof being ignorant about other cultures,whether thc,,' be minority cultures in tl'riscountry or those of other countries. It's a sort of cultural isolationism, a way of life enforced on the people rn this country so as to let thern have a free consciencewith respectto how they deal with the rest of the world or r,r'ith subcr.rltures irr America. Notice the lack of emphasison learningother languages, ar.rd the lack of knowledge even about w.hereother countries are locatecl. Often, I am asked questionslike, "Is Argentina in Europe or Africa?"or "Don't yor.rspeak Portuguesedown there?" Hov" can one feel guilt about screwing over someone/some country she knows nothin.g about? Think of it in terms of rnen'sand women's cultures: \,vomenlive in male systetns,know male rules, speak male languager.r,hen around rrten,etc. But what do men really know about wonren? Only scrervecl up myths concoctedto perpetuatethe power imbalance.It is the sante situation when it conresto donrinant and non-dorninant or colonizing and colonized cultures/countriesipeople.As a bilingual/bicultural woman whose native culture is not American, I live in an American system, abide by American rules of conduct, speak English u'hen a r o u n d E n g l i s hs p e a k e r se , t c . ,o n l y t o b e c o n f r o n t e dl r , i t h u t t e r i g n o r ance or concoctedmyths and stereotypesabout my o\vn culture. My Latin culture meansmany thir-rgs to rne: the food I like to eat, tl're music I love, the books I read, the languageI speak,the land and trees I remember in anotl-rercountry, the jokes I tell, how I am used to kissingand hugging peopler,r'hen I greet them, etc., etc., etc . . . I coulcl go on forever. It also means the things I'd like to change in Latin culture and I'n'rnot speakingof changingmen, but of changings)sle/i7s of oppression.As a result of these changesI do not foreseea cultr.rrelessvacuurn because"all cultures are baclso I don't want any of thenr.' T h a t c u l t u r e- l e s sv a c u u m p r o p o s e dw o u l d a c t u a l l l ' b e t h e A m e r i c a n culture of French Fries ar-rdHarnburgers {or soyburgers),American m u s i c o n t h e r a d i o ( e v e ni f i t ' sA m e r i c a n w o n t c n ' sn r u s i co n a i e m i n i s t radio show), not kissing and hugging every time you greet someone, etc. And it would ultinrately still be tl.re of exploitation of other cr.rlture countries/culturescombined with isnorance about then-r.

some of the un-informed stateI want to illustrate more specifically *o'tu'l'' letter'-The fascist government of m"nts macle in the Angio as Latin people'ssole nation of s"li,-, *,ni.h she refersio (and suggests support ,uu, n',ud" possible by ample econornic and poiiticai ;:;i;;t"l world the in governments othei fascist from the U.S., as are multiple not are people When particularly in the Third World' ;;;; differ real is a ""* there by their government' democraticallyrepresented of that governtnent and the country's policies tn" U"r*'""rt ln." of the spanish .ponle/culture. lf one knows about the bitter struggle

th"sqlT.:!-91::1.,Y.",r^".?,:,0,1X'"* during rascism ilI'ni; ugai,'st I do not one wottld never equateSpanishwith fascist'
regltne, Franco's u'ith imperialist/racist'but I do equate American "Arriericar-r" ;;;;i" ignorance about "non-dominant" p"opf" wl:ro do nol transfornl their to thesecuitures' with imperialism and culturesal'rdtheir retatiorrship racistn. are accidentthat both North and SottthAnrerica As to the "historical" t h e a p p roc a l l d o n ' t I c u l t u r e ' n o t d o m i n a t e db y L a t i n ( i e r - r o n - A n g l o ) i''rperialist/expansionist atr but lan.l a' accideni, oriation t;;;;";;,;" oi Mexiia' of Native, u,.,t."a states. Latin America is a mixture

BlackSpanishandSometimesotl-rerEurol-leancultures,butitdorrti. culture as Latin American economic systems natedbyArnerican rrtass to most Latin Amer' are dominated by American interests(thisapplies to our own culaddition in Arnerica' Latin ican countries, riot all) In we watch Arnerican T V' shows' listen to American tural expressions, jeans {ii we can aiford them}; in music ou the radio, rt'ear American profitable to Ameri other rvords, we do anything that is economically in Spanish on the sougs hear you do ofien ho* .u. ln .o,'trparisot-t, T'V ? l'm not talking about oho* ot-t radio in the U.S. or seea Spar-rish I'nr talking about radio or T.V. shorvsby and for the Latin community; ricatt media' mainstreatttAnrc did it-r fact No one u,ill del-ry that the Spanish conquistadores. are still latter ilative p"opt" of Latin America' and that the conquer tl.re the that to know bein! opprerr"d th".". It is important' hou'ever' t19"". sorne not Latiri ArrTericanpeopie residing in tl're U'S' are "spanish"conquerorrace,butareamulti'racial/culturalpeopleot Latin American culture is Europeatr backgror'rnd' Native, Black ar-rd has retained quite ciifferent fronl An.qloc''rlturein that each country etc' literature' and integrated the il-rdiglnouscultures in food' rnusic' folk Indian For e"an"rple the folk niusic oi Argentina is Iargely Native speaking music, played on traditior-rala''td European instrutnet-rts' indigenotts and/or using lyrics in Spanish abor.tttraditional ther-nes, nrusic languages I I. r t h e U . S .1 " u d o " ' i o f i t ' n t h i n k o f N a t i v cA n t t ' r i c a n as "An-rerican folk music."

g2

Judit t\I().\..hh(),.tth

8:l ludit Moschkot'i6h

I'm sick and tired of continually hearing-about the destrucliy. aspectsof Latin American culture, especially.frontwomen u,ho d'n,t k r - r o wt h e c u l t u r e a n d c a n o n l y r e p e a t w e l l - k n o w n a n d w o r l - o u 1 n-ryths. Let Latina women tell you what's going.on, the good and the bad. I've lived there and I dan-rnwell know what it's like. Listen to what I have to say about rny culture, rather than believe.hearsav myths or racist stereotvpes. No one ever talks about "terminaliv depressedScandinavians," or the cut-throat competition instilled bv Anrerica. culture, or the lack of warrnth and physical coutactin Angk-r culture. These are all destructive aspectsof Anglo culture, and tli"y c a n n o th e i g n o r e d . The r.rnspoken question always seemsto be: "Aren't Latin ior Blacr etc.) rnerr more ntacho and n'omen ll1ore oppressedin that culture?"N{y answers to that are: 1) It is absurd to compare sexist oppression. Oppressionis oppressionin whatever fornt or intensitl.. 2j Sexistand heterosexist oppressionis more or Iessvisible dependingon holr.cornrnunicativepeople in a culture are. That Anglo culture is more Puritan and less visibly expressivedoes not mean it is less sexist. 31\lost of Latin Arnerica is a land e-conomically colonized by the Ll.S. and as such can't be compared r'r'itha colonizing culture (the U.S.). \\rcrrtrcn's condition in Latin America lvould be rnucir better were thev not living in colonizedcountries. 4) Most irtrportantly, are we as fentinistsconcerned lr,ith rnen or with women? There is always a wolnelt's cnlture u'ithin ev'ery culture. Whf is everyone so rvilling to accept tl'rcverl' rnalc vieu' of Latin American culture as consistir.rg simpll' of rracho rnalesar"rd Catholic priests? There are scoresof strongwomen living in Latin Anrerica today ancl our history is full of fan'rousand lessc'r knor,n'n strong wornen. Are they to be ignored as \vofilen have alu'ays been ignored? is not really sornethingI have a choicein keepingor discartlCr-rlture i n g . I t i s i n m e a n d o f m e . W i t h o u t i t I w o u l d b e a n e r n p t ys h e l la n r ls o ottt lvould anyone else. There rt,asa psychoiogy experiment carriec'l ouce in lr,hich sonreoneu,as hypnotized and first told thev had rtcl futurc; the subject becatnehuppy and careless as a child. \\Iht.trthe)' rvere told they had no past they becarnecatatonic Anglo people shcluldrealizewhe n 1'or-r say \\'e should discarrlall ctritures anclstart aneu, that 1'ouare speakingEnglish r.r'ill all its erlrrtitrllal ar.rdconceptual advantagesancl disadvatrtug"r.* Youre not rc'rrll)'
' L c t I n e i l i u s t r a t es o n r et l i f f e r c n c e si n laltgua{c.E:tg,lish t-xptrsitorv r l r i t i r . r gg , , l : i t r . . l s t r a i q h tl i n t i s o u n d f a n r t l i a r ? ) front introchrctor,v p a r a g r a p l t ,t o t l . r e s i s e t ) t c ' n - t 't ( ) ! f " c l u s i r t r . S l r a t i i s hc o r n l ) ( ) s i t i o n folkrr,r'a s i , , r r r rm i r i c l i k e : i z i u - z a g s o n r e t i r r r c t .l sc r i r r t i t t S f r r r n s t r a i g h t l i n r a r t h i n k r n u .I a n t i i g h t i n r . a q a i n s t h i s r r h e n I u r i t t -i n F , n . t l i ss i t, ' I c i t t ' b e u t t d e r s t o o c[l: r vE n c l i s l t r e a r i c r s .

in food, your basic style of relating to to change your taste ^nout 4 w"",- -^r the wav vou talk. o"f:jil;;; -u"," j"opl" say "lmnrigrants to this cor.rntryshould learr.t and stop tr:ying to keep their or,r'nculture' r., n-"ii.u", ",lJ,iJ I would do if I rvent to another country!" I say Bullshit! Sllr'i*n", I lra' person is something inrmigrant,or a bicultr.rrai/bilinguai * would ilJ, ,ro experienced. be understoodonly when iliiri .u" sometimes to another country and not hold dear her Arn"ri.un Y9,T,^" move placesantl people?Would she not remember "n il"mo.i", of childhood to in her llo access specialsong or food that she l-ras *itt, tonglngsome no linrited' cot.ntnunication her feel And $'ould she t-rot VL-rv some because ""*.o""n,ry? iarlguage, her secol'rd nrur,", how well slte learr.red onlv be expressedin one'snative tongue? can things i."p, "_.,ional in her trewlv adopted languagc? 6r l'.rfa she speak to her parents the American wott)itn wonld say I cat experience iro- -y persoi-ral lvho you are,_rt'here hard to der.ry It is l.ery a"p".i"^." all thesethings. (in the deepcst yourself express feel a.d holv 1ro' from, anc'l ,ro'u "o-" sense) vourself hating up u'ithout ending possible whet] In conclusion I hope this letter expressesmy frustration. or fertlinist tle\\' a developring oi Anglo-American rvomen speak A'gloan witl-rirl thinking a'ci rvorking *oio".r,, culture, they are stili as Americancuitural frame$,ork. This ne$,culture would still be iust often l have cttltttre American patriarchal racistand ethnocentricas confrontedthe attitude that anything that is "diifere|rt"is urale.Thereholding on to hatefnl patri fore if I hold on to rnv Latin culture I an-r archalcontructs. Illeanrvhile, the Anglo $'ornan lvho deals rvitl'rthe world in her Anglo u,a_v, rviti-rirer Anglo culture, is being "perfectly feminist." I wouid iike us sorneda-vto get past the point of l'ravingto explairt anddefend our dif ierent crrltr.rres {asI am cloingin this letterl. For_tlrat to happen the process of learni'rg about otl'rer crtltttres lllust be a sharin[ experienc.'.An experienceu'here Arnericalr \von]en learti otr their own without ',vantiilg to be spoorl ied bv Latinas' but clon't It becOme or one stereotype. expertsafter one book, one conversatiot.t, ancl is a delicaie balarrceu,hich can ottlv be archievedr'vith caring respectfor each other.
'As a Latina and a. i.t.tigra.t I ca:t'rcrt ig.ort- t6c fact tSat Itlatlt'Hispillltcs lravt' , been in this ill tltt cDuntr\ i,rr nloie gt'llcratiolls tllilll Allglos The I{ispanic cr'tltttrcs West and Southwcsi *cre est:rblishcd lo'g lrefort- thcir Iancl *'as colollizt-r] [r1'Atlgkrs j; the Hispanic l r e r i l ; r ' 1 .;', s i t t t r ' . \ l t : 1 ,' , t r " l O"orl. I,n,,, it\ lrt.. l) r i,:ht i,, tlr, ir iirllur.rl tnoreso. sincether' \\(r( l)(r, Iir\t'

Jutltt i\Ioschh,r,f,i

Everything I have written about ^ere has been from my perso^a1 experience a s a n i m m i g r a n tt o . t h i sc o u . t r y a s a t e e r ) a g e r . r,r'rrr.rrn means an expert, but theseare issuesI constantiy aeat i,itfr in nrrlscli a n d w i t h o t h e r s .I d o n o t s p e a kf o r a l l L a t i n a s , 6. f"r rfi,r",r_O"_," Americar women. I would like to acknowledg" i;" ;,;;";;":ru feedback I received from my frierds throughoul tir" *,.itiig or'ih. original letter' They were all Angro-American wornen iat the tir.c there were r.roLatinas around me1; and they cared enougl.rto get beyond their guilt and/or ignorance.

The Pathology of Racisrn: A Conversationwith Third World Wimmin

doris dawnPort
A f e w y e a r sa g o i n N e w H a v e n , I t r i e d t o r e l a t et o f e n ' r i n i s m t h r o u g h I was politely ina local womon,s center (locatedin a Yale baseDrent). with Biack wirnmin. In other words, formed that I should "organize" projects that would include rnore several to start I wanted get out. about ihird world r,r,irnmin,btrt I rtas told to talk to black rt'imn-rin I w as int h a t . I n s h o r t , r v h i t e o n h ' . T h e n , t h e s o c i a l i s ts t u d y g r o u p join. And closedjust at the time I $'arrtedto strddenl-v terestedin l,r,as t t rvas u p ' l f men came o n c e ,i n a w i n l n l i n ' s g r o u p r t ' h e n a d i s c u s s i o ro which rnen' revealed that half the r,vhitelr'imnlin there feared black way they glared at rne) ln other words: nigger' included rne (from tl.re go home. Last year in Los Angeles,after volunteeringto work for a local white repeatedly offering my sen'ices and having my feminist t.t-ragazine, finaliy called to be one of the few ideas and poems rejected, I ',n'as And the beat, token black u,immin at a reception for Ntozake Sl.rar]ge. lllovefernir-rist tl-re goes ot). From coast to coast, like the soltg Sa_VS, increasirlgl-v lt is now. ment is racist, but that r]ews is old and staleb,v apparent that the problern is lvhite u'immit.t litWe, third $,orld winlrnin, alu'ays discussthis fact (Frankly' I'm a yet similar varied' the tie tirecl of it). Hort'ever' \{e usually discuss $rhils wimmin are without going into urhy' manifestationsof racisr.r.r, racist. I conceive of as a conversation with third In this article, r,r,hicl.r \\'hys. I don't seethe point o[ furworlcl rvirnmin, I lvant to explore tl-re white racist fetr.rillagail'rst grievances ther cataloguingn],v personal I have too Extrapc'rexperietlced, have ists.You kno$,. whatever you $'ith this issr're dealing in lirnitations late a little. I think that one of our of the disease s,vrnptoms challenge we is that r,r,e stay on the surface. the cattses. examitre to intend I while neglectingthe causes. If I ,,n,ere a white feminist and somebodycaileclnle a racist' I'd proba b l v f e e l i n s u l t e d( e s p e c i a l l i ,f v I k n e w i t w a s a t l e a s tp a r t i a l l yt r u e ) .I t ' s Naturally I and incurable clisease. a slimey like saving ,o-"or]" has creclepartmentlliberal )reaith r-n,v out rakc and wouid be reactionar,v "racisnl" is totr word the is, fact But the dentials, to prove I lvas clean. not say and lvord the use can You easy. too and simplistic, too ger-reral, thaf rnuch, .ttti"r, the term is explained or clarified Once that hap-

a7
86 a/o)-1( r/rti {,ll, ,, ,

dtl|t'll|.r clofi.s

perls,racisn.r looks nlore like a psychologicalproblem lor pathological abberration) t h a n a n i s s u eo f s k i n c o l o r . tsy way of brief clarification, \vc experience white ferninists alcl tl'reir organizationa s s e l i t i s t ,c r u d e l y i n s e n s i t i v ea , nd condescendirrrs. Most of the fen'rinist groulls in this cout'rtry are exantples of this va m c t o b e a s a r e s u l to f t h a t . )I t i s a l s oa p p . r r e l i t i s u t .i T h i s a n t h o l o ! ! ,c that n'hite ent fenrinists still lterceive us as the "Other," based on a n'renial or sexualirnage:as ntore sensual,br"rt lesscerebral;more intcrc s t i n g ,p c r h a p s , b u t l e s s i n t e l l e c t u a l ;a n d m o r e o p p r e s s e d , but less p o l i t i c a l t h a n t h e y a r c . { I f y o u n e e d s p e c i f i ce x a n t p l e s of this, think about your orvl experiencesr'r'ithtl.rer.n.l tnlr' When we atter.rd a rnee tins or gatheringof tlieirs, \ve are seenir-r r.rne of tu,o lirnited or opprcssivc \ravs: as being rn"'hite-rvasl-red anrl t h e r c { o r es h a r i n ga l l t h e i r v a l u e s ,p l i o r i t i e s ,a n d g o a l s ,e t c . ; o r , i i u c i e l e r r t a l)l l r n c n t i u rs t o r n e t l r i np ga r t i c u l a r to thcexpt'rirr)r'(",r l c v e ua c e blar:k ',virnmin, r,l.e are seenas threatening,hostile, and subvcrsi,,,e to tlrcirinlercstsS . o lthen Isay racist t]rcsc a r e s o n r eo f t h c t l r i r r . gI' mean.I know this, and so do nranvu'hite ferninistsB . ecause of thril o n e - d i m e n s i o n aa l n d b i g o t e di d e a s ,u , e a r e n o t r e s p e c t e d asfenrinists or u,immin. Tl.reirperverse perceptionsof black rvimmin nrean that t h e , vc o n t i n u e t o s e e u s a s " i n f e r i o r "t o t h e r n , a n d t h e r e f o r e ,t l e a t u s accorclingl_v. Instead of alleviating the problems of black u.imnrin they add to theur. Although black and rvhite fenrinists can sorletirnes lvork togeiher for a cornmon goal with warr.ntl"r and support, and even love anrl r e s p e c tc a c h o t h e r o c c a s i o n a l l y , underneaththere is still anothrrrressasc.Tl-rat is that lvhite ferninists,Iike u'hite boys and black bovs are threateneci have a seriousprolrby us. Moreover, rvhite fen.rinists lenr r,r'ithtrutl.r ar.rd"accountability"about horv/rvl-rythey perccir-t black rvirnnrin as they clo. Fol cxan.rple, in a long, ar.rd long-winded article, "Disloy'al ti, Civilization, Ferninism, Racisn'r,and Gvnepl-robia"* Adrienr.reRich attenrptecl to acldress an issuesir.nilar to this one. Insteadshe did u'hart d sheaccused other fen.rir.ris o tf s d o i n g , s h e " i n t e l l e c t u a l i z et he issuc. S h e e v a d e di t , a f t e r a p o l o g e t i c a l l y ( o r p r o u d l v , i t ' sh a r d t o t e l l l s a f i n g t h a t " t h c r l o s t t i n c o n d i t i o n a lt , e n d e r . . . i n t e l l i g e n tl o v e I r e c e i v e d u'as g i v e nn t e b y a b l a c k w o n r a n . "{ T f a n s l a t e ds it s , l r eh a t l a b } a c kr ) r a r ) ) r n ) ' a c h i l d . )T h c n , s h e h i d b e h i n d a c l u a s i - l ' r i s t o r i ca ap l p r o a c ht h a t d e f u s c - t l t h e s u b i c c t .A i t e r a b o u t f i f t e c n p a g e s ,s h e g o t c i o s e ,b u t a p p a r e n t l y a l s og o t s c a r e d , a n d b a c k e do f f . I t s e e r . ns sh e f o u n d i t i r a r d ,a f t e r a l l , t r r tcll thc truth ar-rd be "accountable."
.Acirictrrr-' Rich Ol l i . ' . r . S e r ' t . r ,a / .l s rlStl.,li',' i\t'rr' \'ork: Nortrrrr i9791 p. !)

a brief but necessarydigression'black On the other hand, and as winlnrin. tell the lvhole trut}r about and to r,n'}rite wimlnin don,tal,.t,a,vs areas of distir-rct three least at have we We knort', fo, e*atnple. that affect how we perceive and'deal r'n'hich aversiotl to rvl.rite*"'tntin withthenr:aesthetic'...it.,,ul,arrdsocial/political.A esth e ttheir ically(& is' find rvhite r'r'irnrninrepulsive That we frequer)tl,v iiyri.rffyf stringy Their hair' to sorne.people)' skin colors are u.aestheiic iugty like n-rissl-rapen rather bodies: tneir and straight, is unattractive] to rnold irrforgot somebody dough lumps of rvhitish tt'u ot .that they have a strangebody odor' .".,iirt-ur"us. Furthermore' and bigoted' They cau't,dance' u' Culturallv' \\Ie see tl-t"t.'-t liririted too and un-pleasant' Plus' llndanceable Their I.nusict, lt'itl.t ",,"'-"iu1lv or rt'hite american cr'rltttre r11 they are totallv ,utt"ui"a'l'-' weste l i t t l e k r l o r v l e d g e o r , " ' p " . t f o r t i r e c t r l t r r r e s o f t h i r d of worldpeople. food wliite {olks thev lrrtlnd to exploit it') The bland (That is r'rtrless keyed to even be a What thel' call puityi"g is too lort' is legerrdarr-. utl iight atouttd the casketof a dead wake. iA wake is *'n"" 1'ott'li ttp ()ll person.A \ n d i t q o e s 6 n 6 lo t r ' Politically and tasteless' Socially,t"t-,it" p"oil" '""r" 'utn"tiuveniie too' it has Then naive ancl rnvopic they are, especialll'tire ferninists' rvill tranwhites tirat to believe ,'t*"r:; 0"";t hard'ior us iblack foikl scerrdcolorto','urepoliticalailiancesrvitlrtrs,foranyreason.{Tlre illustrates this point ) womell's t.tlovet.tlent becausewe saw through the We have these aversionsfor one thing' that white wirnmitl were "myth" o{ the rt'hite \{omon' The rnyth lt'as most powerful {controlthe rnost en'ied, ,r.ia J"rir"a iand beautiful), The truth is that black people iirrg u'hite bo,vsl'.r'rrnJin in existence' enviable' ugliest' most dessaw n,hite rvitntnit-tas some of the least our "closeencounters Ieastrespectedpeople' period',From pised ar-rd etc')rvith thern' white peopleincreas"dourestic" *'otf ii.e.,siavery, ""' people' In short' I gren'ttp i"gff aia seern like beastsor subnorural folk, especiallywinrr,r,ith a certain f.i",f oit"o*ledge that alltlack min, had accessto ^?* This knorn'ledge led to a r-nixture of .contempt ::fYl:l::^"t

minisl' h,u":.',1T.:. n" tt,i i"i. iri", "l"" ulack {e ::.:* :^ :"-:t:l:: whiten'T^l]Tll]: from "?', (atIeast t""p in"'' hidden ?"i,T"J'.:il;;,tt

t::* il * i'i l.,Y"'d' .lr;J"'#."'J;{";;, ?,::lT.:.? i:"i,: :: b"ilc--Y|"::.:,'].1^Y:'T'"'::

".,i"I#";;;il;-.alledprivires":f ind rronicatlt - t opp'i""a' Fr ;;;"T;:i;;";';;
:il: "l"::'?t' to white t(lr us to relate perception has sonletimes beeu enough assisters. ieminists r --:-:^,. that some white feminists If sotneof tts catr do this, it rt'ould seem being priviieged' power, they cling to their nryth of could too. Insteacl

89
gg d,rri.s.1or.,ri,,,,,

iorisdavenPt'rt

ful, and less oppressed {or equaily oppressed, lr,'hichever it 1, fashionableor convenientto be at the time) than black wirnn-rin. \\'Iyr Because that is all they have. That is, they have defined, or re-definccl themselvesand they don't intend to let anything or anybody intericrc Somewhere deep down (denied and almost killed) in the psyche ,11 racist white feminists there is some perception of their real positiop: powerless,spineless,and invisible. Rather than examine it, they ru1 from it. Rather than seek solidarity with wintmin of color, the,vpr.rll rank within themselves.Rather than attempt to ur.rderstand our cultural and spirituai differences, they insist on their own lin-ritedanci narrow views. In other words, they act out as both "white suprentacists"and as a reactionary oppressedgroup. As white supremacists, they still try to maintain the belief that rvhitc. is right, and "godly" (sic).No matter how desperatelythey trv to over, come it, soorler or later it comes out. They really harre a l.rardtinrc admitting that white skin does not insure a monopoly on the best in life, period. Sucha "superioritycomplex"is obvior.rsly a result of compensation. I mean, if whites really knew themselvesto be superior, racisrncoukl not exist. They couldn't be threatened, concerned,or bothered. I ant saying that the "white supremacist" syndrome, especially in u'hit. feminists, is the result of a real irrferiority complex, or lack of seliidentity. Just as a nracho male useswimmin to define himself or to bc sure he exists, white feminists use wimmin of color to prove their (dubiousl existencein the world. Anyone familiar with the literature and psychologyof an oppresserl or colonizedgroup krrows that as they initially attempt to redefinc thernselves, they react. Their immediate rnental, spiritual, and ph1'sical environment is chaotic and confused.The fact is, white wir.nrnirr "colonized" are oppressed; they have beer-r by white boys, just as thircl world people have. Even when white wimrnin "belonged"to u'l.rite boys they had no reality. They belongedas objects,and were treatecl as such. (As someone else has noted, the original model for colonization was the treatment of white wimmin. ) Nobody has vet sufficientlv researched or documented the collective psychology of oppressecl white wimmin. So consider this as a thesis:they know. And so do L The reality of their situation is the real pits. Lately, havir-rg r,r'orked f ree of the nominal and/or personal control of r,t'hite boys, rvhite winlnlil) are desperately reactionary. As a result, they identify lvith ancl el"Icourage certain short-sightedgoals and beliefs. Their infatuation with the word "power" in the abstract is an exanrpleof this: porvel to them mainly nleans external establishedpower or control. They have minimai, if any, knowledge of personalpower. But most importantly,

oi politi group' they exhibit a strangekind asa reactionary.oppressed or valid safe only the are wh"i" *'ttit" wimmin cal bonding or.elltlsm' mind of state this Clearly' are threatening peopleto be wltn;-atrothers great their frorn it sten-r u'-tdth" reasonsfor is a political dead end, confusion' racism to the conversation'The causeof So this is rny contrtbution This' I (and suppression)' bizarre oppression in white f eministsis their condition pathological This the surface' contend, is what fi"' U"'-'*tn to deal with' and what we should start and ua'''-'it haveto is what they freedom economic their often we discuss consider and act ol1' Too dwell at length on of Iife' We son-retimes u'p"tt' other while ignoring in a rnisogynist 'f-t"y are still their color, fotg"ttitg ittui ,wimmin result' a as They hlve been seriously mutated ;;];t". nutto*"tinded rigidity are'defer-rse In other words, their elitism ut-'d "alternatives'for prt, is why they create mechanisms and tha;, signs saying white women only' thetnselvesand put ttf p'ytnoiogical and 6f living with do-gs part of the reasoni, fJa. u, u ."r1tt of cer-,turies different anyone by threatened are having no identitres Nt;' they a mannerlsms' or clothing' lt's partly politics' race, in them from eitl"rer does not excuseit' Feminisrn means of self-protection but that even more sojust another it itself to alLr't'immin' or becomes addresses its own q":p*: pr.ttient r,vhiteorganization'defeating to begin to end some and above' the "iiilrt of ;;; partial solution tJsome have about us' we (black ig'rorancethat r'vhitefeminists of the colossal 'c'r'" conversationsabout and could engagein and rvhite fer-ninists) of humor' s-e-nse of honesty' and awith each other. If dotte with u I"i'" \ rere If overcoming our differences *. -igf-r, acconlplisll sornething' we is' usually bick-burner issuethat it made a priority, i"ti;;;i1;e oi our problems might resolve son'Ie witir white f eministsprevent me On the other hand, -y "xpetiences *" a naive beginning from seeingdiaiogueu' u"ytttirtg but l]t:l""1tt alnlost as feminist nlovetnent our trying to "break into" the white of integrationand assin-riiaphilosophy equivalent to th" oli, ""ia"t"i Jpptoutil We know we have no desire tion. It is time *'" ,t'op"plJini' conwe know we have stlme valid to be white. On the ott-'etnarta' of ew a'f in fact' By lrou'' , tr-'ui*niie ferninistsoverlook cernsand gouf "established" other stagnantas iny their organizationsare as rigid and the by'laws' ln inclr'rded institution' rt'itl.rracism on the'l' except in rare arrdindi up give u'*'ell So,sisters,,,u",-r',iittt group rs deliberately a.d obviously vidual casesrvhere the person or That is un-racist' We should rnore evolvea nt"."nri'u"J tfiti'["[1'' theservimnrin evolve' Meanstop wasting our time o"d en"'gy' until towarcl oursel.,,es. whi}e, \\,e can re-clranrrelou, energies

I I

w e c a n s t a r t t o d e v e l o pa f e m i n i s t m o v e ' r e . t b a s e do n t h e r e a l i t i r : s and priorities of third *,orld wimmin. Racism w.ould have to ba ;1 prioritl'. Misogyny is another major problern of third world n.inrnrin. N o t o n l l ' t h a t , m a n y o f o u r c o m m u n i t i e sa r e m o r e h o n t o p h o b i c 1,,r "lesbophobic" t) h a n w h i t e r ' e s . A l s o , a l o t o f o u r s i s t e r sa r e s t r a l r h t a n d h a v e n o i ' t e n t i o n o f c h a r u i n g . w e c a n n o ta f f o r d t o i g n o r c thcrr and their necds, nor the neecls of 'ra'r.thircl r.torld *,inrnii,r r^,.1r,, or,. b o t h f e r n i . i s t s a ' d n a t i o . a l i s t s ;t h a t i s , c . r c e r n e d n i t h o u r se\. a.(1 a l s oo u r r a c e .F i . a l l y , a l o t o f t h i r d w o r r d * , i ' r m i n a r e i g n o r a r t zib.111 eachotlier. we l.rave yet to'akc our own realitieskr-,o*,,] to ourser.'e s o r a n y o n e e l s e .S o w e r e a l l y d o h a ' e a l o t m o r e t o c o n c e n t r a t e .' beside the pathology of v'hite rt,irr.rr.r'rir.r. what we need to do is cltar w i t h u s , f i r s t , t h e n m a y b e \ { e c a n d e v e i o pa w i r r r ' r i r . r 'm s ove'ert trrat is rnorc i.te.ratio.ral i. sc.pe a.ci u.i'e rsali'applicatio'. I t i s t i m e w e s t o p p e dl e t t i n gt h e r e s to f t h i s o p p r e s s i v e societlt ' ricta tt o u r b e h a v i o r ,d e v o u r o u r e r r e r g i e s , n d c o . t r f i l u s , b o d y a r d s o u l .I t i s a time we dealt with our own e'ergies, a'cr clur orvn revorutio.ar' potential, like the constructive and porverfur forces that the,v zrrc. when l'e rfuact on our po\\rerand potential, the-re l'ill be a r.eal fe'irri s t m o v e n r e n ti n t h i s c o u n t r v ,o n e t h a t u , i l l f i n a l l v i r c l u d e a l l r,r,ir.lnri..

We'reAll in the Same Boat

RosarioMorales
November 1979 ttotrniddleclass' I L7tt7 I am not t,''hite. and puertorica'. I was born i^to the working skir]'ed white i am I object to the label white & classand rnarrieclinto the middle class. they don't include my u,orking classlife and aiaar" classboth because standsfor "rvhite& middie class" -f f.r".aorl.anness,but also because l_get politics. or people i.-a of politics. Color and c/assdon't deftne deal it *'ho of out " lngry *,ith those in the women's rnot,ententand people wiih'.lar, & color as if thel' defined politics and MyexperietlceintlrePuertoRiceirrcommunist&irrdependence me suspiciousof and angry at Puerto Rican (& -o,r"In"r]t, has n'rade s.'xistand supother Latin American) actit,istlvomell. They have been imperialism against first to fight ported the rnaclro line that we needed want I desperateiy \polnetl. onty late, couldwe think about women QS of entry fear tl're I rt'hile Laiina \\romen in tlie feminist movenlent antiplal' atl will they fear I hispanic & often black u'onlen becartse feminist role. Everyone is capableof being racistwhatever icleology. Racisrnis ar-r their color and co'diii,c'. Oniy some of us are liable to racist attack. - is Understanding the racist ideology rvhere and holv it penetrates romen not "incltlding"\ what is importnt for the feminist r.novement, i s a f a c tf o r u s a l l , w h i t e " i n c l u d i n g " G u l 1 l r n e n . o f c o l o ro r i a l k i . g a b o u t o p p r essorand opprcssivc t l ) c u ' i t h & colorcd: arr itlcntifit'atiorl u n d e r s t a n d ,a n d f e e l w i t h t h e i d e n t i i r ' , ideology.Let trs, instead, and guilt' racism of morass the of oppressedas a \\'ai- out to bc puertorican, and self n-ry clainr to I rvant ir,r,ant to be lr,hole. intellech o u s e w i f ea r - r d c l a s s , n i c l d l e & c l a s s U . S .a m e r i c a n ,l v o r k i n g my racc l a i m t o w a n t I a n t i i r n p e r i a l i s t . a n d tual, feminist,r'r'rarxist, r"r"ith it' so I can struggle I can so myself at ' clirected isDr,especialh'that revolutionarv' atltl creative wonlall, a to Lrcur" ,'t't1; ellergv April 1980 h h i s s o c i e t l ,t 6 i s i n c r e d i b l e* ' a 1 ' o f l i ' i n g d i v i d e s u s b y c l a s s- b y color It sa_vs \{e are ir-rdividualat'Iclalone and don't yor-rforgct oLlr classour it It says tlte o'l1,rvay or.rtof our cloon.r of ottr sL.x and thenall w o r k h a r d a r r d l i f t a n c ic h a r a c t e r r a c ei s s o i l e i n d i v i r i , . , ae

93
92 Rrtsttr_io,\/r1y.r7".

Xcsario

'[{or'lle-s

we get all we ever get is to changeclassor color or sex to rise to bleach to masculinize an enormous game of musical chairs a^d that'sonly at its fairy tale Horatio Alger best that'sonly at its best From all directions we get all the beliefs to go with thesedivisions we believe all kinds of things about: what real men really are rvhat women must want what biack people feel and smell like u'6at white people do and deserve how rich people earn their conrforts and cadillacs how poor people get what's con.ring to them O we are all racist we are all sexist some of us only Sor.rte of us are the targets of racisrn of sexism of homophobia of class denigr.ation but we ail all breathe in racism with the dust in the streets with the words we read and we struggle those of us vvho struggle we struggle endlessly endlessly to think and be and act differently from all that Listen you and listen hard I carry within me a vicious anti-sen'rite voice that says jew hirn down that says dirty jew that sar.s tirings that stop rne dead in the street and make the blood leave mv face I have fought that voice for 45 years all the years that I lived whose rhythrns of speech with and amongjews who are almost me and ways of laughing are closebeside me are dear to me lr,hose that voice that has tried to tell r-ne that sorrows reach deep inside me fake that love and identification are unreal arrd I cannot be refuse it I refuse its rnessage I carry a shell a white and crisp voiced shell to hide rn1'brou'r.r golden soft spanish voiced inner self to pass to hide my puertoricanness I carry a pole 18 ir.rches long to hold rne at the correct distancefrom people black-skinned I carry hard n'retalamror with spikes with shooting weapons tn every joint with fire breathing from every hole to protect me to prepare rne to assaultany r.nanfrom 13 to 89 I am a lvhole circus by myself a whole dance conrparry r'r'ith stanceand posture for being irr middle classhomes in upper class buildings for talking to rnen for speakingwith blacks for carefully angling and directing for choreographing my way thru thcmaze of classesof people and places thru the little boxes of sex race class nationality sexualorientation intellectual stanclthe ing political preference the autornatic contortions exhaustingcamouflagewith which I go thru this social spacecalled CAPITALIST PATRIARCHY a daunting but oh so nicely covering narne this is no \vay to live L i s t e n l i s t e n w i t h c a r e c l a s sa n d c o l o r a n d s e x d o n o t d e { i n e

poiitics people do not define

tt,',i'j,l,,.Y;*o,t:il'H' t::li: ".r* . "'"'I::::':.':lilm in"

socialists 111:"tt ^lassisrn tl-rat surrotrnds that they 'arbor c sexlsm racism them middle class acts that way becauseshe's So stop saying that she that rvhite its from that gror'rpbecause tu'-' that that's all you "*f"tt j u s t m e . r rq u i t .i t l it vefY mr'rch more unpleasant " Y t " knorv d]Ilerent things We 19m1 we black or lesbian or all of those U""'-' *o^"'ipoor things if r,n'e've wl-rat color what orr rvhat sex know different ttrings";"p"iattg what What schooling re tlp grew \ where lives we live what but beans steak or with or without ihoes beatings c""::,--^ ,.-. to be and of us is going ;;it,t.: each lo.t:,l"toogv.t we've had to sexist being from ''t' ulop Being fen-raleaoes"nt different dress SOlothink diff erent chooseearly or t^n ^i'Z't+'ii argue ro to picket to to struggle to organize act different to change minds own to change our changeother lvone'-'''fii'-"t' ancl change to yours.an{ mine,constantly our feelings ours ar-rd minds our orl the onslaught change and change io fight and feelings bodies .tant : ttnpot " our unity is that in the nost I; r;y;"g thatihe basis of perniall subjectedto the viole'nt way we are all i^ tf-'""'l-" [out against struggle all must we hate that ciousideaswe have ["t""a to hints and how tos that onlv them and exchange;;;;;;;;;s of only sotne of us are victims some of us are vtctin-isof sexisrnare us s of oppression but alr of racisn-r of the directed arrort sexist racist all of rrs'

by a class society defines people

i -&

ludre Lorc]r'

Open Letter to Mary Daly 4q Audre Lorde

Dear Marv Thank you for having Gyn/Ecotogysent to me. So nr,ch of it is fLrlr of inrport, trseful,generative,and provokirs. As ir BeyondGotr TheFtrtrt,r , many of your analyses are strengthening and heipiur to me. rt it i'sbecauseof what you have give- to "."r,,r. rire in the past r,r,orkthat I r'rrtc this letter to you nou', hopi.g t-oshare with yo. the be'efits of ,r' ir_ sights as you have shareclthe benefits of yours u,ith rne. This letter has been delayedbecause of _y g.urr" reluctanceto rcach out to you, for lr,hat t y"ll us to chew .,pon h"r" is neither *rr. ,r,,r. si'rple' The history of white women *,ho ur" unabre to tr"u. trru.t women's words, or to maintain dialogue ,uvitl.r us, is lonc ancl discouragi.g. But for me to assurne thaf you will not hear ,.',* ."1r_ resentsnot only history, but an old pattern tf relating ,o_"ti,rr", 1-r.n tective and sometimes dysfu.ctioriar, rvrrich *" uJ *o,-,",;;r';l;;r,,,ro our future, are in the processof shattering. I hope. I b e l i e v ei n y o u r g o o c l faithtowardall ironleu,in r . i s i o r r , ,rri 1.our " future within which we can all flourish, and i. your commitrrcrt to th: and often painful r.r,orknecessaryto effect change. In tiris .hr-.9 sp.irit I i'vite you to a joint crarification of ,o-" of the differerccs which lie between us as a black and a white wornan. When I startedreadingG;,n/Ecoktgy, I n,astruly excited by the vision behind your worcls, and nodded rriy treaa as you spoke in ,vor-rr first passageof rr1'th and 'ry'stification. your *'ords o. the 'ature a'ti function of the Goddess,as we' as the ways in wl-rich her face rras been.obscr'rred, agreecrwith rvhat L'rvself har,e clisco'erecr ir.rrrrr searchesthrougl-r African r-rythilegend/retigior for the true nat.rc',rr old female power. o ' r y w h i t e , l ' e s t e r n - e u r o p e a r ,j . , i . n , christian?W'ere was Afrekete, \'ernanje, Oyo and lVla*,ulisa? Whcr.. a.re the warrior-goddesses of the Vodun, the Dohomeia, Arnazonsarri the warrior-women of Dan? well, I thought, N{ary rras urac-re a ctrr, sciousdecisio'to narrow her scopeand to"deal.nly rn,itl.r tl.re ecologr of western-european women. Then I came to tl-re first three chaptersof your secondpassage, anclii was obvious that you v'ere dealing lvith ,.,on-",r.op"u' rvo'rer, br.rt onll' as victims and preyers-upon each other. I begar.r to feel nrv

aoesn,r Marydeal rvithAfrekete asanexampiet, .^,i:.t::?1l.l9l,yhy vvny are her gocidess-images

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n-rynrythic background distorted by the absenceof any history at.rc'l of africatr genital of rt'ryforemothers in power. Your inclusior-r irnages piece itr an1'consideratioti rnutilation \\rasalt irnportant and trecessary of female ecology,and too little has been u,ritten about it. But to irnply, horvever, that all r'r'otnensuffer the sarne oppression sirnply becausewe are \\'omell, is to lose sight of the rnany varied tools of patriarchv. It is to ignore how those tools are useclby \^iomeltr,vithout eacl] other. awarenessagair.rst lvell be to clisrnisswhere To dismiss our black foremothers rna_v ,rrnatt itt l e a l r t e dt o l o v e . A s a n a [ r i c a r ) - a n r L ' l ' i c n a 'n e u r o p e a n\ \ ' o n r e r ) white patriarchy, I anr used to having n-ry archctypal experience b u t i t i s t e r r i b l l ' p a i n f r r lt o f e e l i t b e i n gd o n e d i s t o r t e da n d t r i r . i a l i z c d by a u,oman rvhoseknorvledgeso rnuch matchesrrlv own. As worle nidentified \\'orrel), \\'e cannot afford to repeat lhese same olclciestmctive, vvastefulerrors of recognitior-r. When I speak of kncxvledge,as vorl knor,t',I ar.nspeaking of that serves, lvaits upon, and dark and truc depth u'liich understar-rding through laneuageto ourselvesand otl.rers. It is this makes accessible depth rn'ithin each of us that nurtures vision Wlrat ,vou exchrded f rorn Gy,n/Ecology disrnissedmv heritage and the heritage of ail other non-ellropean \^rolnen,and clenieclthe real connectior.rs that exist betu'een all of us. It is obvior,rs that ,vouhavedone a tremendousanrountof ',vorkfor this book. But simpll' because so little n.raterial clnnon-rt'hitefenralepo\\rer and s,vmbol exists iu rvhite rvor-nen's rt'orcls fronr a raclical feminist perspective, in to excludethis aspectof connectionf ror-r-r even conrrnertt your rt ork is to der.rv the fountain of non-europeanfenralestrengthand po\^rer that nurtr.rres eac-h of our visions.It is to niake a point by choice. Ther-r to realizethat tl-re words onlv quotationsfrom black rvornen's were the ones vou used to introdrrce i'or-rr cl.rapter cln african genital mutilation, made r.ne question r,vhyyou neededto use them at all. For my part, I felt that ,vou had in fact r.r.risusecl rnv rvords, utilized thern oniy to testif,vagainst rnyself as a lvonlan of color. For nry r,r'ords which yor-r u s e d \ v e r e n o l r o r e , n o r l e s s ,i l l u s t r a t i v eo f t h i s c h a p t c - r , thar.r Poelrr'1sNot A Luru';'or an]- nur.nberof nrt' other poenis rnight have been of manv otl'rerparts of G,-n/Ecolog'. So the questiou arisesin mv nrincl,Mary',do you ever reallv reaclthe work of black lvor.nen? Did vou ever read n'ryu,ords, or did you rnerel y f i n g c r t h r , , 1 l q l it h c n r f o r t l r r o t a t i o n sn h i c h 1 ' o u t h o t r t l r t r n i g l t t valuabl_v srlpport an already-conceivedidea concernius somc old and d i s t o r t e dc o n n e ' c t i o n et i o n .T o b e t r v e e nt r s ? T h i s i s n o t a r h e t o r i c a lq r . rs m e t h i s f e e l sl i k c a n o t h e ri n s t a n c eo f t h e k n o u ' l e d g e , c r o n e- l o g y a n d work of \\'or.nen \'vollrandealing of color being ghettoizedby a "r'hite

07 '1rr,|,.1_,,r i, AudreLor'7e

I
l

only out of a patriarchal r,r'estern-european fran.re of reference.E\,clr your words on page 49 of Cvn/Ecology,: "The strength which Self-centering women find, in findi'g or.rr Background, is our own strength, lvhich we give back to our Selves. have a different ring as lve remember the old traditions of por,r,cr ;1114 strength and nurtnrance found in the female bonding of african women. It is there to be tapped by all women who do r-rotfear the revelation of connectiorrto themselves. Have you read mv work, and the work of other black wornen, fr.ir what it could give you? Or did you hunt through only to find rvorcls that would legitirnizeyour chapter on Africar.r genital mutilation ir.r thc eyesof other black 'uvonren? And if so, then rvhy not use our rvords to legitimize or illustrate the other placeswhere we cor)nectin our beine and becoming? If, on the other hand, it rr,'as not black wontelt ,voll were attempting to reach, ir.rwhat way did our rvords illustrate 1.our point for white women? Mary, I ask that you be aware of how this serves the destructrr.e forces of racism and separation between women - the assumptrorr that the herstory and myth of white wornen is the legitimate and sole herstory and myth of all r,r'omento call upon for power and background, and that r.ron-whitewomen and our herstories are noteworthy only as decorations,or examplesof female victimization. I ask that you be aware of the effect that this disrnissalhas upon the conrrnunity of black wonten, and how it devaluesyour owlt words. This disrnissal doesnot essentiallydiffer from the specialized devaluations that make black women prey, for instance,to the murders even no\\happening it.ryour own city.* When patriarchy dismissesus, it encourages our murderers. When radical lesbian feminist theorv dismissesus, it encouragesits own clemise. This dismissalstar-rds as a real block to cor.nmunication betu'eenus. This block rnakesit far easierto turn away from yor.r cornpletell' than to attempt to understandthe thinking behind your choices.Should the next step be war between us, or separation?Assimilation within a solely western-europeanherstory is not acceptable. Mary, I ask that you re-mernberwhat is dark and ancientand divine within your self that aids your speaking.As outsiders,\ve need each other for support and connectionand all the other necessities of living, on the borders.But in order to come togetherwe rnust recognizeeacl-t other. Yet I feel that since you have so completelv un-recognizedrne, perhaps I have been ir"r error concerningyou and no longer recognize you.
-ln the s p r i n g o f 1 9 7 9 ,t u , e l v t b l a c k \ \ ' o n t e n \ \ e r c r l u r d e r e d i n t h e B o s t o n a r e a .

as a creadifferencesbetween white r'r'omel) I feel you do celebrate misunderstanding for rather than a reason charrge, ,iri"'iJrJ" i.*"rds to recognizethat' as women' those differyouiail But lni ,"p"t",ton. patriarchal all wolnen to various forms and degreesof ^nnesXDose we do not' which of sone of rvhich we share' and some :::;";i;;. vyr, | ^- -,L^r r^- ^^. ^ , h i l o women rrrnmen r n this lhrqC OLlncot in you know that for non-white For instance,sLlrely the tirnes three cancer; is arr 80* fatality rate from breast i,l if-,"." "oi-u zasteriii nd a ry ev ent.,rat i ons, hysterectornies nn lr];;;; rap.ed' "."rra of being charlces times as many tionsas for white *'o'''-'"t; three exist for white women' Theseare statistical as assaulted or a-rra"."a, nor paranoid fantasies l had hoped the lesbian coincidences i".", ""* would make it easierto recognize ,l.rr.io.,rr',"ss of having bee'"other" history and struggle of black won)en in" aiff"r",-,cesthat exlst in the and r,t'hite \vomen' is a reality force within Within the comtnutlity of \Aromen'racism with hoods on in women white my life as it is not within yours' The like what you not may street the Ofiio nu.,ai.,g out KKK literature on I were to walk and you (lf sight have to say, but they will shoot me on the only where Alabama' Cutcn' into a classroomof womelr in Dismal Lesbianl both were we that was i-ni"g ,n"V knelv about each of us what I nlean'l exactly see would you Radlcal/Feminist, -theoppr"ssiono fwo menkn ow srroethnicnorracialboundaries' within those boundaries' true, but that does not mean it is identical Nordothereservoirsofourancientpowerkr-rowthesebor.rndaries, to the other is to distort either. To deal rvith one r'r'ithouteven alluding our commonality as well as our difference' sisterhood,is still racism For then beyol-rd "The Tfansformationof SiienceInto We first met at tne Mt'R- panel' date' I had decided never Languageand Action'" Shoitty before that racism l felt it was wasted again to speak to white women about defensiveness'and b".urr." of in"i' destructive guilt and ;;;t be said by white women to U".ui,r" whatever I had to say might better the speaker' and probably one another, at far less emoiionil cost to to break this silence' with a better hearing' This letter atternpts in my consciousness'So as a I would like not tJhave to destroy you perceptions' sister Hag, I ask you to speak to my for what I have learnedfrom you' you t thank do, you Whether or not This letteris in rePaYnlent' ln the hands of Afrekete' Audre Lorde MaY 6, 1979
* Mtldern Language Associatiolt'

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Audre

Lorde

The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master's House

Comments at "ThePersonal and the polincal,,panel lSecondSexConference,October 29, jg7g)

|'(

Audre Lorde
I agreed to take part in a New york Uriversity Institute for the Humanities conference a year ago, rvith the understanding that I would be commenting upon papersdealing with the rore oi diflerc,rce within the lives of american women; difference of race, sexr.ralitr., ciass,arrd age. For the abserrce of these colrsideratior.r, *'"uk.,rr r,,,,l feminist discussionof the personal and the political It is a particular academic arrogance to assume a.y discussic_r' .f f e m i n i s t t h e o r y i n t h i s t i m e a n d i . t h i s p l a c ew i t h o u t e x a r , i n i . s . u r many differences,and without a significant input frorn poo. ,.-o,,,",,, black and third-world \A,omen, and lesbians.And yet I sianclhere ers a black lesbian feminist, having been invitecr to comment n,itl.ri, tl.re only panel at this conferencewhere the input of black fernirists and lesbiansis represented.what this says about the vision of tl-ris co.ferenceis sad, in a country where racisrn,sexismar-rd hor.ropl-robia arc inseparable.Tc read this progam is to assumethat lesbian arc-lblack women have nothing to say of existentialisrn,the erotic, \vonreus culture and silence, developing feminist theory, or heterosexualitv and power. And what does it mean in personal and political ter'rs when even the two black women rvho did present rrerewere literalll. found at the iast hour? what does it mean."vhenthe tools of a r-iicrst patriarchy are used to examine the fruits of that sarnepatriarchvl, It means that only the most narro\\. perirnetersof cl.range are possiblc and allowable. The absenceof any considerati.n of lesbian consciousness or the consciousness of third rn'orldwomen leavesa serious gap u'ithin this conferenceand within the papers presented here. For exanrple,in a paper on material relationshipsbetrveenwonlen, I u,as conscious.ri an either/or model of nurturing which totally disrnissedmv kno*'ledge as a black lesbian. In this paper there was l)o exanrinatitrrr ,f mutuality between wornen, no systemsof sharecl support, no inter.de pendence as exists betrteer-i lesbiansand wornen-iclentiiiedrvourL.n. Yet it is only in the patriarchal rnodel of nurturance tr-rat wonrer "r'hrr attenrptto emancipateti.remselves pay perhaprs too high a price for the results," as this paper states. For women, the need and desire to nurture eacl.r other is r-rot p.tlrtr' l o g i c a lb u t r e d e m p t i v e ,a n d i t i s w i t h i n t h a t k n o w l e d g et h a t , , , . , . rcul

r'r'hichis so feared by nowef is rediscovered.It is this real contlection, Y6"iaViarcl-ral a patriarchal structure that Por it is only r-rnder r^,,orld. is the only social power open to wonlen' maternity "-interd"p"t-tderlcl' between \{orlen is the only way to the freedorr-r "I" "be", not in order to be used,but in order to be crc*hi.h ullo*t the to "be"and the active"beingl' the passive betrveen is a diiference aiive.rnis lvomen is the Advocating tl.rernere toleranceof difference between o f t h e c r e a t i v ef u n c t i o no i d i f f e r d e n i a l i s t o t a l I t a r e f o i l l i s n r . srossest our lir.es.For difference'mustbe not merely tolerated,but seen En." ir-t rvhich our creativity car-r polarities bet'uveer.r as a fund of r-recessary for interdependnecessit,v the does then Only dialectic. a like sfark b".orr]" unthreatening.Or]ly rvithirl that interdeperldencyof dif"n.y acknorvlegedand equal, can the power to seek nert' fe.ent rt.et-tgths, ,,be" in the rvorld generate,as well as the couragearrd ways to actii.ely there are no charters' r'r'l'rere to act sustenance within the interdependenceof n]utual (non-dominant) differences irlto the chaosoi knort'ltts to clescend liesthat securit;,rt'hich errables ,u{itl'r true visions of our future, along with the conedgeand return which can bring that future coiritant power to effect those cl.ranges into being. Difference is that ralr, and po$'erfr.rlconnection frotn which onr persoltal porver is forged. or ignore our clifferences to eitl.rer As women, rve have been taugl.rt as tharl rather to viert, tlter.uas catlsesior separationand suspiciorl the or-rly r.ro liberation, is there cor-nntunity, forcesfor change.Withor.rt most vulnerable aud temporarV arlnistice betweetl an individr'laland her oppression.But cornrnunity must t.totnleall a sheddingof our clifthat thesedifferencesdo rlot exist. ferences,nor the pathetic pret(rnse definition of circle of this society's tl.re Those of us rt ho stand outside of it'r crr'rcibles thc forged been have rt'ho of us acceptablewolnen; t].rose are black' who lesbierns, are r'r'ho poor, r-ts are r'vho difference;those of It is learl.ring ts rlol arl academic.slrill. who are older, knorv that sr/rvival and how to reviled, sonretimes and how to stand alone, unpopttlar the strucoutside as iclentified other tl.rose make commotl cause$,ith wc call all flourish. lt k a rvorld irl r,^,'hich tures.in order to define artcl see the rnake thetlr strengths. Fc;r is learning ho,uv to take our differences ar-rcl us allorv rllal' Tliel' horse. nlc.sters t|:ltle masrcr's disrTlar? tlill /iever tcrols but they r.t,illnever enablc us temporarily to beat hi|r-r at his rlrt'n gar-r]e, to bring about ger-ruinc chanse.Anclthis iact is rtniv tllreatenirlcto those wo.,l",] $,ho still define the master'shouse as their only source of support. Poor and third rvorld wontelt knorv there is a difference betn'ecn tlie of n]arital slaVery arld daily n]ar-rifestatior"rs and de1-runtanizations Iine 42ntl Street. The lr.ho prostitution, becar.rse daughters it is or.rr

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Au,lt, 1., ,,.,,,

IoI I'orde Audre

Black panelists'observation about the effects of relative po\\'eflessness and the differences of relationship between black women ;1n6 rnen from white women alld nren illustrate some of our ultiquc problems as black feminists. If white american feminist theory necrl rrc-rr deal with the differencesbetween us, and the resulting difference in aspectsof our oppressions, then u,hat do you do r,t'iththe fact that the women who clean yorlr housesand tend your children r,r,hile voLlattend confereltceson feminist theory are, for the most part, poor ancl third world women? What is the theory behind racist feminisnt? In a world of possibility for us all, our personalvisions help lat' the groundwork for political action. The failure of the academicferrinists to recognize difference as a crucial strength is a faiiure to reach beyond the first patriarchal lesson.Divide and conquer, in our n'orlcl must become define and empower. Why weren't other black women and third world lr,orneniounil ro participatein this conference? Why were tlvo phone calls to ntc conAm I the only possiblesourceof namesof black sidereda consultation? feminists? And although the black panelist's paper ends on a irnportant and powerful connectionof love between women, what about intcrracial co-operationbetween ferlinists who don't love each otherl In academic feminist circles, the ansr,t'er to these questionsis often 'We did not know who to ask."But that is the same evasionof responsi. bility, the same cop-or.lt, that keepsblack r,r,omen's art out of r,r'or.nen's exhibitions,black women'swork out of rnostfeminist publicationscxcept for the occasional"SpecialThird World Women's Issue,"*ancl black wornen'stexts off of your reading lists. But as Adrienne Rich s pointed out in a recent talk, white ferninistshave educatedthemselve about such an enormous amount over the past ten years, ho\'v conre you l'raven't also educatedyourselvesabout black \\'omerl and the'clifferencesbetween lrs - white and black - when it is key tclour survival as a movement? Wornen of today are stiil being called upon to stretch acrossthe gap of male ignorance, and to educate men as to our existenceand ottr needs. This is an old and primary tool of all oppressorsto keep th.' oppressed occupied r,r'ith the master's concerns.Nor,t'we hear that it is the task of black and third lt,orld womer.rto educatewhite women, ttl the face of tremendousresistance, our differerrces, as to our existence, our relative roles in our joint survival. This is a diversion of energies and a tragic repetition of racist patriarchal thought.
.ConrJitiorr-s o f B r o o k l y r . rN , Y i s a n r a j o r e x c e p t i o n .l t h a s f a r r l v c o n s i s t c n t l vp u b l i s h t , i t l . t ew o r k o f r , r ' o m c n o f c o l o r b c f o r e i t u ' a s ' f a s h i o n a b l e ' t o d o s o . i e d i t o r ' sf o o t n o t . ' \

oncesaid: DeBr'ailvoir Sinrone o f o u r l i v e st h a t v V c ] r i i , , , t h e k n o w l e d g eo f t h e g e n u i n ec o n d i t i o n s for acting'" reasons our live.and to must drarv our streirgtll arc real conditio's of all our li'es irr tSis tlo,lropnnbfa nui'i'#uua reach drn'n htrt thtttdee'p ^tanedDd thls tllre t ttrge eacltonertf us hereto P^:::;:;i,r"n,/cdse insid; hersel[anclktut'h that terrctr antl kwtling of att'';:;;;r, personal as thar IiJesthere' Seev'hosc faceil u'eat's Then the to illun'rinaieall our choices' l''cgil.l i,e politi.at can

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Between the Lines

On Culture, Class,and Homophobia

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I do not believe/our wants have rnade all our lies/holy. -Audre Lorde* What lies between tire lines are the things that women of color do not tell each other. There are reasonsfor our silences:the change in generation betu'een mother and daughter, the language barriers between us, our sexualidentity, the educationalopportunitieswe had condior missed,the specificcultural history of our race,the pl'rysical tions of our bodies and our labor. As Audre Lorde statesin the closingpiece of the preceding section, "Difference is that ralv and powerful connection from which our personal power is forged." It is critical now that Third World femir-rists begin to speakdirectll' to the specific issuestirat separateus. We cannot afford to throw ourselveshaphazardlyunder the rubric of "Third World Feminisrn"only to discover later that there are serious differencesbetween us u,hich could collapseour dreams, rather than fuse alliances. As Third World \vomen, we understandthe importance, yet iimitations of race ideology to describeour total experience.Cultural differences get subsumed rvhen lve speak of "race" as an isolated issue: where does the Black Puerto Rican sister stake out her alliance in this country, with the Black community or the Latin? And color alone cannot define her statusin society- How do we contparethe strugglesof the middle classBlack woman with those of the light-skinned Latina welfare mother? Further, how each of us perceives our ability to be radical against this oppressive state is largely affected by our economic priviiege and our specifichistory of colonizationin the U.S. Sorneof us were brought here centuriesago as slaves,others had our land of birthright taken alr,av from us, some of us are the daughters and granddaughters of immigrants, others of us are still newly i m m i g r a t e dt o t h e U . S . Repeatedthroughout this sectionis each wornan'sdesire to have all her sistersof color activelv identifiedand involved as feminists.One of the biggest sources of separation among women of color in terms of feminism has been hornophobia. This fear that r,r'e(whatever our sexuaiity) breathe in every day in our conlr'nunities never fully allows us to
*"Betrveen O u r s c l v e s ' T h e B l a t : k L . r n i l r r ni N e r v Y o r k : N o r t o I . t l 9 7 i l l , p . 1 1 2 .

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feel invuinerable to attack on our own streets,and sometimes er,en i1 the homes we grew up in (let aronein the white man's lr,orld). Sooften it is the fear of lesbianism which causesmany of us to feel our politics anct pa-ssion are being ignored or discounted by other thir. worrd people. "There's nothing to be compared with horn,you feel when you,re.',,t.ora by your own. . ." (BarbaraSnrith).But we refuse to make a choicebe trt'eenour cultural identity a.d sexual identity, between our race arcr our femaleness.we are not turning our backs on our people nor on our selves. we even claim resbianisnr as an "act of ."rirtur-r.", (clarkcl againstthe same forcesthat silenceus as people of color. We write letters home to Ma. surfaci'g from these pagesagain ancl again is the ge'uine senseot Ioss and pain we feel when we are de'ie"d our home becauseof our desire to free ourselvesas specificaily femarepersons. so, rve tu.n to each other for strength and sustenance. we write rettersto each other incessantly.Across a kitchen table, Third world fe'rinist strategl.rs plotted. we talk long hor-rrs into the nigrrt. It is when this midniglit oit is bur'i'g that we secretry reclaim our goddesses and our fe]'ale. identified cultural tradition. Here rve p,t nilrie Holiday back into the hands and hearts of the women n,ho understand her. The differencethat we have feared to n-rention becauseof our urgert need for solidarity with each other begins to be spoken to on tiiesc pages,but also the similarities that so often go unrecognizedihat a light-skinned Latin wonlan could feel ,,athome,,and ,,Jafe,, {Morales) among her Afro-American sisters.- that among many of us ihere is zr deep-rootedidentification and affinity which ir" *"i" not, logicail1, supposedto feel toward eacr.r other living in segregated white-airerica. we turn to each other to make family ind even ihere, after the exhilaration of our first discovery of each other subsides,\^re are forcecito confront our own lack of resourcesas Third world women livins r' the U.S. without money, without i'stitutions, without on".o-,'.rri,t1. center to call ollr o\A'nlt'e so often 'ever get as far as dreamed *.hire plotting in our kitchens. We disappoint Lach other. Sometimes ne even die on each other. How to reconcile ,",,,itl.r the death of a frie'd the death of a spirit? b e g i n b y s p e a k i n gd i r e c t l y t o t h e d e a t h sa n d d i s a p p o i n t n r e n t s . --We Here we begin to fill in the spacesof siler.rce between us. For it is between these seemingrf irreco'cilable ri'es - the class lines, the politically correct lines, the daily lines we run dorvn to each other to keep drfferenceand desireat a distance- that the truth of our connection lies.

The Other Heritage

BosarioMorales
and all other Black women at the San Francisco lforJuneJordan and Tbish ; Januatl' 1980 | Poetry Workshop I forgot the other heritage the other strain refrain I forgot my sound the ebony sheento my iife to the the silver thread thrr.r look of things to the sound of horv I grew up which was in Harlem right down in SpanishHarlen-rEl Barrio and bounded I always say to foreignersfrom Minnesota Ohio and Illinois bounded on the North A library in each of by ltalians and on the South by Black Hariern these almost forbidden places so no rvonder I didn't take off with books till I hit the SoutirBror-rx What I didn't forget was the look of Ithaca RochesterMinneapolis and Salt Lake bleachedbleeded and bleached the streetfull of white ghostslike Chinesevisions And the first time Dick and I drove back thru New York past Arnsterdam Avenue right thru the heart of Harlem I breathed again safe brown and black r,n'alking the streets safe My mami tar-rght n.re my teacher taught me everybody taught me watch out black I did too so how smelly savage keep out of the way come I come to feel safel when I hit Harlem when I hit a city with enough color rvhen a city gets moved in on lvhen Main Street Vermont looks mottled agouti biack and brort n and white when the sounds of the english Black folk speak and the sounds of Spanishu'iggle thrrr the clean Iit air I still shy and start from black men from about thirteen on but then I shy and start fron.r ali men starting from when they think to be men and so do the things men do my man'ritaught n.re that and that stuck but then I learnt that on my own too I got myself a clean clear senseof danger that'swhat smells not black skin but danger stalking the streets for me I can sn'rellit a mile au'ay rvaftimgto nre in the breeze I keep dolvnwir-rd raise my head to sniff the air I only muse and rest my neck when in the herd ar.rd in the day and loping thru people traffic on the streetssurrounded by the sounds of wheeled traffic in the streets I think and plan and forget to look but not alone and not at nite I lift rny head I sr-riff I smell ihe danger and wheel anci run Iong before he thinks maybe she looks about right a morsel for my appetite I bor-rnd pant a',r'ay'and safe for this tinre

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Rosurio,lIorrrl,.

safe but all I feel when I sit down with you black woman the onl,,, danger in my air is from some whirring voice inside that always says you don't belong and if you don,t utter just just right th;y will know you don't belong and toss you out and I feel that everytime with every group of any color no matter what they speak but what I feel inside nowhere near that grating prating ,roi." i, well oKl this soundsjust right this here music is music to rrv earshere I hear somethingthat feelslike oh like carlos caraet moaning his tangoes like the special beat caribbean drums do I forgot this heritage african Black up here in this cold place the sound of african in english of drums in these musics I forgot I breathedyou with my air and declared fine and when you'rJ,",ot there I look and ask for where you've gone but I know I knorv why I forgot I'm not supposedto remember what I do remernber is to walk in straight a'd white into the store and say good morni.g ir.r my see how white how upper class how refined and kind voice all crisp with consonantsbristling with syllables protective coloring r' racist fields looks white and crisp like cabbage looks tidy like laicl out gardens like white aprons on black dresses like pleaseand thank you and you're welcome like neat and clean and iee I swept and scrubbed and polished ain't I nice que hay de criticar will I do will I pass will you let me thru will they let me be not see me here beneath my skin behind my voice crouched ar-rd quiet and so so still not see not hear me there where I crouch hiding my eyes my indian bones my spanish sounds mutter_ ing mielda que gente fria y lea se creen gran cosa a.. escupechica en su carifresca en su carifea meate ahi en el orscr feo y frio yo valgo mas que un piso limpio you valgo mas vc) valgo cagateen l'alfombra chica arrancaleel pelo yo quiero salir de aqui yo quiero salir di ti yo quiero salir you see she's me she'sthe me says safe sarita safewhen I see you many and black around the table behind me in the big room ind up in front JuneJordan how you belt it out and how I take it in risht ro where she sits brown and golden and when sheand I laughi big last nite I was not "too loud" I was not ,,toomuch,, I was just just me right just brown and pink and fuil of drums iniide beating rhythm for my feet my tongue my eyes my hands my arms swinging and smacking I was just right just right just right sepanloninas m'hijas trigueiiasbellas sepalo JuneJor dan mujer feroz aqui me quedo y aqui estoy rightl

billie lives! billie lives

hattie Sossett
yeah biiiie holidaY lives. jezabel shes probably gof a little house somewhere with yemanya rainey ma truth plus sojourner stewart. maria the queen of shebaand would what and there. are mama her & ida cox lil hardin and sapphire washington dinah maybelle big thorpe rosetta they do without sister please tor-rgtatt sally & her aunt mary and fannie lou hamer? and and gomez sara terrell tammi robinson srnith don"tforget ruby doris free the with helping too there all probably are sisterwoman cuz they community music and life school that billie started' and you know that anaci ihe original spiderman david waiker chaka denmark vesey baby brother Iesterprez young john coltranebeanheadray malcolm x and stephen biko probably be round the house all the time too' plus the amGtad crerv and shango.but its billies housethat bessiesmith left her when bessie moved to chicago with nzinga the warrior queen ochun harriet tubman sweet georgia brown josina machel and peaches. of course lve know that charlie bird parker Iives cuz folks be saying and writing bird livesl all the time. they even got buttons. and this year 1980has been declared the year of the bird. but when i woke up this morning i woke up thinking billie lives! so after i got through talking on the fno.r" to this sister who calied me up right in the middle of when i was thinking billie livesl i got up and put on a tape of an old record by billie and listened to it again for the first time in a long time while i made a pitcher of orange & lemonade and drank some' then i took the tape and went outside to sit in the sun and listen to the tape some more and write this poem down in a hurry' cuz biilie lives and i wanna call her up and make an appointment and go by and visit her one afternoon and take her some violets and dont shake orchids and some peaches(and if you dont like my peaches not too shes my tree) one afternoon when shesgot a few hours when somebody with busy and shesrelaxed and dont mind being bothered asking her a whole iotta questionsabout all kinds of stuff but the main thingl wanna ask her about is how did she do it and what did she do when she made this record that i arn listening to now on this tape that had those bigtime bigdaddiesjurnping outta windows and otherwise offing theyselvesthat time.

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/i,rllielos...,r'

oh you never heard of that record. well to tell vou the truth i hadnt either til this other sister told n-re about it. or rather i had heard of the record and i had even listenecl to it. br,rti hadnt heard of the effect that the record had on the bigtinte daddies.thats what i hadnt l'reard about. you know the effect that this record had is somehow strangelynot mentioned in the ntovie or in anr. of the books articles etc. that are supposedto be telling the billie holiday story. thats wby i lvanna ask billie about it and listen to her rr.rnit clown abor-rt how it rvasthat she had all then-r bigdaddieslurnpir-rg outta windows and otherwise offing themselvesbehind this record. now you know this record had to be bad cuz it had to be taken off ti-re radio. thats how bad this record was. as a public service it was taker.r off the radio cuz everytin.re the record played on the radio the bigdaddieswould be knocking each other outta the way to get to the window ar-rd in droves. take concrete noseclives. plus they dont play it on the radio that much even norv. r,r,hen thev do play something by billie once every other blue n-roonthey dont hardly ever play this. and u,hen rne and this otl.rer sisterwho first told me about the effect the record had when rt'e wanteclto listen to it rve couldnt find nobody that we knew that had it. oh they had heard of it. but they didnt have it. so when rve wanted to listen to the record rve had to git on the a train and ride way dolvntown then switch over to the path train and ride a while then switcfr again to the undergror.rnd streetcarfor a few blocks then walk a felv more blocks to this special library in newark new jersey just to hear it. cuz we couldnt find it in the nyc public library though later n e found out that if rve had had some money and had had knolr,n $/hat to ask for we could ha.,.e bought this album called the billie holiday stor)' volume 2 w.hicl-r containsthis song i am talking about but we didnt have no rnoney lror did we kr.rowwhat to ask for. and i cant even repeat what we had to go through to get this tape of the original 78 that i am listening to now. if you get my meaning. an)/way.this record was made august6 1941just4 n'ronths to the day before the japanese took everybodl' by surprise with that early. nrorning bombing raid or.rpearl harbor in the early sumner days of billies career and it was a 78 on tl-re okeh label called gloomy sunday subtitled hungariarrsuicide song with the teddy wilson orchestra.it was one of those my man is dead so now i am gonna throrv nryself in the grave too funeral dirge nurnbers (tragic mulatress division) tliat t h e y u s e dt o m a s h o n b i l l i e w h e n s h e w e n t i n t o t h e s t u d i o . it u,asnt even no bad blues. it was some of their shit and billie said okay u'atch this and she took the tune and she turned it around on them.

biip d blips ieaping yeah. i am telling you she hacl them bigdaddy ouita windows in droves honeY' in droves do You hear me' this song in person' i i wonder what it was like r,t'henbillie sang my appointment can you suessi better ask her that too when i go for billie used to sing at the cafe "-"gt"" *n"t that was like. cuz,voukr-row village at one time which was one of ,".i!,y downtown in greenr'r'hich joints at that time and after billie in"_ ,ri.r. bigdaddiesmain hangout catch a cab and go uptown sot off work iorn'n in the village she would a good the afterhout, ,plt and jam and hangout and have ilirrti""t,. tirat sung irad she be that if iime talking to people and it could possibly she while that gigs society ,org a.r.i,-,[tne last set at one of those cafe downtowt] was rvho was upto\vn cuttln up ar-rdstuif you know penthouses' their of roofs the off don'nrt-ard plunging big paperswould hav.e and then n'hen shewoke up later that day the dawn early the during headlines about who had tiken the plunge herself when she read fr"rrt. do you think billie had a good laugh to billie r't'how'ould.say. people those headliues?or are you o"" Jf those gal.from lil po a only was of rt'hat *'u, goitg on? that she wasnt a\i\rare sing and entertain people or that if baltimore rvho rt'asjust t;in;to that her mr'rsic she *,as a\ rare the* she *,u, .Jr-tfut"cl ancl heartbroken but if you r'r'ell pullease! nigguh *u, U"irrg taken in tl-rervrong way? cancel gontra i am so poern this in think like that then you dont 6elotlg poem' own yo write you right out. go sotnewhere and gonna ask billie i \^,ell an)'\\'ay ',r"heni go for niy appointmetrt atn if she will exsee i rvanna plus si;-s' about it cuz i warlna heailr'hat she of special kind some her wotlen-give piain how she did it. did theiuju and lungs and chords vocal and it-troat herbal potiol'rs to purify trei way of breathing what not. did the wise women teach her an aucient night before the the dream of type a certain ennunciating.did she have appearedand gave her during rn'hichthe goddesses recording se"ssior-, sisterand turn that u sigr-t ani said go aheadi'] in that studio tomorrotv we can get thern off our shit arotrnclon thetn bigtime blank t blanks so backs and move for',n'ardto a brighter day' seeif she would teach some i wauna ask billie about it and i i'n"anna w o u l d ? w h e n i g o s e eh e r i a m s h e t h i n k y o u o f t r s h o r v t o c l oi t t o o . c l o lessonscuz i know gonna ask her if she could give some of us weekiy their voices the same iome other sistersthat wanl to learn how to use way billie did on this record' time but things are difcuz the record was taken off the radio the last now and we have learned some ferent nolr'. lve are more sophiscated seduction' you know more sophiscated methods' like sublirninal hidden voicesplaying those tapesu'ith that u'eird nonmusic and those

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in the supermarketsand other storestl.ratnumb our minds and then plant suggestionsin our minds that trick us into spending all our money on a buncha stuff that we dont need?and those tapesthey play in restaurantsand elevatorsand on the phone whe' they put you on hold? yeah that's subliminal seduction. people could ride bicyiles or delivery trucks with hidden high frequency killer diller tape cissettes through certain neighborhoodsat certain hours. cuz the record was taken off the radio the last time but we have developedsome other methods. yeah billie lives. shesprobably got that house that bessiesmith left her when bessre moved to chicago with nzinga the warrior queen ochur.rharriet tubman sweet georgiabrown josina rnachel and peaches. i wanna go seeher and ask her if she will teachsome of us how to use our voiceslike she used hers on that old 78 record i am listenins to nor,r. on this tape so we can Iearn how to have thesemoderntime bietime so & sosjumping outta windows and otherwise offing theyservesin droves so we can raise up offa our knees and move on to a brighter day. saturday august 23 1980.

Across the Kitchen Table Dialogue A Sister-to-Sister

Bqrbara Smith qnd Beverly Smith
In June 1980,we sent Beverly and Barbara a number of questions regarding their experiencesas Black feminists in the Women's Movement. The following is a transcript of their responses. The Editors Feminism: More than a "Click" and a Clique.

pervasiveness of whrte The Editors: Wlnt do you seeas the eflectsof tl'Le how do In your experience wonrenm the feministmovement? middle class intersectin the movement? classand race issues Beverlv: . . . on Saturdaynight, what happened is that she was flossing her teeth after the meal. I was just so impressedwith the fact that she wouid take such good care of her teeth. And so she said that the reasonwas that when she was a child her mother had savedup money for her to go and visit her grandmother or somethingdown South.And she had been looking forr,r'ardto it all year. I think that she usually went. But what happened is that this particular year she went to the dentist right before, and she had 7 cavities. And that wiped out her it n'as a matter of either/or. But of course,that'snot vacation. Because the poorest you can get either. "My God" I said "I bet there'shardly a white woman that we come into contact with that would have any that meant." And yet it sounded so familiar to me. perception of r,r'hat Barbara: Exactly. What we want to describe in this dialogueare the classdifferenceswe experienceon this kind of basic levei which "highl e v e l "a n a l y s i sa n d r h e t o r i c d o r r ' tg e t t o . An example I can think of and which drives me crazy is the arrogance some white women display about "choosing"not to finish school, you know, "dorvnward mobility". But the thing is they don't have to worry about being asked "Do you have a degree,"and then being completely cut out of a whole range of jobs and opportunity if they don't. Raceis a conceptof having to be twice as qualified, twice as good to go half as far. And I feel like at this point, in these economic tirnes,it s like being three times as good to go half as far. No way in Hell would I give up getting a degree or some piece of paper that would system.That'snot necgive me more econonricleveragein this "boy's" l.rave. In fact, I know a lot of women essarilya perception that white

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white women who never finished college,vet are functioning in rva1,s t h a t i f t h e y h a d b e e n B r a c kw o r ) e r w o u l d t e c o m p l e t e l v un"availabre to them. This ties in with another thing we had tarked about in the past, which is the difference betweer women's poritics, who come to a realizationthat oppressionexists sa),at age ZZ,25 or even lg, ,,,ersus Black won.ren's and other wonren of colors perspectivelr,hich is that your oppression is a rifelong thing. There is a poritical savr,ryness, I don't know rt'hat r,r,orcl to use, canniness- some difference in attitr.rcie I t h i n k b e t u ' e e ' B l a c k a . d w h i t e f e m i n i s t s .i t h i n k r , th a t i t i s , islikethe surprisefactor. There is virtuallv no Black personin this countrv *,ho is surprised about oppression.virtualry not one. Because the thirrg rs we have haclit rnetedout to us fro'r infancl, on. And I think that rvrre r.r are dealing with white lvornen in coalitions, or r,r.hate'er, that Ie often we're at very different placesabout how you deal with a prob_ lem, how you thi'k about a probrem, hq11i you react to a problem. Because they are comir.rs from a perspectiverike, "ohr I clicrnikno*.. I d i d n ' t k n o r . t 'I . n e v e r k n e w u n t i l . . . I n e v e r k n e u , u ' t i l . . . , ,T h e r e rsa differencewhen you come in to )'o'r poriticsbecauseyou're Black ar-rcr oppressedon that level. Ber': what I *'ould really v'ant to talk about is *,r.ry the \\,ol'en's movement is basicalll'a middle classmovement. whai does it rnean? At leastmiddle classin tone. r arn not sayingeveryone in the wornen,s movement is middle classbut the thing is that I tliink that it is rni.ldle classwo're'who dor.rinateir terms oi.u'bers ar.rd in terr-ns.f l'hat actually getsdone, a.cl just how' thi'gs get do'e. what gets macrethe priorities and what have you. what reallv are the sirnilaritiesand differences betr.veen \\,omer,s oppressior.r and class and racial oppression?My perceptio' about racial oppressionand classoppressionis tl-rat it's somethi'g that starts from Day One. Berr: You'reborr"r into it ancl its lrinding. B e v : I t s g r i n d i n g .A ' c l i t c o n t i n u e s M . y ser.rs ae b o u tt h e o p p r e s s i o n of worrlen is that it's sornethingthat people corre to often tii'es, but 'rot alr'ays, in a nrore intellectual,rrun,',".. It'ssomethingthat'spointeclout t o t h e r n . I t s s o ' r e t h i . s t h a t t i r e ' r e a c la b o u t a ' d sar, ,oii veahl,'. I .rean even the concept of the ,,click,', you k'on. that you ian ,ead abont in Ms. magazine. Bar: They still have"clicks,'l Bev: Right. They still tatk about when you ha,,,e an experiencethat rnakes you realize your oppression as a \voman, niakes you realize other women'soppressit',1, yor kn.rt', some revearingi'cident ir-r vour

life as a \voman. That is a "click".Well I rnean,I guessthere are "clicks" of class among racial lines, but the thirrg is the\''reso far back in ten.t.ls that they're almost imperceptible. It just feelsto rne like it'sa different kind of thing. Bar: Another thing when you talk about experiencingracial oppression and classoppressionfrorn the ver,vbeginninu, if indeeclyou are a is happening to you is from modof those oppressior.rs recipier.rt "vhat erately bad to horrible. In other lvords, being Black in this country t h e r e i s v e r y l i t t l e a b o u t i t t h a t i s m i l d . T h e o p p r e s s i o ni s e x t r e m e . Probably the onll' Black people r,r,here oppressionis sornewhatn-ritigated are those rt ho have ciassprivilege and that is certainly not the majorit,vof Black people here. Likerviseif you are a recipier.rt of class oppression,that means that 1'ouare poor, you are lvorking classand therefore day to claysurvival is aimost the onl,vthing you can focuson. The thing that'sdifferent about women'soppressionis that you can be white and middle classand female ancl live a so-called"nice"Iife up , ut I think u n t i l a c e r t a i np o i n t , t h e n v o u b e g i nt o n o t i c et h e s e" c l i c k s "b the quality of life for the upper or rnidclleclasslr,hite \vonlan is so far ahead of the quality of Iife for the Black person, the Black child, the w o r k i n g c l a s sc h i l c lo r t h e p o o r c h i l d . Bev: I u,ant to attempt to nrake cor-nparisons between different types When I think of poverty, I think of constantphysical of oppressions. you aren'tpoor one day and welland material oppression.You knor'r', poor it'sa constantthing, everyday,everyday. to-do the next. If _vorr're In some nays it's almost more constantthan race because,say you're middle class and vou're a Black person who is of course subject to r a c i s n r .y o u d o n t n e c e s s a r i l v i t e v e r v s i n g l ed a y i n t h e experierrce same intensitv, or to the sarnedegree.Whereas,poverty is just something vou experienceconstantly.So ,uvhat I was trying to come up with is - Is there any oppressionthat \\romenexperiencethat is that total, in other rt'ords literally affects their phvsical well-being on a day to day basis? Bar: Can I r.nakea joke, Ber'? Bev: What? Bar: Heterosexualit,v W . ell rrovine rirht along. . . Bev: Yes, they ore sufferir.rg. .. Well, battering is rnaybe sornething, but r-rotnecessarily,only in sorne extrerne incidences. Bar: Well I think in a \\'a)'\\'e re alnrostcon.rparing applesand pears. We don't have a language1'et or a framework as to what is the tme nature of rvomen'soppression,giveu u'here it takes place and who it comes from and I'rou'.Ma1'bethe battered \voman is not beaten every
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Barbara Smtt h i Bet'er ly Sm i t h

BarbaraSmtth Bcr.'rlt Srntlh

day, but she has to wait on her husband every day and her chirdren. She'seither bored out of her mind or worrying and-scraping, trying to make ends meet, both in the context of the nucrear familyl women,s oppressionis so organic or circular or something.one place on the cir_ c.leis battering, one place is cat calls, another is rape, inother place is the fact that no one takesyou seriously even whire you wo.ked to put your husband through college.There's a whore range of stuff, that,s why it's so hard to pin something down. Bev: I think for purposes of analysis what we try to do is to break things down and try to separateand compare but in reality, the wav wornen live their lives, thoseseparationsjust don't work. women dor-rt live their lives like, "well this part is race,and this is class,and this part h a s t o d o w i t h w o m e n ' si d e n t i t i e s , , , s io ts confusing. Bar: And Black wonren and women of color in particular do',t do that. I think maybe what we have defined as a'important conponent of Black feminism is that maybe, for the short run at least, that,s ail right' we don't have to rank or separate out. what we have to do rs define the nature of the whole, of all the systemsimpinging on us. Bev: Given these differences between us, that \\romen are of different racesand classes, how can a white middle class movement actuallydeal with all .ilomens oppression, as it purports to do, particularly iimost women are not present to represent their own interests?I think thrs rs one of the most esse'tial questions the movement has to face. Bar: what we've got to look at is what is the nature of those issues that get multi-oppressedwomen involved in movement work. What are those issuesand how might those issuesbe incorporated into trre women'smovements?I am thinking here of all the Black women lr,ho were involved in the civil Rights Movement. Fannie Lou Hamer is a name we know, but there were countlessthousandsof other women whose names we dor-r't know whose material conditions would not i.dicate that they would have the wherewithal to struggrepoliticarly but then they did. Even more recently, poor women have beer.r involved in issueslike tenants rights or welfare organizing, etc. Bev: SometimesI thi'k maybe twenty-five to fifty years from norv we might really understand what the origins of trre women,s mor,entent were, much more so even than we know today. We mav lose some of the proximity, but we'll gain some of the hindsieht ana tne perspective.one of tl-re things we might discover is that the origins of the feminist movement were basicalry middre class, but the"re are reasonsfor that. Already there is analysisabout that from people rvho are somewhat anti-feminist, Marxists and leftists thai have the perceptionthat the women's rnovement is just an indication that we,re

in an advanced stage of capitalism. They say that the fact that the women's movement developedin this country at the time it did had to do with how capitalism had developed,in other words, a high enough rate of profit or surplus. I don't know what the terminology is, exactly, but this material surplus made it possible for women to have the certain rights. "leisure"to dernar.rd As I see it, the welfare rights movement comes out of the needs expressedand experiencedby the women receiving welfare. In the same way, there is a path the women's movement has followed that originated out of the needs of middle ciasswomen' Bar: Yes,I think that is quite verifiable. . . There isjust so much class conflict in this society that it is hard for people who are economicaliy andi or racially oppressedto believe that there are some people rvho may experiencetheir oppressiondifferently. I think that this is where the laughability of the women's movement comes in. The woman I teach a classwith told me how she has a friend who was teachingJohn of Wrath to a classwho had a decentnumber of TheGrapes Steinbeck's Black students in it and the Black students refused to believe that it was about white people. Refused to believe, you know? John Steinbeck,Great White Novelistl That'sjust incrediblel What it shows is the class conflict, the class division, the division that is totally enforced in this society to keep people unaware of each other's situations, commonalities, etc. The White-Wash of Cultural Identity

are nnde about tions assump what r:Iass Eds: By virfueof your education, you by white feminists?How do you experiencewhite women trying to "whitewash" you? a Black woman Bar: This is very complicated.There is a sociologist, this whole about astute who's here in Boston,she said somethingvery often confuse issue of ciass.She was talking about how sociologists about knowiedge their class with lifestyle. They will throw out all see So thelll class. different income level, and assumepeople are of a have is they thing the year, but a Biack family who rnakes $6000 a books and they are stable and blah blah blah and all this crap, you know, they're trying to send their kids to collegeand they do and the As she said so sociologists say, "Well, then, they must be middle class." worth of buys $6000 of money succinctly, "$6000 dollars worth workyears ago, TWenty poor today. goods."{That would make them is a it on. There spend to just you decide ing class).It dependson what know? you values, and narrow sense difference between classin that BecauseI think we come fronl that kind of home. .

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B,rrh,ua lt Srrrr,'i S r r i t t /B r .'rt'r

Snttlli B,-'r'erh Barltara Snith t'

B e v : S u r e .S u r e . Bar: Where there r,r'ere priorities put on things that poor workirtr ciassBIack people lleren't supposedto be thinking about. Bev.: Yeah, it's verv confusing. The fact that education \{as something that was always valued in our family, not just in our generatior.r, but for generationsback. I think that's lr,herea lot of white feminists get confusedabor.rt us. Because of the fact oi the educationlr,e had anc'l the ernphasis on cultural development and on intellectr.ral development that has been in or.rrfanrily at least for three generations, nrakes people think, well, lve must of come from a middle class background. Bar: Oh yeahl Surel Bev: It's true , \ve never starved. But I j ust get so f rustrated becauseI feel people don't understandwhere \ve came from. When I look at the photographsin our scrapbookIjust think if they looked at the house, would they understand better u'hat our class background actuallt' lvas?Becauseof rt'here we were living, the size of the roonrs. . . Bar: The fact that there was no automatic washing machine. Bev: The fact that wl-renyou got a chest of drawers, a dresser,and a bed in one of the bedrooms,literally there was no floor space.I think tirat a Iot of where \^'ecame from had to do with, as yoll said, r,alues and nranaging.One of the values is that yor.r handled lnoney in such a \ ray that 1'ou rnade it stretch as far as you possibly could. Bar: Don't I rememberl (laughing)It n'as a real value that you live as decently as possibie on thc monev you do rnake. Bev: Exactly. Bar: There u'as a lot of en"rphasis on trying. Bev: SornetimesI do wish people could just seeus in the c<tntext rve grew up in, who our people are. Bar: ln order for people to understand lvhat our background \\'as,ill order to place us, they need to have a lot of comprehensionabout rvhat Black life is all about in this country, period. There is a cookbook,called Spoonbreadand Strau,ben-v Wine by these two Darden sisters. The reasonwhy I nrention it is becausethey have a family historl,in tl.rere. This was a successfulBIack family, and yet these people u'orked like hell! They were people who r,l'ere ex-slaves.Almost anybody in their family who wanted to go to a Black college could have, but tl'rat's not nearly the sarnething as a family who sent all of their sonsto Harvard, all of their daughters to Srnith, or whatever. There'sjust a different social context. Even though this is a successfulBlack fanrily, there is

in the history of that poverty, struggle, oppression' violence to outsiders' ' ihut it iotally unrecognizable knor'r'one of the things that I'r'e felt Bev: Just like rvithin ours You in the women's moverlent' is that there for a long tirne being lnvolved get called into practice' doesrr't about Biack identity tl-rat ir ro "-t"in B a r : I n d e e d ll n d e e d l think about me' It reaiiy makes n-r.e Bev: And that'sver,vupsettingto and lessconsciousiyor very the choicesI have made eitheiimplicitly hort' I live my life because'there consciously.It makes rne think about that we no longer get a chance identitv ur" ro *utty parts of our Black is very appalling to me' that just something And that's io "*"..ir". Bar: It'sjust too true lt's too true' the rn'atching u f"*, auttt ago"ut.,d four yearsaridjust having this feeling last the for have I as bellnd nrine be in that situation' A fe$' da'vs ;i lolrg;g iike, ,vou know' I'll never a'd she said' to this white \vortan I knou'about that talkir.rg Iater, I r,r,as men?' ADd I those there'vith "Well do you really *'u"i to be-sitting out whole'dar-nn The thing' whole said, No. Brit the thing is that it's the the past' for thoseJuly 4ths tl-rat thingl I realize,too it li'as rny regret for right outsde.nry rvitrwatchirrg just like the one I n'as *"13 again' Well \\ray "rr"ntially that be . dor,t'and for the iact that it r'','illnever because.there peers as other each to it give even can r,t'e think clon't I that is ver-vBlack that is a kincl of fan-rilybo"di'lg"uttoss generations doesn'thaPPen at is that there are ways we act Bev: One of the thlngs I was getting white women will never seeirl a u,hen Black people utE tog"tlt"i that one of the reasonsthat again' to Iargely rt'hite context So ithink tl'rat's us' "whiter't'ash" that was asked to us' they are able to use the pl-rrase it's context' rvhite a in white Nort, I don't think tni' ls about acting *ttllll']-tf act wa1'yor'r the about one' a lack of inspiratlon Because And I do mean lnsprre' behavior' the inspire they is because ;Gi" Andtheotherthingisthatwhenyouareirlarviritecontext'you tl-rink, 'Well ,,vhy bother'/ Witr' ;"t'" your tirne?' If r'vhat yoLl'retrvirrg to do what-have-yoll' yoll talk in is get things acrossu'-tJ'to^-t'nicate and your secondlanguage in a Black context For exarnple' Bar: This is so different fron'rbeing I had visiting it ir.rstoccurr"a to ,t* ifti' "*p"ti"ie "" :t1,-t-::"U "t years Shert'asstaying irl tiris of nurnber a for f'lo*'l mine that I l-rave And the womau of this regular old Black nttclear familv' house .,r'itl.r thing together' whole kept the the hotrsent'u, .l"u.l)'-itl" p"t'on who

liketo.mention.Julv t *'oulJf"st rooappallingl i1*l]:l Tlf1T"0 Black family who lives ln the nouse

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Bttrhara S n n t hB , . i crA Srnr1/i

Barbara Sni t hI BeverhSnrith

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They had food layed backl (laughing)And the thing is it was really a iot of fun for me to see tirat, "pervert" that I am - that,sin quotes- dyke that I am, I could sit down at a table with these middle-aged Black wonlen who were playing pokeeno ar-rd be able to hang, you know? And it was very nice. I had a good time. Bev: Orrly one question, Barbara, did you play? (laughing) Bar: Yeah,I played for a little while. Throughout the day, there must have been twenty people in and out of the house.And it was no particular occasiorj rr , r s t t w e r r t yp e o p l ei n a n d o u t o f t h e h o u s e . At onepoint we were talking about television and the woman said, ,,Oh Barbara doesn'twatch T.V. She's an intellectual."It was a joke ar-rd I feit goocl enough in that context with people I hardly knew to understand that they said that with a great deal of affection. I realizedthey were con.rplimenting me and being supportive for something I had accomplished. I'm sure they feit protid of the fact that Alice, the doctor, and Barbara, who teaches at U.Mass, were sitting around on a Sunday evening.And the thing is that it was not the kind of hostiiity that I have sometimes experienced from my so called peers of Black wor.nen about those very same strugglesand accomplishments.And it certainly is not the misunderstanding that I have gotten from r.t,hrte wonren about the rneanir-rg of that. Because of course,thesepeopleare trying to send their children to schooi too. Bev: I wonder is this the trade-off, is this what everyone who hasour identity has to sacrifice? one of my constantquestionsis how do other lesbiansof color live their lives?The other question I have is - "Is this 'fly in the butterrnilk' existencea function of our feminisrn more than our lesbianism?"To ask the question more explicitly- Do black iesbians,who do not identify as fen-rinists and basetheir lives in the Black cornmunity, feel this struggle? I think the answer is that they don't all t h e t i m e . I t ' sh a r d t o f i g u r e o u t . Bar: I think the isolation is probably a resuit much more of being a feminist. I think this has some classfactors in it. This almost takes us back to where we begar.r because in order to be involved in this wornen's rnovement, as it stands today, you have to be able to deal with "middle-classness". And the Black women who can take it are often the ones r,r,itheducationalprivilege. Lesbian Separatism Eds: Is a lesbian separatistposition inherently racist?Is this rtosition a viabLe political position to take? Bar: As we said in our collective statement (Combahee)I think we have real questionsbecause separatismseemslike such a narrow kind

be only viably practiced by of politics and also because it seems to white-skinned privilege' women who have certain kinds of privilege: kinds of privilege have to classprivilege. Women who don't have those of this society They deal with this socretyand with the institutions and farm' and invite the god.urr't go to a harbor oi.r,u'ly acres of land' racism is not gender specific dess.women of color u." ,r"ry aware that have experiences that have una tftut it affects all people of color' We experiencesof to clo with being female,.but are nonetheless ,ro,frir'tg deep oppressiou. . . atld even violence' got into lesbian separatBev: Maybe the reasotrthat white women isnrwasbecauseinbeingseparatisttheywereseparatirrgthemselves in this world from white men, glven t'"o* tn"." is so muclr oppression waysthey some In currently that white men have visited on people' even have to men white felt that ihey had to separatethemselvesfrom a fighting chance. making real political Bar: So seldor:.ris separatism involved in in any direct way' If society the in institutions .frung", affecting the women's issues' for you iefine certain movement issuesas straight theseidentireproductive rights and sterilizationabuse'then Ia-pl" goingto bother.with' iiuUt" ,"*.,u1lpolitical issuesare onesyou are not of doing political instead area' in our separatists how We have noticed might come to a organizing, often do zap acts For example they way' It is not clear -3"tkg o", series of r,'t"eti"gs tl-renmove or-rtheir sometimes think of *frut in"y.e actually tryiig to change' We separatisnras the politics without a practice' can't see it as a phiBev: One of the problems of separatismis that I oppressionand is of all roots the losophy that explains and analyies in a tnore validity some it has l think it going to go torvard solving men is from separate being about talk Io iimiied ,"pn".". To begin viable. It has some worthwhile aspects' You are very aware Bar: Many lesbians are separatistsin that sense that you really of the choice - that in being a lesbian you understand to make your sexuality' don't need men to define your identity, your necessarily doesn't That life meaningful or simply to hu"" a good time' you oppressions-that the mean that lou have ,,o-.o-ptehension of don't privilege class with share with men. And you see white women critical and antagonshare oppressionwith white men' The/re in a women of color other and istic position whereas Black women race' their men of definitely share oppressedsituationswith is that they color of lesbians What white lesbians have against with concerned are we accuse us of being "male identiii"d" b"tu"te seenot for us at anger express race' They issuesthat affect our r,r'hole

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B u r h u , t tS n it h1B r l e r A S n r r l l r

Barbartt

SnttllttBtr|er1vSrr?llh

ing the light. That is another aspectof hor,vthey carrv otl their racislll. that that the-vdismiss lesbians They are so narrow and adatnantabor.rt of color arrd wonlen of color who aren't lesbians because we have some concern about what happensto the nrelt of our race. And it'snot like we like their sexisrnor even want to sleepwith theru. You can certainly be concernedas we are living here this sumrner in Bostonr'r'hen o n e B l a c k m a n a f t e r a n o t h e re n d s u p d e a d . * Ber': It's not only being concerned, it is observing rt'l.rat l'rapp e n s - w h o d o e s r a c i s t a c t s a n d l v l - r oa r e t b e t a r g e t s f o r r a c i s r l r .l t would be incredibly dishonestto say that racism is a thirlg just experienced by Black womer.r. Bar: And also politically inexpedient. I think that people n,ho defir.re the bulk of themselvesas Black feminists certainly have decided tl-rat That doesn't Black r'vomen. their political work is in concertwith other racisnt. feelthat the realit-v of I mean that you're totally oblivious to the L o o k a t thc i t d o e s n t p l a l f a v o r i i e s . o n t ' t h i n g a b o u t r a c i s n ri s t h a t \volrlerl Black look at horn" And also history of lynching in this country. have experienced violence tl-ratis definitely racial. Wher-ryou read about Biack \A,olllenbeing lynched, they aren't thinkirtg of us as fenrales. The horrors that lve have experienced have absolutelt' es \\)omen. everything to do u'ith them rtol evenviewirtgLts Becauseif we are women some false chivalry rt'ould enter in and of a rnaybecertain things wouldn't happen. I've never read an accout-tt or one r,r,ho was pregnant.I think there'sa lynching of a white \^,ornan, that happens tcl all the old usual rape-tnr-rrder difference betr,r'een women and the lynching that happensspecificallyto BIack u'otnetr.A conternporaryexarnpleof that is hon Black u'ornetrrvho are battcreri and rvho physically defend thenrselvesare treated differentll' tharl rvhite lvomen by the courts. lt's seendiffererrtly by the courts lvhen a Therr it's so-called white middle classwolran rnurders her hr.rsband. self defense. I was just reading a case involving a Black \volrart 1n Michrgan where the Black \voman was sold down the river obviousl-v she u,asBlack. A negativeimage of Black men and rt'omen got because her fate delivered. Bev: One of the most dar.rgerous & erroneousconceptsthat separatin addition to sexisnr, ists have put forr,vardis that otl-rer oppressions, are attributed to men only. Sorne separatistsbelier,'ethat althor.rg)r women are racist, lr,hen men disappear and no longer rule racistr.t lvill not be a problenr. It's very analogousto people u,ho are Nlarxists
* A n e v c r . rl t r o r L -s t r i k i n g e x a n r p L ' o f [ h c c o n n e c t i o n b e t r l e e n a l . e s b i a n s e P e r r a t i s t s t a n c e a n c l t h e c l i s a . , ' o w arlr f r a c i s r n a s a c e n t r a l f e r n i r t i s tc ( ) l ) c c r r c a t t b e s e e t t i t r t h . - ' j n c r e c l i b l vn e g a t i v c r c s l l o n s e st o F l l l v B u i k i n ' s f i r r e a r t i c l e ' R a c i s t n a n d \ \ ' r i l i t t s : S o n t c l r n p l i c a t i o n sf o r W h i t c L e s b r a nC r i t t c s "c o l t r i r t qp r i n r a r i l v f r o t t . ts c p a r a t i s t s .

end' definitely the when classoppression.and.racisrn who say "We1l, will end'" What lesbianseparatists oppressionof ot'o-"t ut'd lesbians

s91ism wheri;=;;lrid ofmen' isthat saying are ilit:::TJ]ii::l tJ,:::"i::,:' aspect::j racist most the o'rif tnuttm, is il;il#*
;"":r'#;:'."g",r"'rrr" lesbianshave racismthat u.omen,including ^-^:.^ ^^'_^ l^.hiarr

; J ; "' f Jl:"-1, i'"'.: "": rifestyres. res " Many or,r,n in their Ii';#;.HKil;"";;;;;;,isnr w:"19 separatists ; .;il;;; in'"-'"t""' ffi;ffi;; l"Y,l:::i: to befriend a man (althoughthey may
. rl.^^.,^-l:,,-.^'i+l

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acrosst":"1t.5:l:1:t: cornc thatI have , a-ltnonesty '.1:l::' "rtl s v e i m e s h e t d g u' i ;;i ilil ;, ; ;;

a rnan and u'otrld not go \rerv f ar but they don't go any further than have a ferv token men in their livesJ t o d i s a v o r t 't h e i r s e p a l a t i s n l ' disavowal is' from nly perspecBar: I disagreervith that Tl-reso-cailed those very kinds of choices' glor.ify tive, the lack of need to deify or make much of the fact that I t clon I get angrv at the fact thai Separatists of the lveek to the other' I feel tltey don'tseea man socialll'frorn one end in any way politicalpositionsthat I clonot consider to collapse are tryir-rg the as {ar as I an-rconcerned' is not trivial. Who yotl f-,ot'"po't'"' with' comrnitment' bottom line of defining 1'our political are r'vhitelesbian sepa'ratists that think I also rt,ant to say thlt I don't womell in the wometr'stnoventent more racist than any other lvhite

thatrvedealwith.tiusttnint<ittakesdiffererrtforrrrs.W hitelesbian to instancesof oppresseparatismhas alnlost a studied obiiviousness for exat'nplesocialists'are sion rt'hereasanother group of feminisis' itseli raclslr would n-ranifest even rnore sectarian The way thelr but-they \vas an irnportant issue tl-rey r't,otllclknou' that racism as a theoretrc-"]^li'9tt"t an1'*'uy in it wouldn't be dealing u'ith "*t"pi of color wouid be ouo-"tt a'ottnd dealing Their air.o,tto'i^ln issr.re. just as apparent' All white peojust as palpable;that attitude *oJd be diseaseof racisln ple in tl'riscountr)' are victinrs o{ the Sonretimesit's as sinrple as Don-racist. a irrnfu, There is no sucl-r you can share cr'v lvith and r't'ht-' who you can laugl'rlvith, u'ho Yotl can of lvl-rite bunches are ,rnor"fu." yo., can toucir. There mealsu,ith ur-ra *ont"rtforrvhomthesethingstl-ratl'ven-renticinedareunknolt'nexperiences rt'ith rt'omen oi color' She'sbeen doing surgery Bar: Beveriy is fixing this little teddl'bear' remarkable stan-rina' bear shor't's on it f or the Iast .o"f i! oi noutt' The you courd say that we are having a series of like r-rohur.nanbeirig. operationsil.rour lir,'es Ber,:Ifitrveren,tforBarbaraarrdherrelationshipr^''ithti-risperson it' , I nouldn't be deaiing with ,nl-roi, rrot nT1'self to this conversation' Bar: I don't see that as beil'rgrelevant horv l got involved in this surgery Bev: lt is relevant l'nl talking abortt

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Ilarbura Sntit h,iBelerlr' Snirl lr

r u Sntt t h l BelerA' Srnt llt Bar Ltct

).25

Homophobia

in the Black Community

Eds: Describeyour experience in dealing with hontophobic B?acksrslers. Bar: There'snothing to compare with how you feel when you,re cut cold by your own. . .I think the reasonthat Black *orrr"n are so hor'ophobic is that attraction-repulsionthing. They have to speakout vociferouslyagainstlesbianisnrbecauseif they donlt tl-rey 'ray have to deal rn'iththeir own deep feelingsfor wornen. They make great case s for how fucked up it all is, a'd therefore cover tl.reirasses admirablv. Is homophobia more entrenched in the Black community than in the whitecommunity? Ber,,: You can argue about that until Jesuscornes,really. Bar: I really must say historically,politicalry there are more reasons f o r t h e B l a c k c o m m u ' i t y t o b e h o m o p h o b i c ,o n e o f t h e m b e i n s t h a t the women's movelr)ent has r.ade felt,er inroads into the Black"conrmunity, as lt'ell as gay rights. we can assumethat a communitv that has been subject to the ideas of the movernent is going to l-,uue'-.rr" consciousness. And given hor,r,, up until the last couple of years the feminist movement has not touched Third world .o,r-rr-,..,r-,iti"r, n," can expect their attitudes to be much as they have been i'the past. o'e of the reasonsthat I have thought for ho.rophobic attiiucles among Black women is the whole sexual stereotypingused againstall Black people anyway, but especiallywomen in relati,cnto ho]nosexuality - you know, the "Black builcragger" irnage. Lesbianisrnis ciefiritely about somethingsexual,a so-carled deviant sexuarity.So the rn.a,v most Biack women deal with it is to be just as rigid and cl,csed abour rr as possible.white people don't have a sexual image that ar.rother oppressorconununity has put on them. Bev: This country is so racist that it is possibieto take many, many things and conceptsthat have 'othing to clowith race and taik about the.r in racial terms. Becausepeople are so dichotomized into either black or white, it defines a co.tinuum. This is so strict and so overwhelming in this country, you can take things that have nothing to dcr with race and refer to tl.rern racially. Therefore, Black people have the option of takirrgthings _ sexualitl, , behavior, conflicts, whatever they do',t litie - and ,uying ,,That,s w h i t e . " L e s b i a n i s mi s n o t t h e o n l y t h i n g s e e na s a w h i t e t h i n g . A r e a l g o o d e x a m p k ' i s s u i c i d e .B l a c k p e o p l e s a y , " y e a r r ,s u i c i d e i s 1 r v h i t e thing." Bar: oh yeah, we used to berievethat. A'd of course one felt all the worse for having consideredit. I'm thinking of Ntozake Shange's play "for colored girls who have considered suicide.,,It,s verv L.u,r". t mean, she'sdealing with a lot oI myths, by saying that we l.,ur," "r"', consideredit, if it's supposedto be a white thins.

Bev: Any behavior Black people say is despicable,they can disregard by saying this doesn't belong to the Black community. Theres hardly a thing in this world in our experience that is not referred to being either Black or white, from animals on - people talking about white dogs. They weren't talking about dogs that were white in coior, they were talking about dogs that belong to white people. Bar. So often lesbianismand male homosexualityis talked about as a diseasewithin the Black community. It is just so negatingof our r.t,hite lives. Very upsetting. attack? to homophobic Eds: Are Black women more vtilnerable Bar: Yes, Black wonten are lnore vulnerable to homophobic attack becauselve don't have white skin privilege, or classprivilege to fall back on if somebodywants to start a smear campaign againstus. As I said in m)'essay, "Tort'arda Black Feminist Criticism," it's iheterosexual privilegeJalrt'ays the last to go. We don't have any of the other privileges.It really is jumping off the edgein a very fundamental way. Somebody rt'l'rois already dealing with multiple oppressionis more vulnerable to another kind of attack upon her identity. Ber,: I also feel that Black \{omen are more vulnerable to physical attack as lesbiansbecatisethey're Black. The storiesyou hear over the years of Black lesbians being attacked for being lesbian, usuaily by white menl to identi' resistance Blackwomen's ben+'een Eds: What is therelationship lesbianisn? antl as fying feninists, Bar: It's real connected. Femitristshave been portrayed as nothing to the Black community as well. There was a considerbut "lesbians" able effort in the early seventiesto turn the Black comrnunity off to feminism. You can look at publications, particularly Black publications making pronouncements about w'hat the feminist movement u'as and rvho it reached that rvould trivialize it, that would say no involved, that did everything possibleto prevent Biack lvomen \Arere thosc-coalitions between Black and white won'ren from happening becausethere u'as a great deal of fear. Black men did not want to lose Black rvomen as allies. And the white power structure did not want to knew that would bond acrossracial Iines becausetl-rey seeall \A'omen a very goodiob. They did cornbination. unstoppabie be an unbeatable period. that happenings durir-rg just those document You can you have to be feminist a that to be think women Black most So,yes, with being have to deal you least ther-r at not if that, lesbian. And a hard be in the very to is true. It's that you see, And lesbians. around you're so if And lesbians. around not be and movemenr womens honrophobic that you can't deal with the thought of lesbianism then

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Ba r bara Smit h 1 Bever ly' Sni t )t

Barbara SrnithiBeverllSmith

1.27

you probably won't be involved. I think these things are changing. More and more Black women are becoming sensitiveor sympathetic to the women's movement.

Third World Women: Tokenism or Leadership

Eds: How, as women of color, can we prevent ourselvesfront betng tokenizedby white feminists? How do you seeThird World womenformue the leadershipin the feminist movernent? Bev: One looks at that question about tokenism and just throws up her hands. There are so many possibilitiesof tokenization.One of the rnosttokenizedsituationsthat Barbara and I find ourselvesin is when we are asked to speak at a certain place. You can be certaiu to be the only Black personthere. You'regoing to be put in the position of speaking for the race, for all Black feminists. One of the things that helps rs to get paid and to put it on that level so you don't feel so exploited. Bar: I think that the service Gloria thought of having and calling it "Dial a Token"- I mean that'sa good thing. For one thing it puts it out there. It's saying, "Hey, i know what you're doing and I want to get paid for it." Another thing, try not to be the only Third World person there. I was thinking of the meeting that Cherrie \^'entto when she was here witl-r us. Ar.rdeven though there were severalThird World wolnen we were still tokenized.{laughing)I guessthat I am really talking about support as opposedto defusing tokenization. Bev: Given the state of things between Black and lvhite women, we're going to be tokenized quite a bit. It's so hard to get around that. Bar: A solution to tokenism is not racial separatism. There are definitely separatist aspectserrrergingamol)g the Black and Third World feminist community and that is fine. But, ultimately, any kind of separatismis a dead end. It'sgood for forging identity and gathering strength, but I do feel that the strongestpolitics are coalition politics that cover a broad baseof issues.There is no way that one oppressed group is going to topple a system by itself. Forrning principled coalitions around specific issuesis very important. You don't necessarilv have to like or love the people you're in coalition with. This brings me back to the issue of lesbian separatisrn.I read in a women's newspaper an article by a wonran speakingon behalf of lesbian separatists.She claimed that separatistsare more radical thar.r other feminists.what l really feel is radical is trying to rnake coalitions with people who are differe^t from you. I feel it is radical to be dearinc with race and sex and classand sexualidentity all at one time. I think that is really radical becauseit has never been done before. And it really

thereis a oissesme off that they think of themselvesas radical. I think differencebetweenbeingextremeand being radical' This is wh,v Third world women are forrning the leadershipin the feminist rnovement becausewe are not one dirnensional,one-issued in our political understanding.Just by virtue of our identities we cerissues tainly define raceand usually define classas being fundamel.rtal the politics, your that u,e have to address. The more r,t'ide-ranged more potentially profound and transformative they are' Bev: The way I see it, the function that Third World women play in the movement is that we're the people who throw the ball a certain distance and then the white women run to that point to pick it up. I feel we are constantlychallengingwhite women, usuaily on the issues wolnen to go furof racism but not always. We are alrvayschallerrging that sojourner the speech of think often I so ther, to be more realistic. more becauseoi much but so contents the of Tfuth made not because Let together. thing this get let's "Norv children, the function. She says, adI must you'" for it out lay my Let here. on going me explain r,r'hat's of rlyseli thought have I is that it so often of I think mit that the reason in that situation."Let n]e explain this to you one more time, let me take you by the hand, etc."I find myself playing that role' But there'sa way in actual leadership ino"gh that I feel that Third World women are t"tot making, etc. Rut policy of in terms rnovernent women's in the posit,:ors to challengethe position the in we are vision. the have we certainly of any theoretical out not and, date to it stands as movement feminist and our conroppression class race and of analysis Our commitnrent. is homophobia, including issues, those with dealing really to mitment to insure our survival. It know we have to struggler,r'ith somethingr,r,e is organic to our verY existence Bar: Thank you, sweetheart.Teddybearjust gave me a kiss' Bye Girls.

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129 ChenlClarke

Lesbianism: an Act of Resistance

Cheryl Clarke
capitalist,misogFor a woman to be a lesbianin a male-supremacist, ynist, racist, homophobic, imperialist culture, such as that of North (A resistance that should be champiAmerica, is an act of resistance. oned througirout the world by all the forces struggling for liberation frorn the same slave master.)No rnatter how a woman lives out irer lesin the bedroom - shehas bianism - in the closet,in the statelegislature, rebelledagainstbecoming the slavemastersconcubine,viz. the male' dependent female, the female heterosexual. This rebellion is dangerous businessin patriarchy. Men at all levels of privilege, of all classes and colors have the potential to act out legalistically,moralistically and violently when they cannot colonize women, when they cannot circumscribe our sexual,productive, reproductive, creative prerogatives and energies.And the lesbian- that woman who, as Judy Grahn in resistingthe slave says,"hastaken a woman lover"r - has succeeded master'sirnperialism in that one sphere of her life. The lesbian has decolonizedher body. She has rejected a life of servitude implicit in Western,heterosexualrelationshipsand has acceptedthe potential of mutuality in a lesbian relationship- rolesnotwithstanding. has come to identify lesbians as women, Historically, this cr.rlture relawho over time, engagei:na rangeand variety of sexual-emotioDal tionships with women. I, for one, identify a womarl as a lesbian u'l-ro saysshe is. Lesbianismis a recognition,an awakening, a rearvakening of our passionfor each {woman) other {woman)and for same (woman). This passionwill ultirnately reverse the heterosexualimperialism of male culture. Women, through the ages,have fought and died rather than deny that passion. In her essay,"The Meaning of Our Love for Women IsWhat We Have Constantlyto Expand"Adrienne Rich states: . . . Before any kind of feminist nrovernentexisted, or could exist, lesbiansexisted: women who loved women, who refused to comply with behavior dernanded of women, who refused to define themselvesin reiation to rnen. Those women, our foresisters,ntilIions whose names we do not knorv, were tortured and burned as witches, slandered in religious and later in "scientific"tracts, portrayed in art and literature as bizarre, amoral, destructive, decadent womerr. For a long time, the lesbianhas been a personification of feminine evil.

two cultures' both . . . Lesbiansirave beetl forced to live between endangered.our and denied has which male-do-inated eacir of driven lesbians has culture patriarchal existence . . Het"rosexual, and suicide'r i.rto r"r.".y and guiit, ofterrto self-hatred - two women' ferninism and lesbianism of synthesis The evolving silence and that is breaking centered and powered ideologies againstthat cut i-soffered as one srnall ,".r".y The foiowing analysis or alloriginal be is rrot intended to stone of silence ur-,a,'"tt"ty lt history from hidden the wornen inclusive. I dedicate this work to all it possible for me to call my rnade have triumph and *nor" suffering name out loud.* Thewornanr,t,iloen.rbraceslesbianisr.rrasal-rideological,political, from heterosexual of all worner.r unJpnitorophical meansof liberation of all women struggle -";t also identify with the r't'orld wide ;yd;; I am conas far As levels' to end male-supremacisi tyranny at all herself conrmit must fenriDist cerned, any wonan *4-ro.uils heiself a totheliberationofallwomerlfrotncoercecllreterosexualit yasit on Madison Avenue' The manifests itself in the family, the state' and of all people from patri Iesbian-feminist strugglesfor the liberation for the transformation and archai domirration thllugh heterosexism that have relationships and oi utt ,o.io-political strllctures, systenls' domination' male of centuries b"".t d"g.uied and corrupted r'rndero"" kind of lesbian' no one kind of lesbian However, there rs "o behavior,atrdrroonekirrdoflesbiarrrelationship'Alsothereisnoone Iabor under to survive kind of responseto the pressuresthat Iesbians aslesbians.Noiall*o-".'whoareinvolvedinsexual-emotional iesbians or identify with relationships r"'ith wonlen call themselves are only lesbiansto worrren Many any particuiar lesbian comnrunity' as they traffic heterosexuals pass as a particular community and passing for and black being to enemies. (This is analogous ;;";g true origins.) oDe's white with only one,sin-rmediaGiamiiy knowing Yet,thoservhol-ricleintheclosetofheterosexttalpresumptionare story retells "nigger-in-the-woodpile" sooner or later discovered'The may fear but iesbians' as active politically itself. Many women are heterosexualturf ' holding hands with theii lovers as they traverse predo'ninance can be likened to the 1if,is ,?sponse to heterosexual reactionoftheblackstudentwhointegratesapredominatelywhite she her room open wher.r dorn-ritoryand who fears leaving the dotr of
*Ilr,oulcliiketogir,eparticttlaracktrolr,leclglrter-rttotheCorr-rbaheeRir'erCollectives "struggiing.against ,,A Stut"-",ri:. Becausc thil il(tcr,unent.esPousL-s Black Fer.nir.rist i t t r a sb e & r n l c t t t . t l a t l i f e s t o f r a d i c a l o p p r e s s i o n , " c l a s s a n d h e t c r o s e x u a l s e x u a l racial feminist thought action and practlce

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C l t r r r1 C 1 ,i 1

Cheryl Clatke

13I

plays gospel rrusic.) There is the woman who errgages in sexr.ralernotionalrelationsl-rips with u,omen and labelsherself blse,rual. {This is comparable to the Afro-An'rericanwhose ski'-color ir-rdicates her rnixed ancestry yet who calls herself "mulatto" rather than black l Bisexual is a safer label than lesbian, for it posits the possibility of a relationshipwith a man, regardless of how infrequent or non-existent the female bisexual's relationshipswith n-ren rnight be. And then tirere is the lesbianwl.rois a lesbianan1'r.t'here and everyr,a,,here and rvho rs rr.r direct and constart co.rfrontation with heteroiexual presurrption, priviiege, and oppression.(Her strugglecan be.o,rrpu."d to that of thc civil Rights activist of the 1960's who was out there or"r tl-re streetsior freedom, while so rnany of us viewed the action on the televisio^.1 wherever we, as lesbians,fall along this very ger.rerarized poritical continuum, we 'rust know that the institution oiheteros""uulity i, o die-hard custor.n through which rr-rale-supremacist ir-rstitutior.rs insur.e their own perpetuity and co'tror over us. !\br.rer.rare keDt, 'rarrtained, and contained through terror, violence,and spray of semen. It is profitable for our colonizersto confine our bodiei and alienate us from our own life processes as it was profitable for the European trr enslave the African a'd destroy all memory of a prior freedom ancl s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o ' - A l e x H a l e v . o t r . r . i t h s t a n d i n gA . ^d just as the foundation of western capitalis'r depended uporithe Noith Atlantic slave trade, tl.re system of patriarchal dominatior.r is buttressedbv thc subjugation of r,r'omenthrough heterosexuality.So patriarchs 'rust extoll the boy-girl dyad as "natural"to keep us straighi a'd complia't in the sarneway the European had to exto[ caucasia'superioiitr. ,,., justify the African slave trade. Asainst that historic backdroo, t/r.: wotTlanwho chooses tctbe a lesbittrtlivesdanpert,ush,. A s a m e m b t ' r o f t h e i a r g e s ta n d s e c o n d r r i o s to p p r e s s e d group r,l' people of color, as a woman r,r'hose slave and ex-slaveforesisterss,.rtfered some of the most brutal racist,male-supremacist imperialisn-r in western history, the black lesbian has had to survive aiso the psvchic mutilation of heterosexualsuperioritl'. The black lesbian is coerced i.to the experienceof i'stitutional racisrn- Iike every other nigger i' America - and r,ust suffer as well the homoprrobit sexism lJ tt.," black political community, some of whom seem to have forqotten scr s.oon the pair-r of rejection, deniar,and repressionsarrctionedLl,racist America. while 'ost political black resbiansdo .ot sive a damn if white America is .egrophobic it becomesdeepry prof,lematic r,r'hen the .contemporar)' black political cornmunity (ar.rother malc-_ dorninated a'd r.rrale-identified institution) rejects us becauseof ourcommitment to rvornen and wonren's liberafion. Mar-ry black male members of that commu'ity seernstill not to understand the historic

connection bet$'een the oppression of African peoples in North Arnerica and the unir.ersal oppressioll of women' As the women's rights activist and abolitionist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, pointed out during the 1850s racism and sexismhave been produced by the same animal, viz. "the white Saxon man'" Gender oppression (i.e. the male exploitation and control of women's productive and reproductive energieson the speciousbasis of a biological differencel originated from the first division of labor, viz. that betlveen women and men, and resulted in the accumulation of private propert)', patriarchal usurpation of "mother right" or matrilineage,and the duplicitous, male-supremacistinstitution of heterosexualrnonogarny(for women orrly).Sexualpolitics, therefore,mirror the white slave the exploitative, class-bound relationship betweer-r reiationships both impact of master and therAfrican slave and the has residual been rtran) and ibetlveen black and white and woman man had a white ruling class The and suffrage. beyond en-rancipation African slave. of the treatment centuries-oldn'rodelfor his day-to-day to justify the African's continued enslavementand Before he lean-red the ex-slave's continued disfranchisement with arguments of the African's divinely ordained mental and moral inferiority to himself ia smokescreenfor his capitalist greed| the w,hite nlan learned, within the structure of heterosexual nlonogamy and under the system of patriarchy, to relate to black people - slaveor free - as a man relatesto a woman, viz. as property, as a sexual commodity, as a servant, as a source of free or cheap labor, and as an innately inferior being' Western heterosexuality,which Although counter-revolutionar-v, advances tnale-supretnacy,continttes to be upheld by many black people, especially black n-ren,as the most desired state of affairs between men and women. This observationis borne out on the pages of our most scholarlybiack publicationsto our most commercial black view the issueof black male and female relationpublications,r,r'hich bias. But this is to be expected, ships through the lens of heterosexual one of our onlv nleans of power rn,as as historically l.reterosexuality over our condition as slaves and one of tr,r'ollleans we had at our disposalto appeasethe white man. Norv, as ex-slaves,black men have more latitude to oppressblack women, becausethe brothers no longer have to competedirectly with the lvhite man for control of black tl'omen's bodies. Nou', the black to tyrannize the "master"role, and he can atter.l-rpt man can assLlnle The black nran may view the lesbian - who cannot be black u,or.)len. manipulateclor seducedsexually by him - in Druchthe same way tl-re white slave master onceviewed the biack rnale slave,viz. as someperverse caricature of manhood threatening his position of dominance

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Chen^l Clarh,

CherylClarke

133

over the female body. This view, of course, is a "neurotic illusion" imposed on black men by the dictatesof mare suprenlacy,which tht: black man can never fulfill becausehe lacks the capitai means ancl racial privilege. Historically, the myth in the Black world is that there are onlv trt,. free people in the United States,the white man and the 6tack woma-n.The myth was establishedby the Black man in the long period of his frustration when he longed to be free to have the material and socialadvantages of his oppressor,the white man. on examination of the myth this so-calledfreedom was based on the sexualprerogativestake' by the white man on the Black female. It was fantasiedby the Black man that she enioyed it. r while lesbian-feminism does threaten the"biack r'an's predato^. c o n t r o lo i b l a c k w o m e n , i t s g o a la s a p o l i t i c a ri d e o l o g ya n d p i - r i l o s o p h i . is not to take the black man's or any man,sposition on top. Black lesbians who do work within ,,by-for-about-blick-people g r o u p so r o r g a n i z a t i o ne s i t h e r p a s sa s " s t r a i g h t ' o r relegate our lesbiarrism to the so-called "private" sphere. The more male-dominated or black nationalistbourgeoisthe organizationor group, the more resistant to change, and thus, the more homophobic and anti-feminist. hr these sectors,we learn to keep a low profile. In 1979, at the annual conference of a regional chapter of the National Black social workers, the national director of that body rn,as given a standing ovation for the following remarks: Homosexualsare even accordedminority statusnor,t, . . . And whitc women, too. And some of you black *omen who call yourselves feministswill be sitting up in meetings*'ith the same white rvome,., who will be stealingyour men on tlie sly. This type of indictment of women's revorution a'd imoricitrv oi Iesbian liberation is voiced throughout the bourgeois black 1malel movement. But this is the ir-rsidious nature of male suDremacv.whilrthe black ntan may consider racism his primary oppression he is hard-put to recognizethat sexism is inextricabry bouna up with the racism the black woman nrust suffer, nor can he seethat no women (or men for that matter) wili be liberated from the orisinal "masterslave"relationship,viz. that between men and women, until we are all liberated frorn the false premise of heterosexual superioritv. This corrupted, predatory relationship between men and women is the foundation of the master-slaverelatio.ship between white and black p e o p l ei n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . The tactic many black men use to intimidate black women fron'r embracing feminism is to reduce the conflicts between white women and black women to a "tug-o-w ar" f or the black penis. A.d since the black lesbian, as stated previously, is not interestedin his penis, sl.rc-

his undermines the black man's only source of power over her, viz' the in involved women all black lesbians and heterosexuality.Black struggle for liberation must resist this manipulation and seduction. Utact<dyke,likeevery dyke in America, is everywhere-inthe T1tre socialsecurity home, in the street,on the welfare, unemployment and forces, on armed the in faciories, in working rolls, raising children, going to professions, in the all system, school television,in the public The black et. al. middle-management, in college or graduate school, woman poor and class working and non-white dyke, Iike every other in America, has not suffered the luxury, privilege or oppressionof being dependent on men, even though our t.nalecounterparts have been have shared our lives, work and struggle, and, in addition pr:"t"ttt, 'have undermined our "human dignity" along the way like most men in patriarchy,the imperialist family of man. But we could treverdepend alone-and, of course, on them "to take care of us" on their resources our fathers, brothers, on imposed "neurotic illusion" it is another "take care of us" because to supposed they are that lovers, husbands "to control us" us" equals of "to care take Translate: we are wonlen. is their manpower only husbands' lovers', fathers', Our brothers', white skin by embellished is somehow manhood unless hood. And c u r r e n c y in racist, l i t t l e i t h a s w e a l t h , p r i v a t e o f and generations native is accorded for example, man, The black patriarchy. capitalist in imwomen black over status vigilante or guard colonial or elite perialist patriarchy.He is an overseerfor the slave master.Becauseof to certain privileges,eg' employment, his malenesshe is given access education,a car, life insurance,a house,sotle nice vines. He is usually a rabid heterosexual.He is, since emancipation, allowed to raise a "legitimate" family, allowed to have his piece of turf, viz' his wife and children. That is far as his dictatorship extends for, if his wife decides that she wants to leave that home for whatever reason, he to seduceher otherwise if she is doesnot have the power or resources deterrninedto throw off the benign or malicious yoke of dependency. The ruling class white man on the other hand, has always had the power to count women among his pool of low-wage labor, his means of production. Most recently, he has "allowed" women the right to sue for divorce, to apply for AFDC, and to be neocolonized' poor biack men and women who banded togetherand TLaditionally, stayed together ind raised children together did not have the luxury to iultivate dependenceamong the members of their families. So, the black dyke, iike most black women, has been conditioned to be selfsufficient, i.e. not dependent on men. For me personally, the conditioning to be self-sufficient and the predominance of female role models in my Iife are the roots of my iesbianism.Before I becamea [es-

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Clrerr'1Clurli,

Chen'lCIarke

r.35

bian, I ofter.r wondered why I was expectedto give up, avoid, a'cr tri'ializetire recognitionand encouragementI felt from wolren in order tir pursue the tenuous busi^essof ireterosexuality. And I arn not u.ic1ue. As political lesbians,i.e. lesbians who are resisti.g the prevaiiing culture's attempts to keep us invisible and poweiless, \\re must becomemore visible (particularly black and other lesbiansof color) tcr our sistershidden in their various closets,locked in prisons of selfhate and ambiguity, afraid to take the ancient act of woman-bonding beyond the sexual, the private, tl'repersonal. I am not tryire to reifr. lesbianisrr-r or feminism. I am trying to point out that lesbian-fenri'isnr has the pote'tial of reversingand transforming a major conrponert ir.r the system of womer's oppressio', viz. predaio.y l-,"te.ose*uaiity. If r a d i c a ll e s b i a n - f e m i n i s u pru r p o r t sa n a n t i- r a c i s i ,a r r t i classist a.n t i woman-hating vision of bonding as mutual, reciprocal, as i.finitelr. negotiable,as freedom from antiquated gender prescriptior-rs and proscriptions, then all people struggting to transform tie characte:r ,,1 relationshipsin this culfure have somethingto learn from lesbrans. The woman who takes a woman lover iives dangerouslv in patri_ archy. And woe betide her even more if she choosesas her lo,r", o woman r,t'hois not of her race. The silence among lesbiar-r-fernir.rrsts r e g a r d i n gt l r e i s s u eo f l e s b i a nr e l a t i o n s h i p s b e t w e e nb l a c k a n c ln h r t t , wolnen in America is canseclby none other thar.rtl.recerturies-olcl taboo and laws in the u'ited Statesagainst relatio.sl.ripsbet*,eer.r people of color and thoseof the caucasian race. Speaki'e ireterosexually, the laws and taboos were a reflection of the patriarchal sla,,,e master'sattempts to control his property via controlring his lineagc through the institution of monogamy (foi women only) ircl justifiect the taboos and laws with the argu'rent that pr.rrityolthe ciucasia' racemust by preserved (aswell as its suprer-nacy). Aov'ever, rve kno*' that his racist a.d racialist laws and taboos did not apply to l.ri'r ir.r ternrs of the black slave lt'o'a' just as his classistlairls and tabo.s regarding the relationship between the ruling class a.d tl.reinde'tured servantsdid not apply to hirn in terms of the white \\,olna' servant he choseto rape. The offspring of any unions betrveenthe rvhite ruling classslave master and the black slave \\,oman or rvhite woma, indentured servant could r.rot legally i.herit their white or rrrling class sire'sproperty or name, just their mothers,conditio'of ser.,,ittide. The taboo againstblack and white people relating at any otlrer re,,,e l . t h a n m a s t e r s l a v e ,s u p e r i o r - i n f e r i o h r a st e e n p r o p o u n d e di r . A r 'errca t o k e e p b l a c k l ' o m e n a n d r n e na ' d l v h i t e w o m e n a n d m e r , r'ho shar c a cornrnonoppressionat tl.re l.ra'dsof the ruling class'.,hite rnan, fronr orgar-rizing against that co'rr'o' oppression. we, as black lesbians,

rnust vehemently resist being bound by the white man's racist, sexist laws, which have endangeredpotential intimacy of any kind between whites and blacks. It cannot be presumed that black lesbiansinvolved in love, work, white lesbiansdo so out of self-hate and and social relationshipsr,n'ith identities' and oppression.Why racial-cultural heritage, our of deniai to the struggle be questioned or commitment \\roman's a should skin color?White ]esher or comrade's of lover's the basis on accepted ,,t'ith any lesbiansof color lesbians or likeu'ise black engaged bians guilt-ridden perverse, some out of to be actir-rg assumed be cannot d e s i r e . racialist tired of going to events, conferences,workshops, I personaily ar-r"r planning sessionsthat involve a coming together of black and other iesbiansof color for political or even social reasonsand listening to black lesbians relegate ferninisn-rto rvhite women, castigateblack women who propose forming coalitions with predominantiy white feminist groups, minirnize the rt'hite woman's oppressionand exagcommitgerateher port er, and then finally judge that a black lesbian's ment to the liberation of black women is dubious becauseshe doesnot sleepn ith a black woman. All of us have to accept or reject allies on the basis of politics not on tl-respeciousbasis of skin color' Have not black peoplesufieretlbetraval from our own pectplel' Yes, biack worlell's experiences of misog-vnyare different from white women's. Hou'ever, they all add up to holv the patriarchalsiave masterdecided to oppressus. We both fought each other for his favor, approval, and protection.Such is the effect of irnperialist,heterosexist patriarchy. Shulamith Firestone,in the essay,"Racism:the Sexisnlof the Farnily of Man", purports this analysisof the relationshipbetweet-t white and black rvornen: racial Tfiangle feel about each other? Hon' do the rvomen of tl-ris have qrown hostileto eachother, Dir''ideanclconquer: Both ',votrteu lvith no rnorals,black white women feeling conteurptfor the "sluts" "por,t'der puffs." The black women feeling envv ior the pan-rpered legitinlacy, privilege, ar-rd jealous ltoman's the rvhite of woman is c o m f o r t , b u t s h e a l s o f e e l sd e e p c o n t e m p t . . . S i n r i l a r l y t h e w h i t e \^.oman's contempt for the black woman is mixed with envy: for the black r'vor-r.ran's sreater sexual iicense, for her gutsiness,for her mar riage bind. For after all, the black u'olnan is the freedom frorn n o t u n d e r t h e t h u m b o f a m a n , b u t i s p r e t t y m u c h h e r o w n b o s st o corne and go, to leave the house, to lvork (much as it is degrading . h a t t h e w l ' r i t ew o m a n d o e s n ' tk n o w i s W workl or to be "shiftless" the thunrb of orlentatl, can ttolt' be not under rvomatr, that the black squashedby all. There is no alternative for eitl.rerof them than the choice between being public or private property, but becauseeach

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Chert.r Cttrt ,,

CherylClarke

still believesthat the other is getting away r,r'ith somethingboth can be fooled into mis-channeling their frustration onto each other rather than or-rto the real enemy, 'The Man.'r Though her statementof the choicesblack and white r,r'omen have under patriarchy in America has merit, Firestone analyzes only a specific relationship i.e. between the ruling classwhite wornan ancl slave or ex-slave black woman. Becauseof her whiteness, the white wornan of all classeshas bee' accorded,as the black man has becauseof his maleness,certain Drrvr_ leges in racist patriarchy, e.g. indentured servitude ur oppor"d 1.., enslavement, exclusive right to public assistanceuntil the 1960s "legitimate" offspring and (if married into the middle/upper class]the luxury to live on her husband'sincome, etc. The black woman, having neither maleness nor whiteness, has always had her heterosexuality,which white men and black rr.ren have mar-ripulated by force and at will. Further, she, like all poor people, has had her labor, which the white capitalist man has also taker and exploited at will. These capabilities have allowed black wolnen minimal access to the crumbs thrown at black men and lvhite women. So, when the black woman and the white woman becorne lovers,we bring that history and all thosequestionsto the relationship as well as other people'sproblems with the relationships.The taboo againstintimacy between white and black people has been internalized by us and simultaneously defied by us. If we, as lesbian-fentinists, defy the taboo, then we begin to transform the history of relationshipsbetween black women and urhrtewomen. In her essay, "Disloyal to Civiiizatior.r:Feminism, Racism, Gynephobia," Rich calls for feminists to attend to the compiexities of the relationship betu'een black and white wornen in the United States. Rich queries: What caricaturesof bloodlessfragility and broiling sensualitystill imprint our psyches,and where did we receivethese imprintings? What happened between the several thousand northern wltite wonen and southern black \^ronteltwho together taught in the schoolsfounded under Reconstructionby the FreedmentsBureau, side by side braving the Ku Klux KIan harrassment,terrorism, and the hostility of white communities?*:'
*One such exarnple is tlre Port R o v a l E x p e r i n . r e n t{ 1 g 6 2 ) , t h e p r e c u r s o r o f t h e Freedmen's Bureau. Port Royal \!as a program of relief for,,freed nten and n,onren,'in the S o u t h c a r o l i n a S c a I s l a n c l s ,o r g a n i z e d u n d e r t h e a u s p i c e so i t h e B o s t o n E d u c a t r o n commission and the Freedmen's R e l i e f A s s o c . i n N e w y o r k a n d t h e p o r t R o 1 ' a lR e l i e i Assoc. ir Philadelphia, and sanctioned by the Union Arny and the Federal Governnrent. SeeTheJ ournLtlof CharhttteFctrterr on t he "port Royal Experi nrent" l Beacon P r e s s ,B o s t o n , 1 9 6 9 ) .T h r o u g h h e r N o r t h e r n b o u r g e o i s m ) ' o p i a F o r t L ' n r e c o u n t s h e r experiences a s a b l a c k t c a c h e ra n r o n gt h e l r l a c k f r e e d m e n a n d u , o n r e na D d h e r N r . r r t h e r n w , h i t cr v o m e n p e e r s .

to stop fighting each other for our spaceat So,all of us would do well spent so lluch becausethere ain't no more room' We have +re hottolrl, - arr! that' for all And ourselves' Time to love 1i6e hating ourselves' is the final fighters' freedom as u! lo.r".r, as comrades' i;;ir"t resistance'

ENDNOTES
a Common Wbman' Diana rcrahn, Jucly "The Colrmon \\bman"' The Worh of ' Press.Oakland, 1978'P' 67 SelectedProse1966'1978 W.W' and Silettce: zRich, Adrien ne' On Lres,Secrets' Z25' Norton. Ner,r'\brk, 1979'P Study Fpltt by?oor Black 3Robinson, Pat and Group "Poor Black.Women's (ed) Thc' Black Woman: An Cad-e N"* Vottt' in T Women of Mount Ve"#, p 194' 1970' York Nerc Library' xl." et'l.tltun ;;;;';';; Revolutktn aFirestone,Shularnith, The Dialecticof Ser: The Casefor Feminist 113' Bantam Books, New York' 1972' P' 5 R i c ho , p . c i t . ,P . 2 9 8

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138

Lowridirg Through the Women's Movement

Barbara Noda
One road winds downthe mountains, past apple orchards,ar.rd into the half-awake town of watsonv're, ca'liforniu. xot q"i*"irri,,.u",i by the university studentsof Santa cruz or the tourists of Mor.rterev, an eye-distancefrom the brue roar of pacific, watsonvirle i" ,titt o sleepy town where lowriders drag main in search of non-existe.t action' The lowriders are left to their own destiny, to ..rrir"-u!uinr, o backdrop of fog-shrouded artichokes n,hen the iun ^u, go;"'do*.n. Thor'y spearsthrust into a star-studded night, and the rowriders baiL out at desertedbeaches, drink six-packsof beer and stareat the foa'. Sharonskitchen irr watsonville was the center of a different kind oi activity. We assembledin the evening: Sharon;Sharon,s zealoussrster who would soo' be led to christia'it"y; a black lesbian *,tro ti'ei ,,-, u cottage behind Sharon'shouse who *u, ur-r unforgivabre .o-u.rti. u,-,0 who probably led a past life as an opera singer;a chicana, seif_nameci aftela.levolutionary, struggling to earn a ioctorate in the Universrtv of California's ethereal mounlaintop program called ,,Historr."'oi Consciousness"; and myself . We werg probably among the first of our kind back in the early ser,_ enties:a third world won-re.sgroup. There, i. the quiet of reside.tial watsonville, we discussed the-"coronized" and the "coronizer,,. Sharor-r distributed green tea, chinese pastries, a'd Airne cesaires Durlr.,)rr, on Colonialisrz'As the evening wound down we stormed out together third world sisters-and dragged main with the masses,Oru"rt i"". and howled at the enrpty, irrnoce't face of the sky *,h" ;p;.;;;;; Whether Racewas ",

fiarbara Noda

139

We shared a sn'eet piece of rtraternrelonthat in the Outer .N{ission. red like bright iceberg in the middle of our plate, unmistaka floated paradise. differencesover "correct"politics slithered bite of Old a sbly from our mouths with the black seeds lr,'espit out. We harmlessly poetry and Thie Lake, cci-existed Asiar.r Arnerican for a about talked lvaYs. ther-r rnonent Parted for her to be For one \r,ho rt'as so sincerely dedicatedto the "cause" sand that border Highn ay broadsidedwhile driving past the pine ar-rd One and killed instantly is a mystery beyond all cornprehensiot-t. of such things. Ntaybe we kttell' sornething There is no understanding then that w.e needed to forget in order to live more meaningful iives, when n'e joined the lorvriders in the flagrant pursuit of their destiny. fl to the bakery I rode the elevator dort'n from the 21stfloor, n'rarched and ate ury pastries her visits the used to on to city, Sharon buy where pluggecl into il dictaphone all I had beer-r in Portsmouth Square. Iunch morning and Chinato'"vnsquirrned with life. Pidgeonssoftly gurgling. Game tablesobscuredand surrounded by the beating heartsof groups of men. Women carrl.ing bagsof groceries nearly flying above sedateheads,like kites trailed by srnail children. languageof their wornottt books. Old people deciphering the ar.rcient The red benches.My red sweater.The color RED sangout at tne, and I was a glorious part of it. Across the street lr,as the leveled site of the I-Hotel. A fortress barricaded with the strategyof ardent organizers,it was now a parking lot. The damp cold of the building the lonelinessof the teuantsand of us (I was not sure whether rt e had been the youthful guardians of in) had been dernolished the building or stray catswho had'uvandered into a flattened expanseof less than nothing. Even nothir-rg speaks. This was rnerel,vcity grirne, fumes, noise, pollution. The l'rurnanity that had kept us warrn and huddled together through rnakeshift Christmas dinners, internal crises and external lvarfare had been strained from the air. Not even a mirage existed, only the city life around me.

nothingelsein the world that we saw around us had any"solidide'rtv or meani'g. It was a vaporous season,like a lost ,,rrr.,-"., ur-,d d".;;;_ ately we needed to hold onto each other and..;;;;;; ,;;;rli",r-' the underworlcl. Ngy,.to many years later, it is still difficult to believe that Sharonis . dead. I keep thinking that one day I,ll see her in the midst of a denrorr_ stration, shouting through a megaphone and glaring i"to ttr"puf" who dares to tell her to ,,goback to where you came from.,,She is"y. nor from china' But perirapsshouting into a megaphonewas not her rvar,. I remember the last time I saw heiin newly li,rrngq,ra.tJis ""rtuutirn"a

togetherireven-.,rilif.Tl"Hi.",:::::Ti"?ff if ;"jlj'::1,'iJ:

I,'lerle Woo

I4- I

Letter to Ma
Merle Woo
D e a rM a , J a n u a r y ,1 9 8 ( ) I was depressed over Christrnas, and r,vhen New Year's rollecl around, do you know what one of my rcsolvesrr.as? Not to con-re bv lr,hy I get so dou-rr and see you as much anymore. I had to ask n"ryself lvhen I'r-r.r with yor.r,r-nymother, who has focused so much of her Iiie proud of and respe.ct on me, who has endured so much; one who I ar.r.r so deeply for simply surviving. reasonsis that rn'henI leave vour I suppose tirat one of the nrair.r h o u s e ,y o u r p r e t t y l i t t l e r o u n d n h i t e t a b l e i n t h e d i n e t t eu ' h e r e u ' e s i l while you drink tea (with only three specksof Jasrnine) and I sr.r.rokt and drink coffee, I am dolvn because I belicve there are chasrns between us. When you say, "I support you, honey, in everything votr d o e x c e p t .. . e x c e p t .. . " I k n o w y o u m e a n e x c e p t m y s p e a k i n g o u t a n c l writing of my anger at all those things that har,'e causedthose chasnrs. When you say I shouldn't be so ashamed of Daddy, forrner gambler retired clerk of a "gook suey"store,becauseof the time when I lr,assir and sarv him humiliated on Grarrt Avenue by two u'hite cops, I knou' you haven'teven been listening to nre when I have repeatedl_v said that I am not ashamedof him, not yorr,not who \ve are. Wi.rer.r you ask, "Arcyou so angry becauseyou are unhappy?"I know that u,e are not talking to eachother. Not with understanding,although many words have passedbetween us, many hours, many afternoonsat that round table with Daddy out in the front roorn lt'atching television,and driiting out ever)' once in a while to say "Still talking?"and getting nrore peanLrts that are so bad for his health. We talk and we talk and I feel frustrated by vour censorship.I knou' it is unintentional and unconsciotts.But whatever I have told you teaching, or the stories I rvas workir.rg on about the classesI r,r,as listertyou've always forgotten within a month. Maybe you c--an't becausemaybe when you look in my eyes,you will, as you've alrvay's done, sensemore than what we're actually saying,and that makesyou fearful. Do you see your repressed anger manifested in nre? What doors lvouid groan wide open if you heard my words u,ith complettis breaking out of understanding?Are you afraid that your dar.rghter our shackles,and into total anarchy? That your daughter has turnecl

who advocatesnot only equality for Third world \nto a crazywoman dont shudder'Ma r v o m e t t ,b u t f o r g a y s a s n ' e l l ? P l e a s e f o r ,.,"opl" present ourselvesto we cau ail houtosexuaiity. Until of speak t Lh"n as we see and beautifuliy as fully our cornpleteness, in world the not free. are we in our bedrooms, naked ourselves After what seemslike hours of talking, I realizeit is not talking at all, "I but the filling up of time n'ith sounds that say, atn Your daughter, arrdthat vou are my mother, and we are keeping eachother company, been forrrled by is enough."But it is not enough becausemy life l.ras your life. Togetherrt'e have lived one hundred and elevenyears in this country as yellow wolnell, and it is not enoughto enunciateworclsar-rd words and words and then to have thenr only meatl that we have beer-r keeping each other contpanv. I desperatelywarlt you to unclerstand me and my work, Ma, to know what I arn doingl When you distort or that I am what I say, like thinking I an-ragainst all "caucasians" and tnore frustration and want to ashamedof Dad, then I feel ar-rger slashout, not at )'ou, btrt at those external forcesrt'hich keep us apart. to us are our different reactior-rs What deepens the chasms betlr,'een self-effacesilence, self-denial, those forces. Yours has been one of ment; you believing it is vour fault tltat you never fully experienced self-pride ar-rd freedom of choice. But listen, Ma, only rn'ith a is my reaction different from yours. deliberate consciousness are inlases: inlagesof you as a little tenyou, tl.rere at When I iook year-old Korean girl, being sent alone from Shanghai to the lJnited States,in steerager'r,ithor.rlyone skirnpy little dress, bcing sick and grolving up in a "Ilonle" lonely on ArrgelIslanclfor tl'rreemonths; thet.r and run by white missionary women. Scrubbingfloors on your har.rds knees, hauling coal in heavy ntetal buckets up three flights of stairs, tending to tl-re younger children, putting hot bricks on your cheeksto had. Working you alvvays deadenthe pain from the terrible toothaches rlother. But all your life as maid, r,vaiiress, salesclerk,office r,r'orker, throughout there is an irnage of you as strong atrd courageous,and persevering:climbing out of windows to escapefrom the Home, then later, frorn an abusive first husband. There is so nluch more to these imagesthan I can say,but I think you kuolv what I rnean.Escapingout surviving is an everyday of windorn s offered ot-rly temporary re-spites; chore. You gave me, physically, what you never had, but there was a spiritual, entotionallegacyyou passeddort'n which was reinforced by society:seif-contempt becauseof our race,our sex, our sexuality.For deeply ingrained in me, Ma, there has tleen that strong' cornpulsive force to sink into self-contempt, passivity,and despair.I atn sure that my fifteen years of alcohoi abuse have not been forgotten by either of u s , n o r r r i v s u i c i d a ld e p r e s s i o n s .

t42

llerl'!1i,,

Merle Wott

1'13

1'\on',I kno,,t'you are going to think thzit I hate altcidespise),ou for y o u r s e l f - h a t r e d ,f o r y o u r i s o l a t i o n .B r " r I t don't. Because in spiteoi your r,t,ithdrern'al, ir.tspite of your loneliness,yoll ltave not onl\. survivcd, but becn beside rne in the u,orst of tirnes r,r,hen yorlr conti)elnv rneant everything in the r,vorldto rnc. I just need rnore than tl'ratnr_rrr., Ma. I have taken ancltarken front you in tem"rs of neediltgyou to ntother me, to be by rny side, ar-rd I necd, t.te1s, to take from you trvo rnore things: unde-rstanding and support for rt'ho I anr now and rny'uvork. We are Asiau Amcrican rnronten and the reactiorrto onr identitr.is u , h a t c a u s e st h e c h a s n . ris n s t e a do f c o n n e c t i o n s B . ut d() ),oLr realize Ma, tl-ratI could never have reacted the \{ay I have if 1'ou had not provided for me the opportunity to be free of the binds that har".e helcl you dowr"r,and to be in the process of self-affirmation? Becausec,i your lifc, becauseof the physical security yor.r ha,,.e given nte: rnv cdu, cation, my full stomach,my clothed and starcl'red back, rny piarroanti - all those gifts you never received- I salv rnyself as dar.rcing lessons having wortl.r;now I begin to love rnyself more, seeour potential,ancl fight for just that kind of social change that u'ill affirm me, nt)r race. my sex, my heritage.And while I affirrn myself, Ma, I affirm you. Today, I am satisficcl to call nryself either an Asian Americar.t Feminist or Yellow Feminist. The tr,r'o ternls are inseparablebecause race and sex are an integral part of me. This mealts that I am workins with others to realize pride in culture and women and heritage (the heritage that is the exploited yellovv in-rmigrant:Daddy and you). Being a Yellow Feminist means being a comrnunity activist and a humanist. It does not rnean "separatisrn," either by cutting myself off fron-rnon-Asians or men. It does not mean retaining the same power structure and substitutingwomen in positior.rs of control held by nten. It does mean fighting the whites and the men who abuse us, straightjacket us and tape our mouths; it means changingthe economic class system and psychologicalforces {sexisrn,racisnt, and homophobiaJ that really hurt all of us. And I do this, not in isolation, but in the cornrnunity. We no longer can afford to stand back and \ ratchwhiie an insatiable elite ravagesand devours resourceswhich are enough for all of us. The obstaclesare so huge and overwhelming that often I do become cynical and want to give up. And if I were struggling alone, I know I would never even atternpt to put into action rvhat I believe in r-ny heart, that (and this is primarily becauseof you, Ma) Yellow Women are strongand have the potential to be powerful and effective leaders. I can hear you asking now, "Well, what do you mean by'social change and leadership'? And how are you going to go about it?' To begin with we must wipe out the circumstances that keep us down rn

-effacement.Right now.,rny techniquesare education silenceand self Feminist meansbeing a core for change,and that Yellorn, writing. and having the belief in our potential as human beings. I rvill means core anr-olle,r'r'hoshares my sensibility, nly support anyone, with work rt'ho are racto unity: rvhite tvon.ren barriers But there are objectives. ve ry being dcclares My are sexist men lvho American Asian and ist, be I would sensibility. not my cor.nplete groups do share two those that sexist't"t racist't't atrcl fight agair-rst if I did not mutilated, fragmented, together. And this is rvhen the pair-rof the struggle hits hotne. Horv many white women have taken on the responsibility to educatetl're:rnseives about Third World people, their history, their culture? How inany white women really think about the stereotypesthey retain as truth about women of color?But the perpetuation of dehumanizing stcreotypes is really very helpful for u,hites; they use them to justify their giving us the lolr,estwages and all the work they don't want to perform. Ma, how can l'r'ebelieve things are changing when as a nurse's aide during World War II, you \vere given only the tasks of changing the bed linen, removing bed pans, taking urine samples,and then only worker in a local hospital,white three years ago as a retired volut-rteer jobs the and gave you, at sixty-nir"re, women gave themselves desk a fondly of beir-rg more you speak Today same work you did in 1943? fact of the you are hor,r'proud II and nurse'saide during \Vorld War that the Red Crossshort ed its appreciationfor your service by giving you a diploma. Still in 1980,the injusticescontinue. I can give you so many examples of groups which are "feminist" in u'hich \^Iolnenof least important tasks, the shitwork, and color were given the usr.ral given no say in how that group is to be run. Needlessto say, those Third World \\romen, like you, dropped out, quit. Working in rt'riting and teaching, I have seen how white wornen condescendto Third World \\rolnenbecausethey reasonthat because of our oppression,which they knorv nothing about, we are behind them and their "progressiveideas"in the struggle for freedorn. They don't even look at historyl At the facts! How r,t'eas Asian Americarr than mere survival, but women have alrvays been fighting for n-rore because we were in our comr-nunities, were never acknor.n'ledged invisible, but not inaccessible. And I get so tired of being the instant resource for infornation on Asian American lr,omen. Being the token representative,going frorn ciassto class,group to group, bleeding for rt'hite \vonlen so they can have an easy answer - and then, and this is what really gcts to their educationabout us ot.t me - they usually leave to never cot.ttinue their ort'n.

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146

.\k,rb t\i,, ,

Merle Wcxt

147

Today, as I rvrite to you of all these memories, I feel even rnore deeply hurt lvhen I realize hou,many people, how so,rlurry-f*pl" because of racism and sexism,fail to ie! what power nu" ,u..ifi." b" not joining hands. But 'ot all white \ ronrenare racist,a'd not ail Asian American rnen are sexist. And we chooseto trust them, love and l'ork with the'r And there are visible changes.Real tangible, positive .nu.,f"r. fn" changesI love to see are those chang", *ithin ourselves. Your grandchildren, 'ry children, Enriiy and paul. That makes three generatio's. Emily loves herserf.Always has.There are shadesof selfdoubt but much less than in you or me. She says exactlv what she thinks, nrost of the time, either in praise or in criticism of herself or others. A.d at sixtee. she goes after whatever srre wants, usuarr' centerstage.she trusts antr rovespeople,regarciless of race or sex (but, of course,shescautious),loves her community and works in it, speaks up againstracisim and sexism at school. Did you knor' that ,h" go, Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker on lter reading list for a southern writers classwhen there l'ere onry white autrrois?That she insistedon changing a script done by an Asian American man when shesaw that the depictio'of the charactershewas playing was sexist? That she went to a california state House confererice to ,i"ut out for Third World students'needs? And what about rrer rittre brother, paul? TWerve years olcr. A'd remember, Ma? At one of our SaturdayNight Family Dirrrl".r, how he lectured Ronnie (his uncle, yetl) abouihol,i h" *,u, i male chauvinrstT Paul told me once how he kner.r, he had to fight to be Asian American, and later he added that if it weren't for Emily and me, he wouldn,t have to think about feminist stuff too. He sayi he can hardl1,enjoy a movie or TV prograln anyn)ore because oi the sexism. O, .or_r,i. books' And he is very rnuch aware of the different treatment he gets frorn adults: "You have to do everything right ,, he said to Emilv ,,aid I can get away with alnrost anythine.', F)mily and Paul give us hope, M'a. Becausethey are proud of u,ho . they are, and they care so much about our culture and iistor;. E;ily was the first to write your biography because sheknol's how crucial it ls to get our stories in ,,vritins. M a , I w i s h I k n e u , t h e h i s t o r i e so f t h e r v o n r e l tl r ) o u r f a n t i l l ,b e f o r e you. I bet lhat l'ould be quitc a storv. But that 'rav be just as *,ell becauseI c'a'say that you started sor'ethi'g. Maybe you ieel arnbir.ale't or doubtfr-r al b ' r r t i t , b u t ' o u d i d . A c t u a i i y , s h 1''u tuld be proudof w h a t y o L l y l ' b e g u r rI.a n r . I f l ) ) ) .l ( , a c t i o n to hcin,J a y c l l o u . \ V o r r r ain s cliffere't thar yo.rs l'as, plcase kror,v tirat that is not a judgment or yoLl'a criticis'i or a de'ial of you, vour *'ortrr. I have irrou,

supportedyou, and as the years pass,I think I begin to understandyou rnore ano more. In the iast felv years, I have realizedthe value of Homework: I have studied the history of our people in this corlntry. I cannot tell you how oroud I am to be a Chinese/KoreanAmerican Woman. We have such a proud heritage,such a courageoustradition. I want to tell everyone about that all the particulars that are left out in the schools.And the full awarenessof being a woman nlakesnle \\'ant to sing.Ancl I do sing with otirer Asian Americaus and wolllcn, Ma, auyone lvho lvill sing with rne. I feel norv that I can begin to put our lives in a larger frarrlelvork Ma, for us are time and blood, but toclay {rarnervorklThe outlir.res iarger a making connections rvitl.r others possible tirrough is breadth there strttgele. In loving ourseives for who lt'e involved it"t cotnmur-tit1' are - Arnerican 'Nolren of color - \ve can make a Vision for the future nelv framervorli where \ve are free to fulfill our hnman potential.Tl-ris exploitationand isolatiolr,but r,t,ill will not support repression,hzrtred, be a hurnan and beautifr.rlfrarneltrork, created in a cornn-rutritV, bonded not by color, sex or class,but by love and the common goill for the iiberation of mind heart, anci spirit. Nta, ioda1,, )'ou are as betrutiful and pure to nle as the picture I ]'rave dresser-glass. of you, as a little girl, untler n-r1' I iove you, lvlerie

1:lq [\ftirtha Qutntarnlt's

I Come with No Illusions

Mirtha Quintanales
Colurnbus,Ohio December 27 l97t) . . . Woman love. Never knew it would be so hard to leave anyone. Even though it means everything to me to ntove on, to finally e,'ba.k on this self-healingjourney. Torn by guilt. My rover. working-class "white" woman from a small town. She has no more privileges tha^ I do. As alone as I am. She is not my enemy. World upside donvn. . . . W h a t l i e s a h e a d ?A m y s t e r y . D o n o t d a r e e v e n c o n s i d e r t t r e possibility of a love relationship with a Latina, a Cuban woman, e'c. to dream that I could find such partnership. . . famiiy. work. lt is ,r' life. It is all I have. It is what now ultimately propelsme to make this move. You, my friends, willsweeten my life. I k'ow that. But I cor.rrc to you with no illusions. I join you becauseI must. Give of myself tcr those who can give to me of then-rselves. sisters. Sharing. I look for expect nothing more. Is there really something more? Setting myself up? Closing up, putting up barriers? perl.raps. Perhapsjust trving to be "my own woman.,,peihaps just trying to be one, not one-half. can I find happiness"alone"? Americans tell rne that I should strive for this blessedstate of self-contentment as ,,one,, if r intend to survive. Yet ofte. I have doubts. Is this the kir-rd <rf world I want to live in? A world where ultimately onlv the ,,1, rnatters?Millio's of people livi.g in self-co'strr.rctecl little bu"c, Incommunicado. I ponder over the meaning and possiblerepercussions of the choices I am about to make. what doesit rneanto say to myself that only otht--r Latina, bicultural lesbian women can satisfy my needs?what are the implications of separatingmyself from American wonlen and creati'g a separatecomnru.ity with women I identify as my co.nterparts? It means,for one thing, that I a'r admitting failure. Failure to adjust adapt, change, transcend cultural differences. yet this is not orlv a personal failure. It is one which I share with miilions. The realitv of ethnic minority enclavesthroughout the world tells me a great ieal about the process I am going through. It is neither unique nor nenr'. A.d ultimately it may have a lot more to do with ,,success,, than with failure. It is after all, a survival strategy- particularly in the contexto[ a power imbalance between "natives" and ,,foreigners,,-l'here the Querida Chabela(IsabelYrigoyen),

than as scattered latter are in a better bargaining position as a SroILp battles' persor.ral orvn individrials fighting their F o r m y s e l f - a s a L a t i n a l e s b i a n / f e m i n i s t i,t a l s o m e a n sa r e a l l l a r resources. rowing of options and privileges. I have extren]ely limited many like there are If no legitimacy. polr,er, to No money, no access with me to connect for to easy be it goirlg Nor is me I do not know. as likely to be are resources Their are. there learn that them if I should as a acts reality that political is a socio-ecor.ror-nic, limited as mine. This Not oniy community. visible and of a strong barrier to the formation the "socialgoodies"(money, power, fame and other minor privileges) (ajob, a roof over my head . . ' ) depend on my ties, but life'snecessities American men and women To say "I do not like lvith my interactions tie with the powerful" is dangerous; for the this the nature of may strive to break free fron'rit and in doing so that I implications are it in this societv' making of reduce ntv chances It is after all, great personal need, not feeling? human of But what to take this stand, to turn away frorn n]e that drives anal,vsis political my energiesinto creating a comlnuput all and sisters American my is the nature and significanceof tl-ris What sisters. my Latina with niiy boundaries?Or that being "human" n""d? tt it true that love knows r.ro undifferentiated - "all aiike"? somehorv rneans being ultir-r-rately Perhaps one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that in fact variability and "human nature", bound as it is to "culture", it-Dplies difference. Yes, we all need to eat and sleep, keep ourselveswarm, protect ourselvesfrom harm, be nurtured into maturity; touch and be touched etc. But, how we choose to meet these needs varies arld changesfroln tinre to time, piace to place and is dependent both on history and the particular set of environrnental circumstancescontextual to oLlr lives. what both puzzles me and distressesme is the degree to lvhich \ve seem to be "culture bound " As if "setting the being able to break free from it. At cuitural mold" implied never qr-rite least not cornpletely.This seems to be particularly true in the most private activitiesof our lives - horv we expressand sharefeeling in the context of our intimate inter-personalreiationships.The wonder of it! And the pain. . . Con mr.rchocarino, tu ar-rriga Mirtha

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15(J

l5l A l i r i / t , tt ) l l i t t t ' i ' r ' t i ' '

I Paid Very Hard for My Immigrant

Ignorance
Mirtha Quintanales
Columbr.rs, Ohir-r 1980 Jar-rua11' Thanks for your letter. I can appreciate your taking the timc to write. It can get so difficult for busy people to keep up rvith corrcs p o n c l e n c e. . l o n l , v h o p e t h a t v o u h a v e t a k e n s o r n e t i r n e t o r e s t , gather your energies. I'm just beeir"rning to emerge from a severalweek period of sen'ri-hcrntitdoutrn1'self.I, too, u'as exhausted.Too m u c h w o r k t o o r n a n y r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e-s o f t e n t h e r , r , o r r ) , on fot rnovrng f a s t e n o u g h ,o r t o o f a s t t o h a v c a n y k i n d o f a n i m p a c t . A f t e r a b r i c i peaceful interlucle, the prc.ssuresare beginning to builcl agarn l.. Oh n,el. I rt'anteclto tell you about r.r.rv r.isit to San Francisco,about conr'g togetherwith rn1'Latina lesbian/femir.rist sisters.The joy and the pain of finding each other, of realizing horv long n,e've"done u,ithout", of hor,'ciifficultit'sgoing to be to heal otrrselves, to find our voices. . But i.rorv pcrfectlv r,r'onderful to finaiiv have a family, a communitv yet I find that there is too much to tell. Cannot easily compress it all in a letter. How I r,t'ishthat u,c could rneet and talkl So much of the Black lesbian/fe,trinistexperienct-speaksto our ort'n . . . I passedarounclall - including Conditions the-literature vou'd handed out at conferences 5. And the Latina sisterswere amazed. Lorraine Bethel's"What Chon Mearr LVe White Girl?" rt'as cspeciall_v telling. . . Many of our feelir-rss given forrn, meaning. Please let her kr.ror,r,,that l'rertvork has been verv helpful to us - particularly in sorting out u'hat ll'e lvant and don't rvar-rt in our relationsipswith r,vhite,rnainstrearnAmerican feminists. yes, there is a lot lve can learn front each other. But Barbara, I arrt u.orriccl. At the u.ronrent I aln in the processcrf oreanizir.rg a ror.rndtablc Ior tl.reNWSA- conference,on the topic o1 racialand etl.rnic n r i n o r i t v l e s b i z r n is n thc U.s. f'here are tu'o otl.rcr w o n r e n i r - r v o l v e c l - a G r t e k f r i e n c l o f m i n e f r o m B e r k c l e v . a r t c la Black woman fror.r-r San Francisco.And I feel the tensior.r builcling. The Greek \n".olrlan's many attenrpts to "connect" rvith Third World les"Wontenof Colcrr" bians zrrid {tnostpoignantlr.at Iastyear'sconferencel h a v e b e e n n t c t w i t h o u t r i g h t r e j e c t i o r . rU . trfr>rtunateiv , e i n . gl o u d , b aggle-ssive ancl vcry Greck-identified, she l.ras found a great deal of
'\irtiorral\\irrrrcn s Stutlics Assriciation

D e a r B a r b a r a( S r n i t h ) ,

circles as \\'ell' lc-sbial.r/ferllinist reiection ilt rt'l.rite, lllelillstrealll e i t h e r ' f i t t i l c r c l l o t d o e s Ciearlyshe f |,0 n l $ ' h t r t I c a n g a t h e r , t r r c The Biack u-orlal)s c()ltrr)titniel)ts ll, wolllcll of coltlr' And I an-r urollle World Thirtl n'itl-r understaltdablv As a Tliird World Caribbean rliddle. ir.r the fuite uncomfortzibly in et grcr\(ll up "colonized" have lttcalts to it lvhat I unclerstancl li,ro,r.,u,.r irllperialist forces.As ar.t of oppressioll the on slaver).altci built societ,y u,l]o happensto be whiteirn,nigLantallcla crlltllral nrinority \,\,olllan invisibility arld the perils thr.ric e paill of the $,ith I empathize skiru"ed, - sitlce acknorvlcdgenretrt sittratitll.r telltloLls a vcrV of passing\alu'ayS o t y p i n g ,p r e j u d i c er r n r l of ethni.ii.r isirer.itablf .cco*paried by stere just Lrersollal, but various kinds of cliscritnir.ration the problclll is not " l i l e " ) H o \ \ ' to " s y s t e n t i c "" p o l i t i c a l ' o l l e l l l o r e r c a l i t v o f A I r l c ' r i c a t r "1llin'raly ract' trtlcl t:tllcrgetlcics": reconcile thcs.- diffcrent liirtds tr[ to obsctlrethe issue of tends corlilict oi kiDc'l this cor.rrse O{ culture? thc classanc'lits rclationship to racr: allcl ethnicitl' so illlportant for oi thc dilenlnla. understarlding Not all Third worlci \\,onlel)are "\\'olllenof color" if b1'tllis collcept I an] onl,votle exat]]ple.And not all we lnealt exclusively"r]on-$,hite". iu w o r n e n o f c o l o r a r e r e a l l y ' T h i r c l\ , V o r l d - i f t h i s t e r t n i s o n l y r . r s e d thosc societiesiespecially tlr clevt-loping to uttclc-rdeveloped refelenccnot allied u.ith arty superpo\\.eri.Clearl,vthen it rt'ould be difficult to of color, as Third se \volttell,rvho are \\'ot.ncn justify referrinq to Japane Worltl to ir.rcluclc Thircl of the ctlncept Worli ,.'.',r.,.r",'r.'Y"f , i} u'e exter-rci in this cotll)tr-v, grotllls r.r.rinoritl' "colonized' Iacial and ethl.lic internally, i|rcluded,that bc cotrceivably diffcrL:ntkinds oi groups could so ntar]_v liistoric tie to its and racisur o[ socialancl institutional the cruiial issr.re same thing The shrrffle. in the lost U.S.coulclget tiih-rted, slaverf in ti-re "lvonlen of color" trr of nreanirlg tllc if lve extet-rclecl I.rappen wouldlike 11' prejudicc of victims arc cor:trt11'lt1to irr this include all those \,von)en racial hold lle'\'ertheless u'ho but respccts), and discrir.r'rination 1i|rntanV r a c i s t s ' l r e p r i r i l L ' 5s a t t t i I t t a Vt ' r t ' t l .e I clon'tknorv $,hat to thirtk all)'lllore. Things begirl to set even nlore of us rvho ider-rtifvas rvhen I begirl to consiclertl.ratn-ran-v corr-rpliczrted "Thi;d World' or "\\brire' tlf Col.r", have qr.l't-t up as or are fast stlcl highlv edttcatt'cl,apd therefore lllore becor.ning"micltlle-class" siSters' of our $'hite, poor aucl r,l'orkit-tg-class pri,,,ilcgecl than nranv to relate to elI not se does she lovcr bectiuse nrV Son-re tiutcs i get angrv ert fact_that tlie to I realll'rclate ca. y'ct, r\.cl rny beirrgu,iubu,i;'leslriar.r. farlrily- with littlc shegrerr:'rpit.t;tt'er1'stliall to$'t't'i|r a rt'orkit"rg-class to get an educatiotr, r resolrrces little er.rcou|agemeltt -o,i"1, feu. otl.re I'r'lletl nly farrrilv lifc r-r'rv ir-r tit.tles ber:n hzrve There etc.?ies . .ancl r.rct.

153
152 Mirtllaeuint0tlttit,,.

Quinl,tttttl,'s Ir,,lirtha

had little rnoney or food. There have been times in my life when I lived from day to day not knowing if I would be alive "tomorroW'-nor kr.rowingreally how it felt to plan for "next rnonth", or "next year." Yet, even though I grew up having to heat my bathr,r'ater and sleepin a very lumpy bed, even though I grew up often being ashamed of brineing rny friends home becauseour furniture was old and dilapidated I went to private schools, spent summers at the beach, traveied, haci plenty of toys and books to read; took music and dancing lessons,went horsebackriding- nty parents being very consciousof, and being ven, able to give us the best (if not always in terms of rnaterial comfortsl that their middle-classresourcesgave them accessto - including the servicesof a long string of nurse-maids inty mother worked, and rn Cuba often the maidshad maids - even if it meant putting little girls to work as servants and baby-tenders- economic exploitation galorel). Yes,I have suffered in this country. I have been the victim ofblatant prejudice and institutional discrimination. As an ethnic minoritv woman and a lesbian I have lived in the margins, in fear, isolated,disconnected,silent and in pain. Nevertheless,those early years of relatively "blissful" middle-class childhood (although I have to say that after age 7 it u,as hell - political violence and death always lurking) in my own country rvhere I was simply part of the "ntainstream" if not a Iittle better off becauseof nty fathers professionalstatus,have served me as a "cushion"throughout my life. Even in the United States, as an essentially middle-class iand white-skinned woman), I have had "opportunities"{or have known how to make them for myself ), that my very lvhite, working-classAmerican lover has never had. Having managedto graduatefrom college {one out of three in her gradr.ratir-rg high school classwho rnanagedto make it to college)againsttrernendous odds, she is still strugglingwith the fact that she may never reall_v Iearn the ropes of surviving well in mainstream, middle-class American society. And need I add that mainstream white, middleclassAmerican feminism is as insensitiveto her needsas it is to mine'/ I realize that I cannot fight everybody's battles. But need I create false enemiesin order to wage rny own? I am a bit concernedwhen a Latina Iesbian sister generalizes about/puts down the "white wolnan" - especiallyif she herself has white skin. In the midst of this labeling, might she not dismiss the fact of her own ra,'hite privileges- regardlessof her identification with Black, Native American, and other Third World women of color?Might she not dismiss the fact that she may often be far better off than many white women? I cannot presume to know what it is really like to be a Black woman in Arnerica,to be racialiy oppressed. I cannot presume to know what it is really like to grow up American "White TLash" and destitute.

abouti generalizes But I am also a bit concernedwhen a Black sister not strict are who or all women dismisses all non-black women, in this WASP not are If you Lo*"n of color" or strictly "Third World'" experience immigrant the ,orn,ry, if you or your family have known much acquainted with the very to be likely are you tife, gtr"ito oi political reality of internal colonization. Yes, racism ,o.Iuf , ".oro.,1i., with - regardlessof our is a SfC MONSTER we all need to conteud tirink we need to keep in rnind ,ti., .oto, and ethnic affiliation. But I is used both to create false ihut i,, this country, in this world, racism to mask very very significantones cultural differencesamong us a/?d racially been have who politiial . . .And yes, those of meaning the ".o.rorni., to explore opp."rr"d mr"tstcreate separatist spaces their energies' their gather to their experiel-Ices to heai themselves, ar'^ies. And yes, ,i.""g,h, to develop tl-reirown voices,to build their must come oppression of racial thoseof us who have not been victims sYstem this with complicity own to terms with our own racism, our body and color of skin the basis on that discriminates and oppresses to folly iiberal irresponsible be features. And of .orr.r" lt would by eliminated be could racism p.opor" that social and institutional in "integrated" ii-piy "becoming"personally non-racist,by beconing long a that think to folk white for or' pii.rut" lives. . . How ridiculous an onqotng history of slavery and every other kind of oppression'that could be exploitatior-r politicai economic, r"uiity of social, and insidlous even ' And ' choices individual few a through magically transcended ife"verybodlsskinshouldsuddenlyturnblack,itwouldbequite - generaimpossible to truly knort' what it means to have grown up our tion after generation- Black and female in America. of course we "conscicus" how of regardless st'r "turn", and to skin is noilik"ly be claim to be of the,,Black experience"in America, we shall always the limited by our own history and the reality of our white skin and privileges it automatically confers on us' Ironically, when a Black Arnerican sister (or anyone for that r.natter) of this society in the same category puts me, oi other ethnic \A/onlen American Woman on the basis of White dominant with the socially my lighter-than-black skin coior, she is in fact denying rny histo-ry' She too .ilt.,.", ny identity, my very being, my pain and mv struggle is being pirsonallyiu.itt. W'hen she fails to recognizethat the."social sociprivile[es,'of lighter-than-black eth'ic-'rinority lesbiansin this our on are' u.iltr-lost Ltally dependent on oLlr denial of who we differ"ty ethnic death,shealsofalis prey to the racist my'thologythat color who encesare the end-all indications of sociai inequality. That those hold butall happen to have the "right" skin color are not only all alike inay the'same social priviieges. Yes, lighter-than-black skin color

15.1

Mrrlll.r ellirr1.lii,r1,..

Plirtha Qt'inlt'tLl'

'

155

c o n f e r o n s o l n c c t h l t i c n t i l t o r i t \ ' \ \ , ( r l t t e nt i t c o p t i o n o f b e c o r - n i n , , in " a s s i n r i l a t c c" l" , t e g r a t c di"n r n a i n s t r c i t nA r ntericars n o c i c t l ' .B t r t i s t l r i s r e a l l y ; r p r i v i l e g c ' . , r ' h e irtr a l s , u v sn r e a l l sh a v i n g t o L r c c o n i e invisiSlt - l i k e , i c l e n ttiy - l c s s ,c o r n n r u ghost n i t y - l c s s ,t o t a l l ya l i r ' n a t c - d T 'l he 1t,:rrls of "prassirg" as r'r'l.rite i\nrcrican are pcrils inclccd. It shc-,ulcl be easr. e n o u g ha t l c a s tf o r l c s b r o nts o r.rntli,rstan td henteaning o f b e i n ga n c lr , , l t gn "c l 1 ' e t r c n t a i r . t i n s n o t b e i n g , o f " n - r e r g i r . ra uttcrlv alonc anclin lltc marsir-rs of our society. And while it is true that a lesbian/fer.ninist colnrnunity ar.rcl culture 'I'hirci have emerqed, whiie it is true that Black, Latir.ra and other "of color" have begur.r Wc-rrld/lesbians tcrspeakup, it is nc_rt true that rve have yet engagedin a truly un-biaseci ur.r-prejudiceci clrcrk;crre. \\'e arc s t i l l r l e a s u r i n g e a c h o t h e r b y t h e v a r c l s t i c ko f t h e w h i t e , c a p i t a r l i s t I m p e r i a l i s t ,R a c i s tA m e r i c a n P a t r i a r c h .\ V e a r e s t i l l s e e i n gr a d i c a jd i f ferenceswhen they don't exist and not seeir.rg thern',vhenthey are crrticai. And most disastror.rsly, lve arc failing to recogrrize ntuch o{ u'hat we share.Is it not possible for rrs to recognize,rcspect ar.rd settlc our differences;to validate our various sroups'struggles and neeclfor sep.arate spaces, and yet to open our eycs to the fact that dividecl \\'c are only likelv to succeedat defeat? It is pure folly to think that a small group oi Lati^a or Black or Chirese Arnerican lesbianscan, on its ou,n, create a feminist revolution. It rs purc folly to think that middle-class.,r'asp feministscan do so... Barbara,I ache to live with a.d love *'ith nr,vLatir.ra lesbia'/fen-rinist sisters- to speak "Spanglish", to eat arroz cor-r friioles, to dancc to the salsa,to openly talk sex and flirt r,r'ithone another; to secretl_v pra)' to Yemayd,Chango,Oshun, and the Virgen de Guaclalupe to the.nr . I rur-r for refuge, fur dear lifel But i,vherr I nreet1'ouand r.'ther Black lcsbiar.r sisters-anclallt u1o\.1.(l by wliat \\rrs L r e ntr o s h a r e ,I a c h e[ o r v o u a l s o .I s p e n dt i n r eu ' i t h S t a c r i l l o r t h A f r i c a n/ l \ I e C i t e r r a , i A n a s t a s i aa ) n d o t h e r S t t u t h e r nE ur o ; r c a n n e a n l c s b i a n s i s t c r s - a n c i a n t s t i r r c c ib ; ' r , r ' h a tw c s e e l l t o h a v e r n common, I feel deep yearning for theru. . . I read the r,r,ords of otl.rer ethnic Arrerican lesbian sistersand I find that I understand therr"r anci want to share in these women's lives. And I iive, love and work rvith working-class s i s t e r sH . a v e l i v e d , l o v e da n d n o r k e d i n t h e p o o r u r b a n ghettos of Chicago and Boston. Have spent some time in the poor, rural, isolateclmountains of New N1exico.Have traveled to Latin A m e r i c a nc o u n t r i e s , t o I n d i a , T h a i l a n d ,T a i r v a n , I i o n g - K o n e ,J a p a nfeeling the pain of my poor and hard-rt'orkirrg sisters-struggling againstall odds to stay alive, to live u'ith dignitv. I cannot sleep sor-nctimes haunted by the rnemoriesof such ali-encon-rpassir.rg prcx,ertl,the kind of poverty that even poor Americans could not begin to cor-r-

How insignificantour troubles ceive.India. India was the ur-rraveling. ridiculously srllall my own . . How se"r, it-r the United States. g u i l t s h a m e ,b u t t h i s t a u s e a . . . T o f i ' d u s or l i r r g g t " r . . . l c i o n ' tf e e l not be calleda feminist, who mav or or may .o"uUUtingover rt'ho r)tay political group, etc, particular that in this or may not join or take part "groups"women in the most feminist fn" privilege of having fate of most the "t.. knows really who lesbians world just eat shit. And Third World? the lesbiansin the world, especially Is it not possible for all of us here in America to turn right now Io alt the sisters of the lr,orld-to form a comlnon, human-womanlesbianbond? I h a v e l o s t s o m e s l e e pl a t e l y p o n d e r i n go v e r t h i s r a c e / c u l t u r e / c l a s s p r o b l e m . . . W e ' v e g o t t o d o s o m e t h i n gIl\.{ a n y o f u s L a t i n a sa r e n o n white-as a matter of fact, most of us are racially mixed to various Ask a Black or "mulatto"Puerto Rican woman what her idendegrees. and most likely she will tell you "Puerto Rican " All though, is tity \\romen are non-white. But ask any of them what American Chinese not tell you "yeilow",she rn'illtell you Chinese, will is. She identity her N'{anyAfrican peoples are "Black",but ask a American. Chinese or her identity is, and she will tell you Nigerian, an Ethiopian, etc. r,t'hat or whatever . . Obviously "BlackCulture" is "Nigerian", or "Ethiopiarl", an American phenotl]enon. Many of us don't reaily understandthis. I know I didn,t for a long time. when I first came to this country I just assumedthat Black people were simply American {for that matter I just assumed a/1 Americans shared the same "American Culture") l grew up with people of all kinds of skin-color - but we lvere ali Cuban and understood each other, even though we coulclrecognizethe most minute "color differences,"even though we could recognizeclassdifferences. How u,as I supposed to knort'- giverr the propagandathat there \vas no such tl'ringas a "melting pot"?Hor'vrvasI supposedto know that racism was so \^'idespreadand so deeply ingrained in American society? I rvas shockedin my sophon)ore year in college when several Black wotnen implied that I was a racist when I said I could not figure out lr,l-rat was different about being Black or Yellow, I could understand not knowing or White. or Red in the United States. Was "race"per se so about a "culture",but not knowing about a "race"? "culture"? This rvasa weird notion important? Was it really linked to a to me indeed! Well I paid r,'ery hard ior mf immigrant ignorance l'nr still paying - even though l have learned a great deal since then about American sub-cultures and about American racism. Many of rny Latina sisters have had sintilar experiences,and the big question is always there - Will rve ever really be acceptedby our Biack American

t56

M ir t ha Qu i tt |,.D tt:) i,..:

sisters? I cannot really convey the pain - especiallyin those of us u,hcr are Afro-Hispanic-American but light skinned - of seeingso much '1 ourselvesin, of being so drawn to African-American women, ar.rd ,vet feeling that we are very likely to be denied a connection, to be rejected. The fucking irony of itr Racism. It has so thoroughly poi'r". soned Americans of all colors that many of us can simply ,-,31 beyond it. I'm sorry about this long letter Barbara- especiilly this last part. But I have not been able to get over this pain. I used to ha',e thrs recurrent dream (for years)that I would alternatelybecome black anci white and black and white over and over and over again. . It felt really good. But I've never quite figured out all of rvhat rt meant. . . Well, take care Barbara. In sisterhood, Mirtha

Naomi Littlebear

Earth-Lover, Survivor, Musician

from a Ietter in response to Cherrie's The following is an excerpt on "language& oppression"as a t"qr"t, that Naomi u'rite an essay Chicana: JanuarY'1980 Cherrie, talked about' we things the about mind my in I have a clear image - given the brief acquaint' identification language, vour anger about o f w h a t y o u w e r e s a y i n g- i l"l" r iersonalll' could relate to a lot why i wrote the book i'm l"un'r"t'hat those ieelings had a lot to do with in my life' However I time important very a wai that sendingyou* balancedpart of my realize"no*,thatit wasn't for me exactiv the most only a time in which i hurt so bad i had to shake off the dust life. It r,t'as rny critiof one too nlany insults in order to carry on' Nonetheiess' in me' It was not cism, analysis,etc. did not come from a natural place the way i was the'voice oi -y mothers" nor did it completely reflect broughtuptobe.Iwrotethatbookasabrownwoman,sretorttowhite my propir, r.t,irite middle class leftists r't'ho lt'ere trying to redirect vengeance her to be the angry chicana speaking spiiit. t was supposed againstwhites, againstthe capitalist system' earth lover, chicina lesbian\\)omonwho is woman-rdentified I am a sad. my aches agains.t my tools are survivor, musictan musicand beauty past, tumultuous otherwise -strrvirrg an into peace brittg to and pains I am not the scholar analysiyou are which I totally respect'I'm clear from my soul about why i am and hou, i am - i cannotextricatethe lesbian no more tian i couldthe chicana i havealways beenboth' - this The rvornan I am right now is not struggling with language i am violence time - i am closest and ciearest right now about I past' haunted by dreams frorn rny childhood and not-too-distant there right i was could not adequately write ibout languageunless with the problem, as you seetnto be - you are fairiy bursting r'r'ithrea,on, und important ihoughts insights into our mutual experience with the degiadation and denial that came with our language ioss {abduction?1.
& poetr)'on * T h e D a r hS r c l c o l t h e ; 1 f t x ' r . 1 o l i v e P r e s s ,P o r t l a n c lo r e . l . B o o k o f e s s a y s I i f e i n t h e b a r r i o a n c lt h e t o p i c s o f t l . r ec h u r c h F a r r i l y , E c l u c a t i o n& t h e L e f t

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I'iaonti Ltttlebgl,

I,laomiLlttlebeat

159

Imagine the processyou would have to go thru if I asked ),ou tcr write me a paper on violence in the barrios and how that affectedyoul personal life? I need to feel control of my own life - violence hason sume deep level renderedme helpless and given me a deepfear of being po\rer. less- our languagebeing stripped from us createssimirar fears. I neecl to figure out what is closestto me. I have done some work in exorcis_ ing the demons of communication - my current observation is that r feel comfortable with words again, except when i try to make scre'tific discoveries- that is me reactingto male energy that says!\'onlen are stupid & emotional. My emotions & intuitions are there for a purpose. They are horresr perceptions.I don't have to try to be grassroots.I do have to try to relate my straight feminist politics. wa'ting to be loving and have a fan-rilyis my connection rvith r-rv culture. I am doing that. Goirrg to n-reetings is not part of my ethric background. I got real turned around when i got in'olved v,'ith leftist politics. I am now trying to piece rny life together,discardthe violence & hunriliations, accept that i am a complete person with nothing lacking. N,I1. mind & heart are capableof deciding what's best for me. For once in my life i have to let my self deservea honre, food on the table, and a handful of Ioving friends - this is a time of hearins and t a k i n gt h e b l a m e o f t h e r a p e sa n d a t t e m p t e dr a p e s ,t h e c h i l d b e a i n s , i received, taking all that pain off my shoulders and giving it back to who it belongs. I want you to acceptme as i acceptyou. Be an amiga, not a comrade to me. I will send you more words if you like but right no,,vthe hurts all around me and i feel like flying away. I will fight back rvith rnusrc but don't ask me to fight with words. Trust rny it-rstincts, my, knorvledge- i am not a shelteredlittle wetback - i've beer.r throush so mr.rch pain that i've popped out the other side. We have been thiu so mucl.r pain that now we have no place to put that pain but to leave it out of our lives - because the pain was given to do its worst damage b1. festering in our soul, by grorving comfortable in our flesh that *'e more often hurt each other'tho infested by the same disease. I have no solution but to go on. I rvill not carry the stigma that scr tnany have tried to burden me r,vith.These words are mine becarrs.: this now is ny language- 13 years of English, 13 years of Spanish - that's when I flipped out - the day of my two ,,chiidren,s,, anniversary. I was pron.rptedby devils - clinical radicals rvho instructecl me in self-autopsy. Please applaud ury victory over those fuckers - rr is your victory as well - reme'tber they think we,re all related \\'e're

they expected us to be - r,n'ejust slipped not al all where - becauserl,'eknew damn well it was a lie' ihtorrgn you I reiuse to be separatedfrom your life by these words. I read qazy laughter, deepaunts, the mY the story-telling, loud & clear: with a six-pack of beer'* heartedjoy, celebral\nganythirtg yor.rtoo were once there - it is know long as i And as I remetnber. somethingthat can warm us both this winter. Becausei haven't seen my cousinsin years. i'm iooking for' That is what i miss, that is r,r'hat March 23 7980 Now that the ice has melted and the flowers begin to bloom i welcome the seasonof growing. Thank you ior sharing with me. I do believe we have in commou - the cultr.rralrip off , the anger, the wisdom, the fullness of life. . . .I have started this letter many times, wanting to send you tl'rese stories. I appreciated your letter very nruch. It's still on my desk reminding me hor,t hard we are working to be visible' We are touring again, maybe we'll meet.

*Here

N a o r n i i s r e f e r r i n g t o c x p e r i e n c c sC h e r r i e . l e s c r i b e si n h r ' r e s s a v ," l , a G t i e r a

Speakingin Tongues TheThird WorldWomanWriter

\.,

"who told you anybody wants to hear from you, yor.r aint nothing -hattie gossett but a black .,vonran." "Who am I, a poor Chicanita from the sticks,to think I could write." - G l o r i aA n z a l d f a As first generationrt'riters, we defy the myth that tl-re color of our piece, skins prevents us frorn using the pen to create. hattie gossett's the introduction to her first book, is presentedhere in recognition of that act of defiance.But it is not enough to have our books published. We must alsoactivelv engagein establishing the criteria and the standards by r'vhich our work can be viewed. As Barbara Smith laid the groundr,r'orkin developing literary criticisrn for Black women in "Towarda Black Fer.ninist Criticism,"* here Norma Alarcon plants the seed vvhich germinates a feminist criticism involving the l-ristory, mythology, and writings of La CI-ricana. This article representsthe kind of iiterary criticism tirat is beginnir"rg to apprear in every segment of the Third World women's con-rmunity. We are Third World \\romenlvriters, so similar yet so different, sirnilar in the issuesr,r,'e confront, different in approachand style. What we have in comrnon is our love of writing and a lor..e of the literature of women of color. In our cornmon strr,rggle and in orrr rvriting rve reclairn our tongues.We lvield a pen as zrtool, a weapon, a rneansof survival, a rnagicrt'atrdthat ,,^,'ill attractpower, that will draw self-love into our bodies. And though often we may feel ambivalent about our devotion to the female self, rve continue to srvint fearless with the lengthof oro' own bodres (Wong)in a seaof rt'ords. We continue to swim toward that raft and lifeline rvhich is ourself - ourseif as mother, ourself as hero. What we clroosefinalli' is to culllvafeour coloredskins. a teacher taught r.t-re more than she knelr,' Patting r.neor1the head putting r,r'ords in n'ry hand
*C(rndittor?.s i. Brooklvn NY 1977.

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- "pretty little lndran girll" saving them going to give them back to her one day. . + A woman who writes haspower. A woman with power is feared h r the eyes of the world this makes us dangerousbeasts.
*Anna Lee walters in The Third rrrnnn-illtntrih'lNcmen D e x t e r F ' i s h e r{ e d . l i H o u g h t o n l \ . l i i f l i n 1 9 8 0 1 p. l09. \ \ , r ' t t t ' r .is rt r)tt L ' 5

Speaking In Tongues:A Letter To 3rd World Women Writers*

Gloria Anzaldua
21 maYo80 Dear mujeres de color, companions in rvriting I sit here naked in the sun, typen'riter against rny knee trying to visualize you. Black \\'orlan huddles over a desk in the fifth floor of a Chicana Sitting on a porch in south Texas, someNerv York ter-rernent. fanning awa)'mosquitos anci the hot air, trying to arouse the smouldering embers of it'riting. Indiar.rwoman walking to school or work rn'riting into your life. Asian lamenting the lack of time to r,r'eave tuggedin ail directions by children, n-rother, American, lesbian,sir.rgle the rn',riting. Iover or ex-husband, ar-rd It is not easy rvriting this letter. It began as a poem, a long poern. I tried to turn it into an essaybut the result was wooden, cold. I have not that yet unlearned tl.reesotericbullshit and pseudo-intellectualizing my writing. schoolbrainn'ashed into Horv to begin again.Horn'to approximatethe intimacy and in-rrnediacy I want. What fornr? A letter, of course. 'hermanas, tl-re dangers u'e face as \vomen writers of coior My dear wolnen though we have ntany itt are not the same as those of r,r,l.rite common. We don't have as much to lose \\,e never had any privileges. I wanted to call the dangers "obstacles" but that would be a kind of lying. We can't transcerrd the dangers,can't rise above them. We must go through them and hope we lvon't have to repeat the performance. Unlikel,v to be friends of people in high literary places, the beginnir-rg both in the white male main\'vornanof color is inr.'isible streamworld and in the lvhite \vonlen'sfeminist world, though in the latter this is gradualll' changing. The lesbranof color is not only invisible, she doesn't even exist. Our speech, too, is inaudible. We speak in tongues like the outcast and the insane. Becauservhite eyes do not want to know us, they do not bother to learn our lar-rguage, the languagewhich reflects us, our culture, our spirit. The schools we attended or didn't attend did not give us the skills for rvriting nor the confidencethat we were correct in using our classand ethnic languages. I, for one, becameadept at, and majored in Englishto spite, to shorv up, the arrogant racist teacherswho thought
*Originallv the Fenlinist r v r i t t e n l o r \ \ b r t l . sI r t O a r P o c f t e l s i B o o t l c g g e rS : anFranciscol, Writeri' Gu iiclHantlbook.

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all chicano children rverer d u r n i r a n d c i r t r . . A n . l S p a n i s hn a s n o t taught in grade school.Ancl Spanishwas nc)treqr.rired in F{ighScl.rool. A n d t h o u g h n o r , rI' w r i t e r x ' p o e ' s i n S p a r i s ha s v r . e l a l s E n g l i s hI f e e l t h c r i p - o f f o [ m y n a t i v et o n g u e . I lack imaginalrorryou say l/o. I lack language. The languageto clarify rny resistanceto the literate. Words are a war to me. They threaten my familv. To gain the lvord to describe the loss I risk losing everything. I ma]" create a monster the word's iength and body slr,ellingup colorful and thrilling l o o n r i n go v e r n t y r r r c l hr e characierized. Her voice in the distance unintelligible illite rate. These are the monster'swords.r Cherrie Moraca who gave us permission to perforn-rthe act of l'riting? whv d.es writing seem so unnatural for me? I'll do a'vthing to postpone it _ empty the trash, anslver the telephone.The voice recurs in rne: I,l/fto am I, ctpoor chicanita from the sticks, to think I could wrrte?Horv dare I even consideredbecorninga writer as I stoopedover the tornatofields bending, bending under the hot s'n, hands broadenedand callousecl. not fit to hold the quill, nurnbed into a'animal stupor bv the heat. Horn'hard it is for us to thinla we can chooseto becomeu,iiters, muclt lessfeel and believe that we can. what have we to contribute, to eive? our own expectationscondition us. Does not our ciass,our cultuie as well as the white man tell us r,r'ritingis not for women such as us? The white man speaks:Perhapsif you scrapethe dark off of yotr face. Maybe if you bleachyot* bones.stopspeakingin tongues, stop writing lt fthanded.Don't cultivatey,ourcolored skins nor tongues of fire if you wirtt to make it in a right-handed wnrld. "Man' like all the other anirnals,fears and is repelled bv that l'hiclr he does not understand, and mere differenie is urri to connote somethingmalign.":

I think yes, perhaps if rve go to the ur.riversity.Perhaps if we become maie-women or as middleclassas we can. Perhapsif we give up lovine wonen we will be r.vorthy of having something to say worth saying. They convince us that we rnust cultivate art for art's forrn. Pr.rt frames and metaframes sake.Bort' dowtr to the sacredbr.rll, the u'riting. Achieve distance in orcier to win the coveted title around "literary u'riter" or "professionalrvriter." Above all do not be simple, d i r e c t ,n o r i l n n t e d i a t e . Why do they fight us?Becausethey think lve are dangerousbeasts? Because we shake and ofter.r break the Why are n'e dangerousbeasts? white's comfortable stereotypic images they have of trs: the Black domestic, the lumbering nanny with twelve babies sucking her tits, the slant-eyed Chinese lt'ith her expert hand - "They knorv how to treat a man in bed,' the flat-faced Chicana or Indian, passively lying on her back, being fucked by the Man a 1aLa Chingada. \\)e your whitetnale Tlre Third World woman revolts: Werevoke, erose conteknoc'king imprint. lYhen t'<ttt on our doors witlt vour rubber starnps to brand our faces with DLlhIB, HYSTERICAL, PASSM PUTA PERVERT, when ,-ott conte with ;'our branding irons to burn MY ot1our buttocks, we will vomit theguilt, self-denialand racePROPERTY into us right back intoyour mouth. Weare done hatred;,ouhaveforce-fed being cushions for your projected fears. We are tired of being vour sacriftcial lambs and sclpegoots. I can rt rite this and yet I realizethat mar-ry of us women of color who have strung degrees,credentials and published books around our necks like pearls that n'e hang onto for dear life are in danger of c o n t r i b u t i n gt o t h e i n v i s i b i l i t y o f o u r s i s t e r - w r i t e r s" .L aV e n d i d a , " the seil-out. Tlrc darryerof sellirryout one's own ideologies.For the Third Worlcl wornan, who has, at best, one foot in the feminist literary world, the temptation is great to adopt the current feeiing-fadsand theory fads, the latest half truths in political thought, the half-digested new age psychological axion.rs that are preached by the r,t'hite feminist establishment. Its followers are notorlous for "adopting"won-renof color as their "cause" while still expecting us to adapt to their expectationsand their language. Hor'v dare lve get out of our colored faces.Horv dare we reveal the hurnan flesh underneath and bleed red blood like the white folks. It takes trernendous energy and courage not to acqr.riesce, not to capitulateto a definition of feminism that still renders rnostof us invisible. Even as I rr,ritethis I am disturbed that I am the only Third World \^,onranrvriter in this handbook. Over ancl over I have found myself

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Qlorn Att:rtl,1tta

to be the only Third Worlcl woman at readings, worksholrs, ancl rl-leetings. We cannot allott, ourselvestct be tokertized.We nutst ttrake otu' rtu'tt writing and thal t>f Tlird World yvomertthe first ptriorit,t'.We cannot educate white women and take thern by the hand. Most of us are homework for her. willing to help but we can't do the white \\ronran's to remember, Nellie That'san energy drain. More tirnesthan she carres Wong, Asian Ar.nericanferrinist writer, has been called b1' r'vhite wolnen wanting a list of Asian American uotnetr rt'ho catr givt readingsor workshops. We are in danger of being reduced to purvel'Iists. ors of resour-ce Coning face to face with one'slinitatiorts. Thereare only xt marty'thirtts I can do in oneday'.Luisah Teish addressinga group of predorninantlv white ferninist writers hacl this to say of Third World \\'omen's experience: "If you are not caught in the maze that {r.,r'e) are in, it's very difficult to explain to you the hours in the day u,e do not have. And the hours that we do not have are hours that are translatedinto survival skills and money. And when one of those hours is taken aw.ayit meansalt have to lie back and stareat the ceilirtgor an hour not that rve dor.r't hour that we clon't have to talk to a friend. For me it's a loaf of bread." Unclerstand. My family is poor. Poor. I can't afford a new ribbon. The risk of this one is enough to keep me moving through it, accountable. The repetition like rny mother's storiesretold, each tirne reveals nrore particr,rlars gains nrore fanriliarity. You can't get me in your car so fast.J Cherrie Nloraga "Complacencyis a far nrore dangerousattitude tl-rarr outrage."r N a o n ' r iL i t t l e b e a r Why arn l cornpelled to write? Becausetl.rert'ritir.rg savesrne frotn I {ear. Br:causeI have no choice. BecauseI must tl.riscor.nplacency

alive. Becausetl"leworld I keep the spirit of lrlv revolt and n'r,vself does not a."ut" in the $'riting compensatesfor what the real worid can g i v e m e . B y w r i t i n g I p u t o r d e r i n t h c -w o r l d , g i v e i t a h a n d l e s o I and it. I write because life cioes not appease my appetites [rasp "nung"r. I write to record rvhat others erasewhetl I speak, to relvrite about nre, about you. To become the stories others have mis.nvritten more intilnate lvith rnyself and you. To discover rnl'self, to pleserve the myself, to make rnyself, to achieve self-autonomy' To dispell convince soul. To -ytt]r tl-iatI aru a ntad prophet or a poor sufferir-rg and that what I have to say is not a pile of shit myself that I am r,n,orthy Toshow that I can aDd that I wi/1write, never milld their adn'ronitious to the cor.rtrary.And I will write about the untnentionables,never mind the outrqqedgaspof the censorand the audience.Finally I w'rite becauseI'm scaredof rt,riting but I'm more scared of not writing. I write? D(tI needtojustify beingChicana' I try to.ittsttfi'why Why' slutttld being wonnn? Yctumight as well ashme to tttt to .iustib *hy I1n.alive soul, alchernv.It is the quest The act of rvriting is tl'react of n-raking we women of color have which for the self, for the center of the self, Didn't we start "other"-the feminine' the dark, come to think as were different, we knew we us? within writing to reconcilethis other And as "normal," white-right is considered setapa*rtexileclf rom what too and us within alien the to see rve came we internalized this exile, other. each and frorn ourselt'es apart rve split ofterr, as a result, Forever after rve have been in searchof that self, that "other"and each other. And we return, in widening spiralsand never to the samechilc'i' hood place rvhere it happened,first in our families, with our mothers' with our fathers.The rvriting is a tool for piercing that rnystery but it alsoshieldsus, gives a margin of distance,helps us survive' And those that don't survive? Tl'rewaste of ourselves:so nrttch nreat throwtr at the feet of madnessor fate or the state. 24 mayo 80 It is dark and damp and has been raining all day. I love days like this. As I iie in bed I am able to delve inrvard. Perhaps today I wili write from that deep core. As I grope for words and a voice to speak of writing, I stareat mv brorvn hand clenching the pen and tirink of you thousandsof miles arvay clutching your pen' You are not alone' Pen, I feel right at hon'rein your ink doing a pirouette, stirring the on the window panes- Pen' how cobwebs, leiving my signai,.rre quite house-broken br.rtit's You're you. feared could I ever ha.,,e you to get rid of you whet-r have I'll with. in love I am your rvildness Itart being predictable' rt'he' you stop chasi^g ciustdevils'.The more you 5,.rt*'itme the r.'ore I love you. It's when I'm tired or have caffeine or u,ine that yor.rget past my defensesand had too n'rucl'r

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you say more than what I had intended. you surprise me, shock nre into knowing some part of me I,d kept secreteven from mys;lf. -Journal entry. In the kitchen Maria and cherrie's voices failing on these pages, I can seecherrie going about in her terry cloth wrap, barefoot *uil.,ing the dishes,shaking out the tablecloth, vacuuming. Deriving a cerra'l pleasurewatching her perform those simple taski, I am thiirking t/rey. Iied, there is no separationbetweenlife and writing. The danger in writing is not fusing our personal experience a.d world view with the social rearity we rive in, with our inner life, ,r.rr history, our economics,and our vision. what vaiidates us as i-runran beings validatesus as writers. what matters to us is the relatio'sirips that are important to us whether with our self or others. we must r,rse .f what is important to us to get to the writing. No topicrs loo rrrvral. he danger is in being too universar and humanitarian and invoking trre eternal to the sacrifice of the particular and the feminine u.,i th. specific historical moment. The problem is to focus, to concentrate.The body distracts,sabotageswith a hundred ruses, a cup of coffee, pencils to sharpen.The solution is to anchor the body to a cigaretteor some other ritual. Anci rvho has time or energy to write after nurturing husband or lor.er children, and often an outsidejob? The problen-rs seem insurmour.rtable and they are, but they ceasebeing insurmountableonce rt,enrake up our mind that whether married or childrened or rvorkins outsicle jobs we are going to r-nake time for the writing. Forgetthe room of one'sown - write in the kitchen, lock yourself ulr in the bathroom. write on the bus or the r,l,erfare line, ori tl-rejob or during meals,between sleepingor waking. I write whire sitti.g or thc john. No long stretches at the typewriter u'less you're u'ealth1."or har-ca patron - you may not even own a typewriter. while you *,asl-r tl're floor or clotheslisten to the rvords chanting in your body. when,vou'r.. depressed, angry, hurt, rvhen compassion and lo.,,eporr"r, r,o,,. When you cannot help but u,rite. Distractions all - that I spring on rnyself when I'm so deep into the writing when I'm almost at that place, tl-ratdark cellar *.h"r. ,,,,rr.'thing" is liabie to ju'-rp up and pounce on rne. The ways I subvert thcwriting are rrany. The way I don't tap the rvelr nor leain horv to 'rake the windmill turn. E a t i n g i s m y m a i n d i s t r a c t i o n .G e t t i n g u p t o e a t a n a p p l e d a n i s h . That I've been off sugarfor tl-rree years is not a cleterrentnor that I l-iave to put on a coat. find the keys and go out into the San Franciscofoq to g e t i t . G e t t i n gu p t o l i g h ti n c en s e ,t o p u t a r e c o r do n . t o g o f o r a , r ' , r l k anything just to put off the r,r'riting.

p?pet,

I've stuffed myself. Writing paragraphson piecesof fleturning after ^ t r i n r ^ r h - ^ u 7 7 l so n t h e f l o o r .t o t h e c o n f u s i o n on my desk r 1 6 . ' " . auvt
"''.},'

far away and perfection impossible. Luki"g completion 26 maYo 80 and tired and there is a buzz in Dear mujeres de color, I feel hear,ry finish this letter. My my head too many beers last night. But I must bribe: to take mYself out to Pizza. So I cut and paste and line the floor with my bits of paper' My life strewn on the floor in bits and piecesand I try to make some order out of it working against time, psyching myself up with decaffeinated coffee,trYing to fill in the gaPs' Leslie,my housemate,comesin, getson handsand kneesto read my fragmentson the floor and says,"It'sgood, Gloria." And I think: ldon'I cactus, rattlehaveto go back to kxas, to my family of land, mesquites, writers. How could of this community roadrttnners. My and family, snakes isolation, remember the without it. And I so loirg survived I havelivedand pain again. the re-Iive the damage is a dangerousact,":writes Cherrie Moraga. "To assess is even lnore dangerous. there To stop It's too easy, blaming it all on the'nvhiteman or white feminists or societyor on our parents. What we say and what lve do ultimately comesback to us, so let us own our responsibility,place it in our olt'n handsand carry it with dignity and strength.No one'sgoing to do rny shitwork, I pick up after myself. It makes perfect senseto me now hou' I resistedthe act of writing, the commitrnent to rvriting. To lvrite is to confront one'sdemons, iook them in the face and live to write about them. Fear acts like a rnagnet; it draws the dernonsout of the closetand into the ink in our pens. The tiger riding our backs (writing) never lets us alone. Why aren't you riding, writing, writing?It asksconstantly till we begin io feel we're are vampires sucking the blood out of too fresh an experience;that r,t'e sucking life's blood to feed the pen. Writing is the most daring thing I have ever done and the rnostdangerous.Nellie Wong callswriting "the three-eyed errton t h et r u t h .' slirieking Writing is dangerous because \ve are afraid of what the writing reveals:ihe fears, the ar-rgers, the strengthsof a n'otnan under a tripie or quadruple oppressior-r. Yet in that very act lies our survival because with power is feared. a woman lr,ho rvrites has power. And a 'uvotnan What did it ntean for a black wonlan to be an artist irl our grandan answer cruel enough to stop mother's tinre?It is a question'uvitl-r - Alice Walker.: the bloocl.

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Gloria An::aldit,,

QloriaAnzaldia

173

I have never seenso much power in the ability to move and transforlr others as from that of the writing of women of color. In the San Francisco area, where I now live, none can stir the audience with their craft and truthsaying as do Cherrie Moraga (Chicana),Genny Lim (Asian American), and Luisah Teish iBlack). With women like these, the loneliness of writing and the sense of powerlessnesscan be dispelled. We can walk among each other talking of our writing, reading to each other. And more and ntore when I'm alone, though still in cornmunion r,t'ith each other, the writing possesses me and propels me to leap into a timeless, spaccless no-place where I forget myself and feel I am the universe. ?hrs is power. It's not on paper that you create but in your innards, in the gut ancl out of living tissue- organicwitirtg I call it. A poem works for me rrol when it sayswhat I want it to say and rrolwhen it evokeswhat I r,r,'ant it to. It works when the subject I started out r,r'ith metamorphoses alchemically into a different one, one that has been discovered, or uncovered, by the poem. It works when it surprisesme, when it say's something I have repressedor pretended not to know. The meanin.q and worth of my writing is measuredby how much lput myself on the line and how much nakednessI achieve. Audre said we need to speak up. Speak loud, speak unsettling things and be dangerousand just fuck, hell, let it out and let evL-rvbody hear whether they want to or not.8 Kathy Kenclall I say mujer magica, empty yourself. Shock yourself into ne\\.\\'avs of perceiving the world, shock your readers into the same. Stop the chatter inside their heads. Your skin must be sensitive enough for the lightest kiss and thick enough to ward off the sneers.If you are going to spit in the eye of thcworld, make sure your back is to the wind. Write of what most links us with life, the sensationof the body, the images seen by the eye, thc' expansionof the psyche in tranquility: mornents of high intensitv, its movement, sounds, thoughts. Even though we go hungry \Neat'e t1()[ impoverishe d of experienc es. I think many of us have been fooled by the mass media, by societ-r's conditioning that our lives must be lived in great expiosions,by' "falling in love," by being "swept off our feet,"and by the sorcerr'.ri magic genies that will fulfill our every wish, our every childhood longing. Wishes, dreams, and fantasiesare important parts of otrr' creative lives. They are the stepsa writer integratesinto her craft: They are the spectrum of resourcesto reach the truth, the heart ol

things, the immediacy and the impact of human conflict.e Nellie Wong with words. They Iabel thernselves Many have a r,t'ay seersbut they will not see. Many have the gift of tongue but nothing to say. Do not Iisten to them. Many who have words and tongue have no ear, they cannot listen and they wiil not hear. There is no need for words to fester in our minds. They germinate in the open mouth of the barefoot child in the midst of restive crowds. college classrooms. They wither in ivory towers and ir-r Throw away abstractionand the academic learnitrg,the rules, the map and compass. Feel your way without blinders. To touch more people, the personal realities and the social must be evoked - not through rhetoric but through blood and pus and sweat. Write with your eyeslike painters, with your ears lihe musicians,u'ith your feet like dancers. You are the truthsayerwith qttill and torch. Write with your tonguesof fire. Don't let tlrc pen banishyou from yourself.Dort't Iet the ink coagulatein your pens.Don't let the censorsnuff out the spark, nor the gagsmuffle your voice.Put your shit on the paper. We are not reconciledto the oppressors who whet their howl on our grief. We are not reconciled. Find the muse within you. The r.oicethat lies buried under you, dig it up. Do not fake it, try to sell it for a handclap or your name in print. Love, Gloria

G l o r r . l - ' 1 , ' . r , ,r ,

Enclnotes
C h e r r i e M o r a g a ' s p o e r n , " l t ' s t l t c P o v e ir1 iv 1 l nl lq r i , u l l g r t T h e ) \ h r 1 i , , 1 ,;.1 , , r"rnpublishecl Lrookof p()enrs. A l i c e W a l k e r ' ,c c l i t o r ." \ \ j h a t W h i t c [ ' u l ) l i s h c r s \ V r n t [ ' r i n t / L , r , , ...\'1 i . , , ; 'i11,, Whert I tilrr Latrghinc --A Zoro N'r'rr1t, Hrn.skrrr R:,cri/er'. invr'n \irrk: Ireminist Press,1979) p 169. 1\4oraga, Ibid. Nacrnril,ittlebc'ar, Zlle Dar)t,.tlllter\Irrrir iPortland:OIive Press 1!r771 p jr. 'La Chcrrie Nloraga's cssa\',scc Giicra.' Nellie Wong, "Flor,vs fron'r thc Dark r>{ l\loustcrs anci Derlor.rs:\otts o1 Writirrg," Rotlir:al l\ltrnrt Ptnrtphlet, iSan Francisco 19791. A l i c e W a l k e r ," l n S e a r c h o f O u r X l o t i r e r sG a r d e n s . The CreativiLv oi Blui.f: Wcrtnenin tlre Sor.rth,".4fS, N1ay,197;t p. {r0. Lctter fror-nKathy Kendall,N'[arch10, 1980 conctnrins a u'riter'su'orkshirl, given by Audrc Lorde, Adrienne Ricl.r, ancl l\leridel LeSeur. Nellie Wong, lbid.

who told you anybodY wants to hear from You?You aint nothing
but a black wornan!
hattieSossett
sav tliat ii is really a clraqttl have to u'rite the irltrofirst of all let n-re ou'tl book * ductionto ,vottr i had to go tl'rroughto $'rite through everytl.ring i meanl etfteri r,r,cr-rt a iot) uort' thats througl"r go had to i r-r.re lieve be book iand this whole r,^u'hat i l-norecar-r i dO? carl mOre rvirat t'uorc. do to i liave nOtenough. in tliis book \\'liich i ,ufZ i nut:" said it all lfor the tin]e being anwvay) telling rne that i hopeyou are getting readv to read. no$'the editors are ',ve11. sigh. if i ha'e to' sigh, sigil' but i just want t are io tell vou rnore. t6ziti do.t. like this part of the deal at you to kn..,i, f rom the beginnir.re poems) the utt.*hut i really \\'aDt to be doirlg uorv is the rewriting {zl that editing(2 interviervsand 1 article)and the other fine tuning things to a cl.se phasc'of rny iourney bring tl-ris needtL be done so that i car.r and get onto tl'renext olle. i rvant to be doing norv is getting through this 'erbui the rnain tl-ring vous breakdo$,n of the crisis of confidencevariety. you know rt'hen finished lvith sonrethingyou have been working otr a you are aln'rost t n g t i m e i t h e f i r s t p i e c e i n t h i s b o o k * , a s n ' r i t t e n i n 1 9 6 6a n d i h a ' e beeln editi.g this book since march 1980a'd it is now sepiernber1980) that is real irnportant to you cuz its your first big visible step in a directo go in for a lor'rgtinre and l'Io\\'you are tion you have been tr_ving finaliy about to get there and therl suddenly -votistart doubting your the fuck do you think you self and sayit-rg things to yourself like i,t'l'ro think you are?and who do you are to be .u.iting a book? i mean rt'ho p a y n l o n c yf o r i t d u r i n g t o e r r o u g h cares w h a t t o u i h i n k i r b o u ta n 1 ' t h i r t g and unemplo)'ment firings and thesedays of inflation and cutbacks in paperback?plus $5 and l-rardcover irl and boois costingat Ieast$ 15 of your audience portion major a and theresa nationailiteracy crisis of tirne?pius is a waste readin think to not only cant read but seems in airports? or eve. bookshops ghetto books like tl.ris in the are.t solcl on top of that you aint nothing but a black rvortlanl rvho told you any60s you know' its the 80s' body rn,anted to hear from you? this aint tl"re
1t 9 *"nt-vsoull()()ksbackilttt'trclerrrviltluinrtnilrdotltqc-ltlobh'tcs'llattiegosse t 8() (unpullisherl\.

l I

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hatliego.sserl

dont nobody care nothing about black folks these days. we is defi. nitely not in vogue. this seasonwe are not the rage.aint nobody even seriouslycourting our vote during this presidentialelection year. and you know what happens when a black \ roman opens her mouth to say anything other than do it to me! do it to me! do it to me daddy dol dont you? havent you had enough of that? or are you a masochist? or a fool? see?thats why i would rather be somewhere getting my nervous breakdown over with so i can move on. cuz you know that i know that all this doubting is a trap laid out in the patripower days of 1o.g ago tr.r keep me/us from doing what we know got to be done. but it sure would be nice that while i was finishing with the nervous breakdown some_ one else was writing the introduction. it would be a sensitivelor.ins understandingpiece of writing that would tell you what you need to know about me and aboui the stuff in this book so that you can get the most out of it. but no i cant even do that. i got to sit here and write thrs introduction myself and tell you that i was born into this life the child of houseniggahsand that i been struggling trying to get home ever since. s e p t e m b e r9 , 1 9 8 0

In Searchof the Self As Hero: Confetti of Voices on New Year'sNight

A Letter to Myself NeIIie Wong
You want to run away and hide now, become a breeze beneath a willow tree, a breath from the dragon'smouth, a blade of grassstruggling skyward to shoot above the ground, not to be squashedlike an ant, not to be forgotten perhaps like an Asian prostitute. These past few days now, that have become years of memories and dreams, of work and struggle,of becoming and living, you shiver in the fleeceof your inkblue robe, wondering why you tiptoe don'n the stairsto write, to face your typer,r'riterlike a long, iost friend, welcoming her this New Year'sNight. You don't question the urgency to write, to expressyourselves,your innocenceand naivete, your conflicts and passions,your doubts and beliefs,as a woman, a writer, a feminist, a poet, an Asian American, a secretary,a thlee yip nui, a wife, trying to learn the businessof life: the act of loving. You have conte away from a weekend of workshops at the Modern LanguageAssociationconference,absorbedthe words and thoughts of writers like yourselves,provoked by the hate and love directed at a book by Maxine Hong Kingston. The Woman Wanior: A Girlhood Among Ghosts-for you a book of brilliance, of Iove and anger, becoming an art form, a testimony and vision of one Chinese American woman's world. ChineseAnterican culture,Asnn Ah, but you ask, who determines American sensibility? These opponents to the art of Maxine Hong Kingston, or to the confetti of voices fiuttering fron-rthe past, voices still yet to be heard, to be written down? has written a book of poems, who has stored away Who are you r,r,ho over ten years of fiction, poems and prose? Who are you who describes herself as an Asian An-rerican Feminist, wl.roworks and writes toward that identity, that affinity, that necessaryself-affirming love? And you ask yourelves if you must retreat, scared rabbits, into the forestsof your own imagination,your own prisons and clearings,your entanglementsof words versus coircepts,of dreams versus reality, of expressionversus interpretation, of languageversus life, knowing in all your sensibilitiesas a woman writer that you face the struggles headon. You know there is no retreat now, no avoiding the confrontations, the debatesand disagreements between what is art and what is

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not art whiclr for you alsomealts: rvhat is Asian An-rerican fentinist art and politics? If you siltg too often of \^roe, yours or your sisters', you nra),bc charged with being "too personal,""too autobiographical," too much a woman who cries out, who acknowledgesopenly, shar.nelessly, the pain of living and the joy of becoming free. You believe, almost tocr simply, tl-rat you are establishingyour own traditions, becoming yolrr own role model, becoming your own best friend, your o\vlt accessible hero. In so doing you do not deny human relatiotrships, but acknowledgc them, want thent ancl fight for thent. Ancl vou are angered by the arrogance of some articles that would tell 1'ou that V i r g i n i a W o o l f i s y o u r s p i r i t u a lm o t h e r , y o u r p o s s i b l er o l e r t r o d c l , f,,r the r,t'orkyou have to do: to'"vrite. And why are vou angered excepr for the fact that she was white and prir.ileged,yet so ill that she rvalkcil into tl're sea. And now you have discovered Ding Ling, China's most proliiic woman writer, a feminist, a cornmunist, a loving fighting \\'ollan. whose stories gleam, bright lights in the dark of Chinas past. Ding Ling, imprisoned for expressing her anguish,her love and contpassion for China';women, for recordins the conditions of their lir"'es. Di ne Ling, attacked for her ferninisn'r, supposedlybourgeois,inc'lir,iclr.ralistic, impeding the movenrent of cornmunism in her native land. Nouthere is inforr-nation trickling out that she is r'r'ritingagain,silencedfor' so nlany years.Now you want to searchfor more of her rvork, jeu'cls you want to hold in your own hands.Now you $,ant to share her rvork to discover the links betr,r'een the women of Chir-ra t,i and the'uvor.nen Chinese Anterica, to find the grandn-rothers wish to adopt. _vou In yotu'searchyou do not delty the lvritings of Hisaye Yantamoto or Wakako Yautauchi, Jade Snor,n, Wong or Maxine Hong Kingston, Horvever', y'ou ck-nyJessicaHagedorn or Mei-Mei Berssenbrr.rgge. t h e s ew o n r c n a s r o l e m o d e l sb e c a u s e your experiences are not thcirs. Their experiencesare not yorrrs though you assir.nilate thenr becaus.' the rangeof human experiencetickles your solitariness, your desirctcr become pluralistic, a free spirit soaringir.rto the north anclsoutl-r poles of everywoman's existence.Yotr respect tl'rese rvriters, your colttcnl' poraries,and yet you do not onl)'l.rear r',r,.t tl.reirvoicessimply because il must carve out your own destinv: a \nu'ontan hero, an advL.lttr.lrer doer, a singer,an actor, fearlesslvith the length of your o\\'n borlv. th.' depth of ,vour clark seeingeyes, the sor.rnds of your typeu.ritcr kc-r's. gone and what hay,t t,ou dcnte? And 1'ou ask'.where hat'e y,ctu You clortt h;rvethe tirnc to count the Lloelns, the stories,tl'reoutpourings of eri.'1. a n d j o y , b u t t h e y a r e t h e r e i n y o u r f i l e c a b i n e t ,t h e y a r e t h e r e i t r r ' , t l t r mind, and they are there flowing through your bloodst."otr. Th"r'ut.'

each lllornillg arlclshou er atld shower, there as surel)' as yott arvakct.t h u m n t i t t e b i r c l , a c o t t t e t r t o l c t t l t e r t ' a i e l f a l l t r t ' e rv o t t r b o d l ' . a s happ,v t'r'hile)'otl s()apyoLlrcars zttrci it, rvhilc tttrcierarrns, splash it anci splash l-rave ti fer,r'ntortrc'trts alotteto let the you shampooyoLlrliair, n'hile 1'otr i t r t o s o t . t gr h v t h r n , p o e n l s ,l i f c . L)t)\lr i h o u g h t sa r l d i n r p u l s e s a r e c l u s e ,s i r n p l i ' a t t o b s e r v e ro f l i f e , c o n Could you havebecortre to cat tent to roattr bv the sea, thir-rkingarld clreanlirlgand stopprirlg a beconrea hobo, an alcol'rolic, only when ,vouhacito? Could vott har,'e p r i n c e s s ,c o l t t c n t t , ' l i v c t h r o u g h t h e c l e c c l s and accornplishsleeping A n d n ' b a t i s t h i s a c l v e n t u r et,h i s h t t t t q e r , t h a t r o a r st t . t m e n t so f o t h e r s ? , ferrlinistl'And y o u n o \ \ ' , a s a \ \ ' o l l a l ) , a r v r i t t ' r ,a t r A s i a t tA t t t t ' r i c a t ra n,c l i v ' i c l t r a l efsis w h y ? A n c ll v h a t i s t h i s s a t i s i a c t i o nt,h i s s e l i - a s s r - t r c ' c l no is t['ris thrust cot.ttAnd finalll', n,hat torvarcl ity, of spirit, of alonetiessl' totr,arcl inte rerction u'itir tt attd trtctr, this irrrou, n'ot-tte munity, tou'ard creativitv, tou'ard freedotril' herve tl.re lovc support of friends anclsisteru,riters. Yor,t You havc tl-re vott rttr.t tr.rrtr frotn theur, artd artd husband siblinss, of your 1'otrl 1'et t o r v a r c p l o l i t i c s a licl n e l i g h t t o r v a r c a ' l r t . f o r c e , t h i s c c s s i t r ' t , h i s t l i i s with o r g a r t i z i n u , f ila r t c i c l o i t ' r a g n t i i n t h e c u t t i n g I r . r t l . r e c x p r e s s i n g writins. - , r t r r s) ' ( , u s p c n r l i n v o r . t rs t t t d v o t . ta b r i e h t S t r n c l a l ' a f t e r i n g , i n t l r t -h frortt to rclt)ovL-1'ttut'sc-lve-s noon, )'ou lvotttler n'liv it sccltts sirrtplclttillistcr, or a nrltt, coulclhetvebcccrt't'tl'zt other people. Ycruthink vc.rr,t judging anclcott-ttnetrtitrq ot.tt.ttorerlitr', on tirc corttplcxon pltilosophy', other i t i e so f h u r n a n l i f e, o n t h e i n j u s t i c eo f h u n r a nb e i n g so p p r e s s i n g human beings. You l'ravcno ans\\'L-rs. You hat'c cltrest!ons attd tttttre q u e s t i o n sa b o r . r v t h i l c l r e n ,a g a i t r s t t i o l e n c e a g a i n s tw o n r c n , a q a i r . r sc try' ethnic lr.rir-rorities, \bu onlv unclcrstaltcl tirat vott nrr-tst agair.rst ga1's. to anslr,ervour questiot'ts. You think at titnes ;'c.rr.t cart alts\\'cr iheltt alonc-, bccause vor.tlive arrrl u'orl< as a social but tl-ratis in'rpr>ssible b e i n gi n t l r i s n r a t e r i a l p h v s i c a J riv a n c lc c r i t t o l . t . t co r - l t l . If yor,r clesirefreectrnr,total f recdotl, voLt;tsk, rloesit Ineattthat vtttr must die?You are unairaicl,but .vouthirtk of thc-clcad,c-rf Of tl-re clr.'irtg. women like S1'lvia P l a t ha n d A n n e S e x t o t t r , v r i t e r sr ' ' h o k i l l e d t h e n t selr,'es, sisters of tu'o AsiatnArnerican teenagecl poets YOu'\'e aclmircc-l; who con'rr.nitted thcir dating Hissuiciclcbecausctheir father clpl.rosecl p a n i c b o y s . Y o u t h i n k o f r . o u r c o n s i r t ' u v hh ou r t g h i l n s c l f i r t L a s V e g a s , h i s h e a r i n gg o n e, l ' r i s father s o na l i e n e t t e f crlc l n rh i r t t .V r t r t h i n k o f y t t t L r w b o d i e c lo f c i r r h o s i sc l ft h e l i v c r , u ' l ' r o tr n o t l t e ra l t d t h r ee b r r x r g h t1 ' o r . r sisters ] f s l o r t t a c lc t attt o A n r e r i c a .Y o r rt h i r i k o [ r - o u rn r o t h c ru ' h o c l i e Lo cer, n lro c]csirecl arrd of Bctli her ou'n [ur coat. her rtu'tr qranclscltr; G u n g a c o o k , a g e n t l co l c ln r a n ,a p i o n e c r ,a g r a n c l i a t h e ru , ' h < 'c r l i c ca lt homein l.ris n O a k l a n c l 'C s hirtar e n t c c lr o o n ra b o v e H a n r b t t r q e r J o c 'is torr',n. And is the question tl.ratof nrortalit-vatrtl hou',vou dc-sirettl

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beconrein-rmortal, and not bc a fool, a real hurnan being?you a mortal, y o u a w o m a n , w h o d o e sn o t v v a n tt o b e s m a l li n a n y s e D s e of the,ulord. You a poet, you a femi'ist, r,r'ho seeksbeauty in and beyond tlie orciinarinessof the everyday world. You talk of children and yet 1'ouhave none. you talk of writing ancl l e a v i n ga p a r t o f y o u r s e l v e s to daughters a n d s o n s ,t h e i r d a u g h t e r s and sons,so they will discoverfor themselves tl'reheart and lninds of Asian Anrericans,particularly the u,omen who are strugglingin this fight for freedom. You don't understand why you have this vision, of lea'r'q work, signs and clues, knowledge and art, stones,hower.er .ol,gh,,1. polisired,for people 1'ouwill never know. You realizei.ou r,,,'ill be {orre w l r c nt h c q r r e s t i . n s o f t h ef r r t u r c a r i s el i k c * ' i l d f l o l ' e r so n t h ep l a i n ,e i this earth. You u,ant to be a part of a legacyand so you write a'rd u'ritc, questioningand cxploring, not knowing if what you rvrite lr,ill becor.ne a part of Arnerica'sfreedom so.s, not knon'ing if there is a rairborv. You believed o^ce in yoLlro\\'' passivitv, your o\\.n porverlessr.rr-ss your o\ rn spiritual rnalaise. You are now arvakeningin the beginnines of a new birth. Not born again, but born for tl.re first time, iriu'.rpha't anci resolute,6ut of experienceand struggle,out of a flon'ing, iivrnc mernory, out of cor.rsciousness and lr,ill, facing, confronting, challerrci . s h e a d - o n t h e c o n t r a d i c i i c n so f y o r . r rl i v e s a r . r d tl.re lives of peoP)e around you. You believc no.,vin the necessityand beaut,vof stmssle: that ferninism for you rneansrt'orking for the equality and l.rur.iraritv o f u ' o m e n a n d m e n , f o r c h i l d r e n ,f o r t h e l o v e t h a t i s p o s s i b l e . You rub your legsin this cold roorn.You shi,,,eruvhen you re.cailr-our ov,,r.r self-pity lvhen you had no date on Ncrv year's Eve, .uvhen vi,u regrettedthe farlily gatheringbecauseit rerlinded you that 1.or-r stooci out, a wornan without a man, a woman r,vithr>ut children. Nolv vor.r arc s t r e n g t h e n e de , ncouraged b y t h e r a n g eo f y o u r o \ ' n e x p e r i e n c e s a sa w r i t e r , a f e m i n i s t ,z r no r g a n i z e ra , s e c r e t a r y\ .6 1 y y o u a r e f i r e d b y ' 1 ' o u r owt't neecls,by tl're needs of vour sisters at.rdbrothers in the socirrl world, by your journey tort arclsolidarity,againsttyranny in the u'orkplace,on the streets,in our literature and in our homes.you are fr.relecl by the clarity of your olvn sight, heated by your o\\'n energy to assert yourselves a s a h u r n a nb e i r r g , a r t ' r i t e r ,a w o n r a l t ,a n A s i a n A n r er i c a u a ferninist, a c i e r i c a iw o r k e r , a s t u d e n t ,a t e a c h c r , autl not in loneliness isolation, but in a conltrunitr.' of freedom fighters. your poer.ns erncl storieswill do some of tl-re work for you, but poems and storiesalonc aren't enough. Nothing for you is ever enough and so yotr challenge yourselves, again ancl again, to tr,v sornethirlgnew, to helprbuild a It.tovernent, it to orsanize for the rights of rvorking people, to r,r.ritc novel, a play, to crcate a living theater that will en'rbody clrearrs 1-our and vision, energy in print, on stage,at work that will assertthe r,r'ill u'i

woman, that wiil reflect a sensibility 6n independent,freedom-loving feminism, of sharingfood and rvealth with all the of America, of Asian with all Your krn. p e o p l e , ' flnd you will not stop working and writing because you care/ you refuseto give up, becauseyou won't submit to the forces because hay poa, a long steam woman, a talker, silencevou, a cheor-rg will that And you are propelled by your moves with lightning. who dancer a for the dead and the living, by your your respect play, by fair of sense thlee yip American laughter and language,by your desire to help order the chaotic world that you live in, knowing as the stars sparkle on this New Year'snight that you will not survive the work that still needsto be done in the streetsof Gold Mountain.

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Chicana'sFeminist Literature: A Re-Vision Through Ma\intzinl or Malintzin: Putting Flesh Back on

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Noryna Alarcon
Malintzi. (or La N,{alinche) was an Aztec nobrervoman rt,rro\\,as er)f s e n t e dt o c o r t e s u p o n r a r d i ' g i n V e r a c r r . ri z n 1519. S h es u b s e q u e r t l ' served cortes as lover, translatorand tacticaladvisor. She is a;"rri;,; versial figure in the conquest of Mexico. Her rame is ofteu callecl forth to reenact, syntbolically, the Conqr.rest or a'y conquest.part of this drama, analogicallyso, is novv being played out also in Aztlan. Ma.lintzin's history, her rege.d ancl subsequentmythic diirensr.rrs as evil goddessand creator of a new race - the mestizo racc-, e'br.rrs her in a family quarrel, where many mare mernbersoften prefer to sce her as the mothEr-whore, bearer of ilregiti'rate chirdren, respo.sirrre for the foreign Spanishinvasion; and where female n-rembers atte'prt to restore balance i' ways that are sometimespainfuily ambir.ale't, and at other times attempt to topple the traditio'al patriar-char rn).trr,riogy through revision and re-vision.* This essaywill explore the traditio'ar image of N{ali'tzin ir.r chicaro culture and ll'ill provide exarr.rples of the rvayscorltenrl]orar,v chicarra feminist writers have reacteclto and used tl.is ir-nage in their rvork. In our patriarchal mytholclgicalpantrreon,there Lxists e'e, r)o\\.z1 wolnan rvho was once real. Her historicitl', her experie'rce,ht--r trr.re flesh and blood were discarded.A Kantian, d'alistic nale cor.rscior.rsnessstole her and placed her on the throne of evil, Iike Dante,suosicle dor'r'n frozenJudas,cloor'red to moan anclbemoan.The,nl'oma,is int.r, changeably c a l l e db y t h r e en a m e s :M a r i n t z i n ,M a l i n c h e ,M a r i . a . x l a l intzin'sexcruciating life in bondage\ rasof no account, s and co^tintre t o b e o f n o a c c o u n t .H e r a l m o s th a l f c e n t u r y o f n t y t h i c e x i s t e n c eu n t i l recent times mostiy in the oral traditions, had turred her into a l-rarilr. refere'ce point not o'ly for co.troliing, interpreting or visualizirg women, but also to \^,age a domestic battle of stifling proportions., Unlike Eve whose primevar reality is not histor]cally docume't a b l e a n d w h o s u p p o s e d l ye x i s t e di n i o m e p a s t e d e n i c t i n t e , N , l a l i n t , zin's betrayal of our supposedpre-Columbian paradise is recent ancl h e n c e a l m o s t p a l p a b l e .T h i s a l m o s t - w i t h i n - r e a c h p a s t heightens r o m a n t i c n o s t a l g i aa n d a s a c o n s e q u e ' c e h a t r e d f o r Malintzi' a.tl

as vitriolic as tlte Amc-rican Puritans' loathing of wolnen becon.res witches-women' The focus of the betrayalis not a iofty challengeto a "god"who subsequently unleashedevil trpon the lvorld as punishrnent. Disobedience the discussionat tirnes on arnideal plane and to a "god' might prlace as ol1esu'itchesfrom an intensedialogue relievetension r.r.romentarily vocabulary about one'sbodt' to a "rarified"field at leastin terrns of tl.re used. However, the male rnytl'r of Malintzin is made to see betrayal it nearly impossible at first o{ all in her very sexuality, rvhich r.nerkes any given lnolrel)t to go beyond tlie vagina as the suprerle site of evil until proven innocent b,vrvay of virginitv or virtue, the rnostpawr.rable around.commodities not onlv rnale thouql.rt br-rt Becausethe m1'th of Nlalintzin pc'n,ades it into our owt"t cot.rsr;iousness ir.r cradle tl'rrougl-r as seeps tl're ours too their eyes as rvcll as ollr nrotirers, r'r'hoare entrusted rvith the trans\\'e nrav conre to belit've tliat inclecdour \rer\rsexof cr.rlture, missior.r r.ls to enslaver.r.rent. cor"rdenlns Ar.rcrtslavenrent rvhicli is sr,rbseuality All rve seeis hatred of n'orrien.\\'e quently rnani[estedin self-hatrecl. t h r o u g he x t r e n r e vtro t r l v p r' s s i b l e m u s t h a t e h e r t o o s i n c el o v t ' s e e n r s definition is at best slipperv. tue r,t'hose T h e p o e tA l n r a V i l l a n u e v an l u s t h a v er e a l i z e d u , nderstooc t lh e i n s i d iousness is a song to of the hate syndrome. Her r,r'hole book Bloodrr.rols t h e r e j e c t i o no f s e l f - l o a t h i n g T . h e p o e n r" l s i n g t o n . r v s c l [s " tates: I could r,r'eep and raee agair.rst the man lvho never stroked r-nvfine child hair w h o n e v e l f e . l tt h e p r i d e o f m,v fen'rininit)'. ' I t i s n o t j u s t t h e f a t h e r t h a t i s a s o u r c eo i p a i n ; a n r o t h e r ' [ i g u r e appearsalso. The r.r-rotl'rer is inrpotcr.rt to help the daughter. All of her energiesseem dirccted, spent in her desire ar-rd need for rnan, a factor t h a t r e p u l s e sa n t l a t t r a c t st h e t l a t r g h t e r . L o v c f o r r n o t h e ri s a n a u r b i valencerootr'clin the daugl-rter's serlse of aL,andonn.rent by her ntother and her apparently enormous and irrational need: Never finding a brcast to rest and rvarntnl,self . . .' As the daughter proceeds to rr.peat her rnother's experience , she ironically discoversar.rd affirnts a "urt)untiueseif/love'as a con.rbativc t o r c e a e a . i n stth e r e p e t i t i o no f t h e n r o t h e r ' s a b n e g a t i o na , nd irratior.ral need of ar-rd dependerlcyo1rn'ier.r. Self-love as a tool of survival, hor,r,-

*This introduction t o M a l i n t z e n i s f r a r t o f a n u n p r : b l i s h c cp l aper br. Nlr1ta _\11rer.)r) e n t i t l e d ," L a M a l i n c h e : F r o r . nl ' e n o c h i t t l a n t o A z t l a n . , ,

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ever, leadsthe male lover to reject her. Her conclusionleavesDO cloLr.r as to what woman may be forced to do: I/woman give birth and this time to myself5 The sexual abuse experiencecl leavesthe daughter no choice but tcr be her own mother, to provide her own supportive,r'rurturingbaseft,r physical and psychic survival. To escapethe cycle of loathing and self_ loathing, Villanueva's woman has no alternative, even though she would have wanted more options, but to first love the self and the6 proceed to regenerateand nurture it by becoming her olvr.rn.rothcr. She is forced to transform the self into both mother and daughteran{ rejectsthe male flesh which at this point in time "is putrid and bitter He must be transfigured. The end effect couid be seen as narcissistic, a perennial accusation directed at woman's literature. Yet, if it be narcissistic,r-rever has a rnotive force foril been revealed so tellingly and clearly, never har.e the possible roots been exposedso well: starvation for self-reflection in the other: man or woman. The male myth of Malintzin, in its ambivalent distasteand fear of t h e s o - c a l l e d" e n i g m a t i cf e m i n i n e , "e c h o e si n t h i s p o e n r a s i t d o e si n rlany Mexican/Chicana'spoems, even when her nante is not mcntioned. The pervasiveness of the myth is unfathomable, often pemreating and suffusing our very being without consciousawarencss. The myth contains the following sexual possibiiities:wornan is sexually passive, and hence at all times open to potential use by Irte-tr whether it be seduction or rape. The possible use is double-edgetl That is, the use of her as pawn may be intracultural - "amongstus guys,"or intercultural, which meansif we are not using her then "the,v" must be using her. Sincewoman is seenas highly pawnable, nothing she does is perceived as a choice. BecauseMalintzin aided Cortes in the Conquest of the New World, she is seenas concretizingwonlarl's and interchangeability a,l w a y so p e n t o s e x u a le x p l o i s e x u a lw e a k n e s s tation. Indeed, as long as we continue to be seen in that way !\'e are eart.narked to be abusablematter, not just by men of another cttltr.ire but all cultures including the one that breeds us. Lorna Dee Cervantes addressesherself to the latter point irl hcr poem "Baby you cramp my style."In the poem Malintzin is mention''tl by her other name: Malinihe. The poet is asked to bestort,her sexrral favors; the lover'stone implies that her body/self is as availableas tlte mythic Malinche is thougl-rt to be by male consciousness:

You cramP mv stYle,bab,v when yotl roll on toP of nle shouting, "Viva La Raza" at the toP of Your Prick. bo-" o,-tMalinche G i m n r e s o l l ) cn ) o r c ' He cramps her style; she refusessexualexploitation for herself and of lrerdaughtersyet to come, in a way Malirttzin could not do because the constraintsof the slave society into lvhich she was born. The Mexican poet Rosario Castellanosren-rindsus in "Malinche": that Malintzin was sokl into slaver)' by complicitous parents to enhance her brother's inheritance. The rtrother eager to please her new husband agreesto seil her daughter, and therefore enchains her in the poem, that this is the result of destiny.Castellanosspeculates, the mother'sorvn self-loathing. A mother lvho cannot bear to seeherselfreflected in her daughter'smirror/sexuality, prefers to shatterthe image/mirror, negate the daughter and thereby perpetuate rejection and negation. Bernal Diaz del Castillo,a brilliant chronicler of the Cor-rquest rvith a greateye for detail, reveals to us that whet.rMalintzin re-encounters her mother and brother years iater and ciuringthe ver,vprocessof thc Conquest,she is merely polite. It seems that Malintzin, ir"rstead of offering then"rprotection within the folds of the victorious, leaves them to their cl'"vn devices for survival in an embattled country. In a way she condernnsthenr to servitudejr,rst had been condemned. as sl're Why is there no forgiveness?Within .,vhatcontext ciln we analy'ze Malintzin's behavior at this point? We have a reversal, the daughter negates the rnother. Within the con-rplexmother-daughter relationship, the mother keepsbearing quite a bit of tl.reresponsibility for the daughter'sernotional starvation,abandonltent or enslavementand yet paradoxically both are subordinate and subjected to a rnale culture and tradition. Perhapsour sexual identification with our rnothers leaclsus to expect greaterur.rderstanding from her as well as psychic/sexualprotection. Villanuer.atells us it is a false expectatior.r rlothers are powerless, looking to satisfy their ou'r.rhunger through rnen, which is agonizing t o r t h e d a u g h t e r :" h e r p a i n h a u n t e dm e f o r y e a r s . " s Simone Weil suggests that the consciousslave is rnuch superior,an<l I would add that a woman who is conscioLls of bcing perceived as pawn is much superior. I doubt that the historical ]Vlalintzin'"vasir truly consciousslave.In her ambiance slavery was a cultural norrn, it

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\vas not urusual for rnen or womell to be rovaltv one day and sla'c va'qri.shcd or sacrificial 'ictirrr the 'ext. It r,r,as zi nor'r within *.hich sl're h a d t o s e e ka c c o m r n o d a t i o r . I t i s a l s o q u i t e p o s s i b l et h a t r t h a t i s secnas lVIali'tzin'sallegianceto cortes - he'ce pr.rrposeful betra,val oi "her people" may be explainec-l b1, Weil,s percepiion of the slavc. ' a s t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p .S h e s a y s ," . . . t h e t h o u g h t o f b e i n g i ' absor'te subjectionas sonrebocly's plaything is a thou.qhtr.r,r h',r,la,-, being ca. sustair.r: so if a'ran (I add lr,,o'ranJ is lcft *'ith 'o means at all of i n c c o n s t r a i n th e ( s h e )h a s n o a l t e r n a t i r , ,e ex c e p tt o p e r s r _ r a c hl"i.u1,, ie utscli ( h c ' r s e l ft)h a t h e { s h e )i s d o i ' g ' . l u ' t a r i r v t h e r , " 1 1 ' t l r i n g , h e ( s h e ii s torced to dtl; il-lother worcls,he for p6er1eirr.,, ishe)substitutcs clt'vr,ttiort . . . d e v o t i o ' ro f t h i s k i ' d r e s t s ' p o ' r s e l f , d e c e p t i o r ,b e c a u s e thc rta sonsfor it \\,ill not bear inspection.',., r e l i g i o ' s l ; ' p e r m c - a t ea d' c r . r i e r t e d i r - r d o , l r i . s p a ' i c ' r i r c l s , it is -i'ou. ofte' the casethat dcvotio' is erluate'd r^,,itrr .bedie'ce a,rd 'ice r.crsa p a r t i c . l a r l l ' f o r r v o r n e ua n d c h i l d r c . , s o t h a t c l i s o b e d i c . c e i s s c e , a si i Ia-ck o f r l e v o ' t a l l e g i a n c ea , ' c l r o t r e c e s s a r i l ,a v s a r a d i c a lq u e s t i o r r r r r s o f o u r f o r r n so f l i f e . ' f h i s f a c t o r ' r a k e s i t a h n o s ti n i p o s s i b l e t o s e r s ca s h i f tf r o m o b e d i e n c e t o d e v o t i o n ;t h e l , h a v eb e e no n c a n d t h e s a n t e lor hurdreds of years.As such, \\ie are a greaterullcorscro's prey to sr.rb.jugation.'vhichwe tl'rer proceed to call cler,'otio'/lo'e.?.r be oteclienr devoted is proof .f love, especiarlyror .u'orrenar.rcl childrer. consciouslyand u'consciously the Mexicarvchicanopatriarchalperspective assignstl-rerole of sen'itude to woman particuiarly as heterosexual relationships are conceived today and in the past. Ii ar"r "open Letter t. carolina . . . or Relations between Men and wornen" the chicano poet Abelardo Delgadotestifiesas folrows: "octavio paz in El ktberinto de le soledadbasrnuch to sa1'as to how rve as chicanos seeour women . . For now let it suffice to say tl-ratas far as our *.ives ar-rd n.rothers we rnake saintsof thenr but remain alu,ays in search of a iover with macho characteristics (sic).', Obviously when the wife or u,or.riclbe-wife, the mother or would-be-nrother questions out loud and ilr print the complex "servitude/devotiorvlove," shewill be quickly seenas faiseto irer "obligation" and duty, hencea traitor. Delgadoalso poi'ts to the creation of a differe.t categoryof wome. - .racho-lover - l'ho *.ill provide comforts beyond those that fall u,ithin the pun iern,of u'ive s and mothers. Wi-ratis a macho/lover kind of rt,ontan? D e l g a d oq o e so n t o t e l l c a r o l i r . r a t h a t ' A I l i t t a k e si s a s i r n p l er e f . s a l on tl'repart of wornen to be abusedby us rnen."Holvever, he car.rtions about the rrannL-rin u.hich it is tlone, "yor,r nrust shon' tlier.nall that your mind is on par or above thcirs. You n'rustbe careful that voLrclrr t h i s w i t h s o n r eg r z l c ec , l i g n i t ya n d h u r n i i i t v . . . M e n n r i g h ta c c e p tv o u r . c l ' r a l l e n g ea s f e r , r ' t i m e sa n c l l e t i t g o b u t i f o u r e s o h a p p e , - , t sc , L r e

wounded, then rt,atch out, Carolina, becauser,vhatfoliows is a cold rejectionand a neu'assigneclrole as a feme-mac1lo."tt lWiii this ner,v "feme-macho" a then provide the macho/lovers of that are sought role a b o v ea n d b c v o n d t h e r v i f e a n d r n o t h e r ? ) that what is rvanted here is for all womer.rto be a kind of Sor It seer.t-rs t: 11,Hs]1 leaves out the majority of us who are not fortunate Juana, to be a women of ger-rius. But becausewe know Sor Juana's enough result fate as a of her intellectual endeavors,we also know dreadful liardly is needs genius enough. Even genius a political base,a conthat rlany Since poets' Mexican/Chicana challenges are straightstitue.ncv. hr.rmble, I not to think at our marginalization; shudder how foru'ard, are vve being shunned? When our subjection is manifested through devotion we are saints and escapedirect insult. When we are disobedient,hence undevout, we are equatedwith Malintzin; thai \s,Ihe mythof male consciousness, figure in all her dimensionsdoomed to live in chains not the historical of rr'hich patriarcl-ry (regardless might have seemedthe best option for survivall. p o e m " L aM a l i n c h e " r r m a k e i C a r m e nT o f o l l a ' s st q u i t e c l e a rt h a t M a l intzin as won)an is dispossessed of herself by every male ideology with vvhich she u'as connected.Tofolla would simply like to seeMal' intzin recognizedas a visionary and founder of a people. Yet as I have noted,the realitiesthat this figure encompasses are much too complex to sirnply replacethem u'ith the notion of a matriarch. However, each implicit or explicit poem on Malintzin emphasizes the pervasivepreoccupationand influence of the myth and women's need to demythify. The mythic aspectsof disavowal, and the historical ambiance of Malintzin merge in Chicana'sliterature to bring out the follovvingsexual political then.res: 1) to chooseamong extant patriarchies is not a choiceat all; 2) woman's abandonment and orphanhood and psychic/ emotional starvation occur even in the midst of tangible family; 3) woman is a slave, ernotionally as well as econontically;4) wonen are seen not just b,vone patriarchy but by all as rapeableand sexually exploitable; 5) blind devotion is not a feasible human choice (this is further clarified by the teiiing absenceof poen'rs by women to the Virgin of Guadalupe, rvhile poems by men to her are plentiful); 6) when there is love/devotionit is at best deeply ambivaient as exemplified by Rina Rocha in "To the penetrator:" I hate the love I feel for you.'Feminist women agreert'ith Hegel,despitehis relentlessuse of man asuniversal, that the subjectdependson external reality. If she is to be

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florma Alarcrin

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fully at home this external reality must reflect back to her what she actually is or would want to be. When we don't participatein creatins our own defined identity and reality as women, when the material and spiritual realitiesdo not reflect us as contributors to the shapingof the world, we may feel as inJudy Lucerospoem'I speakin an illusion:' I speak but only in an illusion For I see and I don't It's me and lt's not I hear and I don't These illusions belong to me I stole then-rfrom another Care to spend a day in my House of Deatl-r? Look at my garden. . . are U amazed? N o t r e e s ,n o f l o w e r s , n o g r a s s .. . n o g a r d e n s . . . Iove and hate and sing and Iive and I don't don't dorr't don't

o a r t a k ei n t h e f e a s to f m o d e l i n gh u m a n i s l nc a n b e c o u n t e da m o n g t h e Adrienne Rich calls "a false i.ew,a.rd those feq' may be enjoying r,t'hat ntasculinesociety offers to a feu'women who'think like power r,r'hich h"r'o., condition that they use it to maintain thirlgsas they are' This is from the vast the meaning of female tokenism: that power r,r,'ithheld the few."t5 is to offered women of majority Even as we concern ourselvesrvith Third World women's econonric exploiexploitation,\ /e have to concern ourselveswith psychosexual father, en.rployer, of one's brother, hands at the par,r,nabiiity and tation master,political systemsand sometimes,sadly so, poweriessmothers. As world politics continues the histrionics of dominance and control attempting to figure out just who indeed will be the better macho in the world map, macho politics' lastpriority is the quality of our lives as women or the lives of our children.

For I'm in a roclm of clouded smoke and a perfumed odor Nowhere can I go and break tl.rese bonds Which have me in an illusion But the bonds are real.15 Feminism is a way of saying that nothing in patriarcl.rv truly reflects women unless we accept distortions- mythic and historical. Hou'ever, as Chicanasembrace feminism they are charged with betraval a /a Malinche. Often greatpains are taken to explain that our feminisn.t assumesa humanistic nuance. The charge remains as a clear ir.nage' imprinted on Chicanas (and I believe most Third World women, irr this country or outside of it) by men. It continues to urge us to ntakt: quantum leaps towards a male ideologized humanism devoirl t,i female consciousness. The lure of an ideal humarrism is seductive especiallyfor spiritual women sucl-r as we have often been brought u;r to be; but without female consciousness and envisioning horv as women we would like to exist in the material world, to leap inti.r hurnanism without repossessing ourselves may be exchanging onc' male ideology for another. As women we are and continue to be tokenseverl'where at the prc-serlt moment. Everywhere in a Third World context,women invited ttr

Endnotes
I Insofar as fenrinine syrnbolic figures are concernec'I, much of the Mexican/ chicano oral tradition as rnell as the intellectual are dominated by [,a Malinche/Llorona and the virgin of Guadalupe. The former is a subvcrsive feminine symbol rvhich often is identified with La Llarona, the latter a feminine symbol of transcendence and salvation. The MexicanL/Chicantr thesc cultural tractition has tencled to lnlarize the lives of women thror.rgi-r national {anclnationalisticJsyml.nls thereby exercising almost sole authority over the control, interpretation and visualization of women. Althor.rghthe material on both figures is vast, the follolving sen/e as guides to past antl A present visio's anJ elucidations:Eric Wolf' "The Virgin of Guadalupe:^ 39; 3'1 pp 71 Rtlklore of American al ' {1958) Mexican Nati.r.ralSymbol,"rlor.,z the Mestizo: A Sttn'c)"" "NlexicanLegendn'and the fuse c-rf Americo Parecles, eclitedb,vwayland D. Hand, Berkeley: UlriYersity oi in Amencon FOI| Legend RichardM.Dorson'sforewardtoFo/liltzlesO/ 1971,pp.97-107; CaliforniaPress, Mexico,editecl by Ameiico Paredes,Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1970 esp. pp. x,.'i-xxxvii;arrd Octavio Paz' "The Songsof l'a Malinche , in ?he Irtbvrutt'hii S,,titrdn,translated bv Lysander Kemp' Neu' York: Grove Press'

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\'',777177\1,7r ,1

oi rr'onran l ra['pcr5pgsttr,c 1 9 6 1 ,g r . 6 5 - B B . P a z t a k e s t h c t r a d i t i o D a n as enigma and mystery and then proceeclsto disclosethe ctrlture's lntensl nrentalityvis-a-uis rolesas transn-titters thesefigures.Wonrenin thcir assigncd of thc culture ha'"'eoften adhcred to these \.ic\\'s,ho\\'cvcr, the,vhave n6t createdthelr). r Bertrand Russellin Marnage artdX4rnals affirms that thc concel)ti()nof fcntalc virtues has been built up in orcier to n-rakethe patriarcl-ral fanrilv as rve hurvc knou''n it possible. I Villanueva,AIn'ra. "l sir.re to nryself l^'il? 197(.. ,"\nTlird ChicarnLiteran'F\'i?c. 1977.DepL.of Spanishand Portusesc, University of California lr,"'ine,1977. pp.99-i01. 1/lrid.,p. 100 : Ibid., p. 101 t\ El Fuegt de Aztlan I, no. 4 p. :39 iSur.nnrer19771, r Ptpsiano eres ti. Mico: Fonclotlc Cultura Econirniica i972. rrrr.295-'2t)7. EVillanueva,op. cit., p. 99 '' Weil, Simone. Firstand Inst Notebooks. Tfanslatcd bv Richard Rees.l.oncltrn: Oxford University Press, 1970.p. zl1 l ' S t ' en o t e I f o r n r y c ( l r n n l c n t a no r r t h i : t e x t . rr Revisla YI, r.ro. 2 1prin'ravera p 35, 3E. Chicano-Requeia, 19781. 12Sor lnes de la is a fanrous poet-nun of Cruz the MexicanColonialPeriod. Juana A highly creativeancl intellectualu'ornan, she rvas f,rrcecl bv the church tLr abar-rdon her writing,aftcr penninga treatise that challer-reed notior)s a prelate's on the nature of Love and Christ. t:t Cantoal F\teblo: An Antlnlog;,of Expeience.s. SanAr-rtonio. Texas:PencaBooks 1978.pp. 38-39. 1JRerrlsla III, no. 2 (Prirtravera p. 5. Clicarut-Riqueria. 1975) t'- De CoLores, I, no. I (Winter 1973\,p.52 tn "On Privilcge,Powcr and Tokenisrn." MS. Scptember1979.p. .tr3

Ceremony for Completing a Poetry Readitg

Chrystos
This is a give-a\\'a)'Poenr Y o u h a r ' e c o l t i eg a t l t e r i l ) g You have rnade a circle rvith n-re of the places lvhere I have wandered I want to give you the first dzrffodilofreningfrom the earth I have sott'l.t to give vorl \rarnt loavesof breacl baked irt soft rnotrndslike breasts I n t h i s c i r c l e I p a s se a c h o I y o u a s h e l l f r o m o u r m o t h e r s e a s p i r i t & h e a r t h e s t o r i e ss h e r n ' i l lt e l l y o u Hold it in yor.rr I have \\'rapped vour facesarouud nle , a warln robe leggings,dressessewn with elk teeth ribbor.rrvork Let nre cive ,vor.r rvith red & skl' blue porctlpine quills lnoccasins\\'ove11 \t'ovL-Ir of florvers & roots I givc -voublanke-ts Come closer I have nrore to sive this basket is very large kind rvorcls I har.estitcheclit oi ,-or.rr H e r e i s a n e c k l a c eo f f e a t h e r s& b o n e s of choke cirt-rries a sacred n.real Thke this nrask cri ltark r,r'hichkeeps out the evil ones Tl-ris basket is only tl-rcbc-ginning of you There is somethiltg in nry arms for a11 I offer vou ice crvstals tl'rror.rgh this r.ncnroryof sunrise se-en i n t o t h e s e af r o n r h i g h r o c k s H e r e , a n a f t e n r o o no f l o o k i n g c l u rh e a d s h a n k o v e r Here,a rcd-tailecl circlirlg h a i r d r o p s f o r One of its feathers ;'our May I give you this routrtl stotte rvltich holclsan ancient spirit This stor.re you rt'ill sootl.re co r t h a v e t r e e nl o o k i n g f o r W i t h i n t h i s b a s k e ti s s < l n r e t l t i r tv all oi vour life Con'retake it Thkc as nruch as vou lvarnt I give r-orr scerlsc-ri a ne\\' \\'a)' I give 1'orrthe n.tootr ort a file of sirtging\\'olllell sl.rinirtg I gi,,.e r'ou tl'rcsound of or,trfeet clancirtg I gi,,'cvou the sr.rrrnci of crur thoughts fly'irtg

192 I give you the sound of Peace moving into our faces & sitting down Come this is a give awaY Poem I canuot go home until you havetaken everYthing and the basket which held it When my hands are emPtY I willbe full

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Biographies of the Contributors

Norma Alarc6n Born in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico and raised in Chicago. Will receivePh.D. in Hispanic Literaturesin 1981from Indiana University where she is presently employed as Visiting Lecturer in ChicanoRiqueno Studies. Gloria Evangelina Anzaldria I'm a Tejana Chicana poet, hija de Amalia, Hecate y Yemaya. I am a Libra {Virgo cusp) with VI - The Lovers destiny. One day I r,r,illwalk through walls, grow wings and fly, but for now I want to play Hermit arrdwrite my novel, Andrea. In my spare tirne I teach, read the Throt, and doodle in n-ryjournal. Barbara M. Cameron Lakota patriot, Hunkpapa, politically non-promiscuous, born with a caul. Will not forget Buffalo Manhattan Hat and Mani. Love Marti, Maxine, Leonie and my family. Still beadinga belt for Pat. In love with Robin. Will someday raise chickens in New Mexico. Andrea R. Canaan Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1950. Black woman, mother and daughter. Director of Women And Employment which developsand placeswomen on non-traditionaljobs. Therapist and counselorto battered women, rape victirns, and families in stress. Poetry is major writing expression.Speaker,reader, and community organizer.Black feminist writer. Jo Carrillo Died and born 6000 feet above the sea in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Have never left; will never leave. But for now, I'm living in San Francisco.I'm loving and believing in the land, my extendedfamily (which includes Angie, Mame and B. B. Yawn) and my sisters.Would never consider owning a souvenir chunk of uranium. Plan to raise sheep, learn to weave rugs and blar-rkets, and write in Neu'Mexico. Chrystos Last year I moved to Bainbridge Island. I am living in a house overlooking the water. I have chickens and a big vegetablegarden.

Prior, I lived in the San FranciscoBay area, with the last four years in the Mission barrio. I will be 34 this November {double Scorpio,Moon in Aries). I've been writing since I was 9 and this is the first time I've beenpaid. Cheryl Clarke A lesbian-feminist writer who lives in Highland Park, N.J. She has published poetry in Indy Unique Inclination of the Ntght Second Cycle ll977l, a feminist journal of the goddess.She has published reviews in \T (1980). V:The Black Women's Issue (1979)and Conditions Conditions An Antholog;t(Persephone Her poetry also appears in ksbien P<tetrS'; P r e s sI,n c . , 1 9 8 1 ) . Gabrielle Daniels Was born in Nelv Orleans,LA but has lived most of her life in California. as a member of the She doesn't miss gumbo as she used to, but "cooks'' Wonren Writers Union of tl'reBay Area. doris juanita davenport is a writer lvho lives in los angeles.she is a lesbian and feminist, a devotee of yemaye and a believer in tequila. she was born in cornelia, georgia; has a ph.d. (black literaturel at the university of southertr with truth. period. california. moreover, she is obsessed hattie gossett: born: central new jersey factory tou'n lives: northern harlem enjoys: thinking couversating reading jazzing and opposing patriport'er helper maid cook wife barrnaid waitress work herstory: n.rother's wimrnin don'l git soal loolas back in wonder/vt'ild forthconring book: nt), no blues. mary hope lee i anVat heart/agypsy recluseht'hofor the moment/is a poet ancla blues lyricist/i was born and raised in san diego california/the last big town before the mexican border Aurora Levins Morales father and a in Indiera Baja, Puerto Rico irl 1954of a Jer,vish I was borr.r . h a v eI i v e d i n t h e U . S ' s i n c eI P u e r t oR i c a nm o t h e r , b o t h c o m t n u n i s t s I was thirteen & in the Bay Area for five years, rt'here I work as a aide for pay & as a writer and perforrner at La Peiia Cultural teacher's Center for sanity and solidarity. Genny Lim Immigrants on Angel of Chinese ancl Histctryn is co-autl.rorol Island.;Poetry

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published by Hoc-Doi, July 1980. She is the author Island 1910-1940, of Paper Angels, a full length play produced by the Asian America Theater Company of SanFranciscoin September1980.She has been a contributing editor to Bridge magazine, a national Asian American quarterly, and a contributor to East/West newspaper.Her writing has been published in California Living, Y'Bird, American Born and Foreign {Anthology by Sunbury Press), We Won't Move llnternational Hotel Anthology by Kearny St. Workshop), Networks (Anthology of Bay Area Women Poets by Vortex), Beetitude, Women Thlking, Women Listening, and Plexus,among others. Naomi Littlebear Morena This has been no fairy tale. I hated gangfights, streetlife, stumbling on dope, actin'tuff, being poor, wearin' second hand inferiority complexes, smart-mouthed cholos and their Gabacho counterparts. I rebuild my broken dreams in Portland, Oregon. Audre Lorde "I was born in the middle of NYC of West Indian parents & raised to know that America was not my home." Most recent work: The Cancer Journalspulslishedby SpinstersInk. She is also the author of TheBlack Unicorn, a book of poems published in 1978 by Norton, along with many other works of poetry and prose. Cherrie Moraga I am a very tired Chicana/half-breed/feminist/lesbian/writer/teacher/ talker/waitress.And, I am not alone in this. I am the first in my family to ever be pubiished in a book. Of this, I am proud for all of us. Los Angelesborn and raised,I recently moved to Boston after three hardworking and transformative years in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Gloria convinced me to further note that I am a libra/virgo cusp with t h e # 6 [ t h e l o v e r s ]d e s t i n y ,j u s t l i k e h e r . ) Rosario Morales I am a New York Puerto Rican living in Cambridge,Mass. - a feminist independentist& communist since 1949.I married, farmed in Puerto Rico, studied science and anthropology and raised three children. I now break a lifetime "silence" to write. Judit Moschkovich I was born and raised in Argentina. My grandparents were Jeu'ish immigrants from Russianand Poland.My parentsand I immigrated to the United Stateswhen I was fourteen. My greateststruggiehas been to be all of who I am when confronted with pressureeither to passfor

American or to choosebetween being Latina or Jewish. I have been a feminist for as long as I can remember. Barbara Noda ancestry. Born in Stockton,raised in SalinasVal' A writer of Japanese published by ShamelessHussy ley. First book of poetry is Sfrawberries, Press.Wrote a play called Aw Shucles /Shikata Ga Nai). Writing a novel. Likes to climb mountains. Pat Parker is a "revolutionary feminist because(she)wants to be free." A Black Lesbian Poet, her writing spans over fifteen years of involvement in The Civil RightsMovement, The Black Liberation liberation struggles: Movement, Feminism and Gay Liberation. She is the author of four whichconbooks of poetry, includingMovementinBlack{Diana Press} in CA. lives and works Oakland, Pat tains her collectedlvorks. Mirtha Quintanales on Aprrl2,1962 when I was thirteen I immigrated to the United States years old, a Cuban refugee. Eighteen years later I'm still struggling with the after'effectsof this greatupheaval in my life, always wondering where is home. As a latina lesbianfeminist, I am one with all those whose existenceis only possiblethrough revoit. Donna Kate Rushin Iives in Boston, Massachusettsand works as a Poet-in-the-Schools through the Artists'Foundation. Her work has appearedinConditions 5, Small Moon, and Shankpainter.She believes that the fight is the struggle to be whole. Barbara Smith I am a Black feminist and Lesbian,a writer, and an activist.I was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1946and was raised by a family of Black women. I have been a member of the Combahee River Collective since its My writing has appearedin many Black and feminfounding in 1974. Issue with V: TheBlack Women's ist publications.I co-edited Conditions Men, Are AII the Blacks Are Women White, Lorraine Bethel and All the Studies(The Feminist Press) But Someof us Are Brave:Black Women's I am now dreaming of makBell Scott. Patricia with Gloria T. Hull and feminism. World ing a film about Third Beverly Smith I am a 33-year-old Black lesbian. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio in a family which included my twin sister Barbara, my mother, grand' mother, aunt, and greataunts.SometimesI get sick and tired of trying

250 to be a grown-up lesbian feminist which is why I still maintain cordial relationships with my teddy-bears. Ms. Luisah Teish is a writer, lecturer, teacher, performer and political activist. Her most recent work is a collection of poems, 'Nhat Don't KilI Is Fattening.She is presently teaching Afro-Cuban Ritual Dance and Culture in the Bay Area and working on a book on Women's Spirituality. She is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Anita Valerio Poet. One woman attempting Reality in an increasingly static delineated environment & the continuous bulwark of privilege, etc. I don't really believe in the goddess. Born Heidelberg, Germany, 1957- my father was in the military so we lived all over the country. I grew w/a mish mash of rich cultures - very confusing. I am now learning to celebrate the discontinuity of it all. Most pressing current concern: saving the earth from nuclear & other destructions. Nellie Wong poet/writer/socialist/feminist/cheong hay poa born Oakland Chinatown, thlee yip/American style year-of-the-dog-woman whose feminism grows out of Dreams in Harrison Railroad Parkllst Organizerl Women's Writer Union founding member/Unbound Feet/secretaryto the spirit of her long time Californ' forbears. Merle Woo Writer of drama and fiction, is a humanities lecturer in Ethnic Studies/ Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a feminist and the mother of Paul, 13, and Emily Wo Yamasake, 17. Her work has been published in Bridge,An Asian Ameican Perspective , and Hanai, an anthology of Asian American writers. Mitsuye Yamada is a second generation Japanese American teacher and poet whose book of poems Camp NotesAnd Other Poems was published by the ShamelessHussy Press in 1976. This collection includes poems written during the World War II years in a concentration camp in Idaho, but her later writings deal with issues concerning the Asian Pacific woman in the U.S. She is a member of the Asian Pacific Women's Network and is currently teaching Creative Writing and Children's Literature at Clpress College in Orange County, CA.

Third World Women in the tlnited States- Bv and About Us A Selected Bibliography*
By Cherrfe Moraga
1. Third World Women in the U.S.: Anthologies and Collections
Fisher, Dexter, ed. The Third Woman: Minorily Women Writers of the United Boston:Houghton Mifflin, i980. Slates. Heresies 8. "Third World Women: The Politics of Being Other," 1979. Miles, Sara et al., eds. Ordinary Women,Mujeres Comunes- An Anthology of Poetry by New York City Women, 1978.Available from: Ordinary Women, P.O. Box 664 Old ChelseaStation,New York, NY 10011. Mirikitani, Janice et al., eds. Time to Greez!Incantationsfrom the Third World. San Francisco:Third World Communications. 1975. Off Our Backs. "Ain't I A Womon Issue By and About Wimmin of Color." June 1979.

2. Third World Iesbians in the U.S.: Anthologies and of color.) writingsby lesbians Collections lThe followingcontain
Available from: Azalea clo Azalea:A MagazineBy and For Third WorldLesbions. contributors are Joan Gibbs, 306 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11238.{A11 lesbians of color.l Baetz,Ruth, ed.Lesbian Oossroad.s, Nerv York: Wm. Morrow & Co., Inc., 1980. Bulkin, Elly & Larkin, Joan eds. Lesbian Poetry: An Anthoktgr-.Watertown, M a s s . :P e r s e p h o n eI,n c . 1 9 8 1 . Lesbiansof Color, A Quarterlv for Womyn On1y. Available frorn L.C.C., P.O. Box 4049, Seattle,WA. Vida, Virginia, ed. Our Right to love. Englewood Clif{s, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.. 1978.

Women Afro-American Women - General 3. Afro-American

Bambara, Toni Cade, ed. The Black Woman: An Anthology. New York: New American Library, 1970. The Combahee River Collective. "A Black Feminist Statement." ln Capitalist Patriarchy and The Case For SocialistFeminism. Zillah Eisenstein, ed. New York: Monthly Review Press,1979. * I wish to acknon'ledge with their on'n bibliographies for sharing the followingpeople me ton'ard the completionof this one: Nellie Wong, Mitsuye Yamada,Merle Woo, and DoreenDrury. Barbara Smith,Mirtha Quintanales, Gloria Anzaldira,

z3z

The Combahee River Collective. "Eleven Black Women: Why Did They Die?" A pamplet available from: CRC c/o AASC, P.O. Box 1, Cambridge, MA 02139. (Thmbi6n,en espanol.) Harley, Sharon & Terborg-Penn, Rosalyn. TheA fro -Ame rican Woman ; stru g1le s and Images.Port Washington, N.Y.: Kennikat, 1978. Hull, Gloria T. et al., eds. All the WomenAre tNhite,All the BlacksAre Men, But Some of Us Are Brave: Black Women'sStudies. Old Westbury, N.y.: The Feminist Press,1981. , "Rewriting Afro-Arnerican Literature: A Case for Black Women Writers," The Radical kacher 6, April 1978. Kennedy, F. Color Me Flo My Hard Life and Good Times. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1976. Lerner, Gerda, ed. Black Womenin lVhite Ameica. New York: Y\ntage, 1972. Shakur, Assata and Chesimard, Joanne. "Women in Prison: How We Are."The Black Scholar,April 1978. Smith, Barbara. "Doing Researchon Black American Women or All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave." The Radical Teacher 3,1,976. , "Toward A Black Feminist Criticism." ConditionsZ. l9TZ. Wallace, Michele. "A Black Feminist's Searchfor Sisterhood." The VillapeVorce, 28 July 1975. Black Macho and the Myth of the Supenuomair.Neu' York Dial, 1979. Williams, Ora. Ameican Black Womenin the Arts and SocialSciences: A Bibtio graphic Survey.Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecror,r' Press, 1978. Afro-American Women Writers

Walker, Alice. Meridian. New York: Harcourt, 1970 The Third Life of GrangeCopeland.New York: Harcourt, 1970. You Can't Keep A Good Woman Dowii. New York: Harcourt, 1981 . Walker, Margaret, Jubilee. New York: Bantam, 1966. Washington, Mary Helen, ed. Black-EyedSusans.ClassicStonesBy and About Black Women.Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor/Doubleday, 1975. ed. Midnight Birds; Stories of Contemporary Black WomenWriters.Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor/Doubleday, 1980. Afro-American Lesbians

Bethel, Lorraine and Smith, Barbara, eds. Conditions 5: The Blach Women's Issue.Autumn 1979 (contains works by lesbians). Brown, Linda J. "Dark Horse: A View of Writing and Publishing by Dark Lesbians."Sinister Wisdom. Spring 1980. , Seealso "AJro-American Women Writers." Combahee River Collective. See"Afro-American Women - General". Gibbs, Joan and Bennett, Sara, eds. Top Ranking: A Collectionof Articles on Racismand Classism in the LesbianCommunity.Brooklyn, N.Y.: February 3rd Press.1980. Conditions4, Response." l,orde, Audre. "Man Child: A Black Lesbian Fen.rinist's 1979. , "Scratchingthe Surface: Some Notes on Barriers to Women and Loving," The Black Scholar,April 1978. of theErottc. TheErotic as Power.Brooklyn, N.Y.: Out & Out , Uses Books, 1978. Seealso "Afro-American Women Writers. Parker, Pat. See"Afro-American Women Writers. Fla.: Naiad, 1981. Tallahassee, Roberts,J.R. The Black LesbianBibliography. Smith, Barbara.See"Afro-American Women - General." , and Beverly Smith. "'l Am Not Meant to Be Alone and Without You Who Understand': Letters From Black Feminists, 1972-1978.'Conditions 4,1979.

Bambara, Toni Cade. Goilla, My Love. New York: Pocket Book, 1972. , The Salt Eafers.New York: Random House, 1980. , The Sea BirdsAre Still Alive: CollectedStories. New York: Random House. 1977. Bethel, Lorraine and Smith, Barbara. Conditions5: The Black Women's Issue. Autumn 1979. Brown, Lindalean. jazz dancin wif mama. New York: Iridian Press, 1981. Gibbs, Joan. Between A Rock and A Hard P1ace.Brooklyr.r, N.Y.: February 3rd Press,1979. Boston:BeaconPress,1980. Jordan,June. Pcssron. Poems.New York: Random , ThingsThat I Do in the Dark: Selected House, 1977 Lorde, Audre. The Black Unicom. New York: Norton, 1978. The Cancer Journals.Argyle, N.Y.: Spinsters.INK, 1980 Seealso "Afro-American Lesbians." Parker, Pat. Movementin Black. Oakland, Calif.: Diana Press,1978. Petry Ann. Miss Muriel and Other Stories.Boston: Hougl.rton Mifflin, 1971. , The Street.New York: Pyramid, 1946. Walker, Alice. In Love & Ttouble: Stories of Black Women.Ne w York: Harcourt, 1971.

4. Asian/Pacific American Women Asian/Pacific American Women - General

Aguino, Belinda A. "The History of Filipino Women in Hawaii." Bridge:An Spring 1979. Asian American Perspective, "Rape: It Can't Happen to Me!" Bridge: An Asian W. and Torres, S. Fong. Chu, Spring 1979. Anrcican Perspective Hirati, Lucie. "ChineseImmigrant Women in Nineteenth-CenturyCalifornia." In Womenof America: A History. Carol R. Berkin and Mary B. Norton, eds. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1979. in Nineteenth, "Free,Indentured, Enslaved:ChineseProstitutes Autumn 1979. Century America." Sterrs,

254 Ichioka, Yuji. "Amerika Nadeshiko:JapaneseImmigrant Women in the United States,1900-1924."PacificHistorical Review,May 1980.Available from: pHR U.C. Press,Berkeley, CA94720. Ikeda-Spiegel,Motoko. "Concentration Camps in the U.S.',Heresiesg, lg7g. Nakano Glenn, Evelyn. "The Dialectics of Wage Work: Japanese-American Women and Domestic Service, l9O5-1940.'Ferninist Studies,Fall 19g0.Available from: University of Maryland, College park, MD 20742. Tsutakawa, Mayumi. "The Asian Women's Movement: Superficial Rebellion?" Asian Resot,ces, 1974. Available frorn: Karl Lo, East Aiia Librar.z, Gouen Hall, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195. Wong, Joyce Mende. "Prostitution: San Francisco Chinatown, Mid- and Late_ Nineteenth Century." Bidge, An AsianAmencan perspectit,e, Winter 1g7g-9. Wong, Nellie; Woo, Merle; and Yamada, Mitsuye. ,,Three Asian American Writers SpeakOut on Feminism."Available from: RodicalWomen.26612Isl St., San Francisco,CA 94110. Yurrg,Judy. "A Bowlful of Tears:Chinese Women Immigrants on Angel Island," FYontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, Summer 1977. Asian/Pacific American Women Writers* Anthologies and Collections

255

Brorrx,N.Y-: AnAnthologyofAsianAmericanPoetry, AmeicanBornantTForeign, Sunbury, 1978. "Asian Arnerican Women, Part I." Bridge, Winter 1978'9 P'O Box 477 ' Canal St. Station,Ner,t York, NY 10013. ,,Asian Americatr Women, Part II.,'Bndge,Spring 1979.{Seeaddressabove.} of Diwang Pitipino.Jovina Navarro, ed. Asian American studies, lJniversity California, Davis, CA, 1974. EchoesfromGoldMountain,AnAsianAmericonJournal'AsianAmerican Studies, California State University' Long Beach, CA, 1978& 79 cA, 1979. Horrai.Asian American Studies.University of california, Berkeley, Francisco: San in Anterica Filipinos by Expressions Graphic & Literary' Liwanag: Liu.anag Pub., 1975. on violence Agaitrst wotnen' Poevy, ft't>m\riLtlence;son Francisco Conf'erence 1976' Lighthouse, Francisco: ed. San Dahlen, Beverly SatlFrancisco: Isthtnus, Writers American of Chinese Collective Feet: A Llnbound 1981. Asian/Pacific American Lesbians Women Writers " Kim, Willyce. See"AsiarrlPacific Women Writers " "Asian/Pacific Noda, Barbara. See Spring Ariarr C-.,.t,,trrnity. A Dialogue wifh Three Asian Women.''Bndge' 1979. In.Women tn Toplel-, l\'lariorie. "Marriage Resistarrcein Rural Kwangtung .' Alto' Calif : Palo eds Witke, Marger! Wolf and Roxane bhinr./' Society'. 1975. Press' Stanford UniversitY Feet. See "Asian/Pacific women writers," {some of the collectrve Lirtbottnrl rnembers are Iesbiar-rs) ,,An oral History of Lesbianism.', ,,Yeilow Queer', from Wone, Christine. Fall 1979. Frontiers,

Berssenbrugge, Mei, Mei . Random Possesslori. New York: I. Reed Books, 1979
, Summits Move with the Iide. Greenfield, N.y. Greenfield Review Press, 1974. Chiang, Fay . Irt the City of Contradictions.New york: Sunbur y , l9Z9 . Hagedorn, JessicaTarahata. DangerousMusic: The poetry and proseof Jessica Hagedorn. San Francisco: Momo's press, 1925. Kim, Willyce . Eating Artichokes. Oakland, Calif.: Diana press, 1976. , Under the RollingSfty. Maude Gonne press, 1976. Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior. New york: Alfred A. Knoof, 1977. , China Men. New York: Alfred A Iiropf, 1980. Kudaka, Geraldine. Numerous Avalanches at the point of Intersection Greenfield, N.Y.: Greenfield Review press, 1979. Lee, Virginia. The House That Tai Ming Built. New york: Macmillan, 1963. Mirikitani, Janice.Awake in the River.San Francisco:Isthmus press, l97g Noda, Barbara. Strawberries.San Frat-rcisco: ShamelessHussy press, 19g0. Sone, Monica. Nisei Daughter. Boston: Little, Brown, 1953. Wong, Jade Snow. Fiftft ChineseDaughter. New York: Harper & Rou,, 1945. Wong, Nellie. Dreams in Harrison Railroad parft. Berkeley, Calif.: Kelsev St. Press, 1977. Yamada, Mitsuye. Camp Notes and Other poens. San Francisco: Shameless Hussy Press, 1976.

5. Latinas* Latinas - General

York: Praeger, 1979. Acosta-Belen, Edna. The hterto Ricanwoman New H istorical Materialist PerA n " T h e chicana woman: Apodaca, Maria Linda. ' Ava\lable from: Box 1977 No i-2, 4, Perspectives American I'<ttin spective." 792, Riverside, CA 92502. .i\{ost of the \\.orks crteclin tl.rissection appear in English, in rvhole or part .For an exterrsivcbibliographyorrWomenWritersin,,SpanishAmer'ca,'or,,HispanicWg.men ' Livingston Cclllege' Writers crf the Caribbean rvrite to: D N'larting' Spanish Program' N J 0 8 9 0 3 ' B r u n s w i c k N e n R u t g e r sU r . r i v e r s i t l ' , qs ueseaenpartc'Para * L a s o l t r a s c i t i d a s e n e s t a s e c c i 6 n e s t d n p u l r l i c a d a s e l . r ia nu gn le t1:i:e-T: consequir una bibliografia de escritoras hispanas {'Spanish.Ameltt-l ,rl l \ l a r t t n g e n L ad r r e c c r o n q ' H i s p a n i cW o t n e n W i i t e r s o f t h e C a r i b b e a n " ' l e s c r i b a a D s e n a l d aa r r t b a .

*For_an_extensive bibliography of Asian/pacific women writers, write Nellie wong clo Radical women, 26612 lst st., SanFrancisco, cA 94110. $ 1.25for xeroxinq, postagc, and handling.

256 Bacazinn, Maxine. "chicanas: Power and control in the Domestic Sphere."De colores2, No. 3, 1975.Available from: pajaritospublications,26i3 Granrte NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104. -^^^r^' I L'.'^ and Education of Mexican -Americar-r | "Employment Women: The Interplay of Modernity and Ethnicity in Eight Families." Harvard EducationalReview50, No. 1, 1980. cotera, Martha. The chicana Feminist.Austin: Information Systems Development, 1977.Available from 1100E. 8th St., Austin, TX ZB7OZ. __, _ , Drosa y Hembra: The History and Heritage of Chicanasin the U.S. Austin: Information SystemsDevelopment, 1976. De Colores 3, No. 3, 1977."La CosechaLiteratura y la Mujer Chicana.', Linda Morales Armas and Sue Molina, eds. Available from: See,,Baca,'. Frontiers,summer 1980. "chicanas en El Ambiente Nacionar/chicanas in the National Landscape," (Special issueon Chicanas;bibliography includedl. Gonzales,Sylvia. "The Chicana in Literature.',In Luz, January 1973.Availablc from'. La Luz IOOO Logan St. Denver, CO 80203. Guevara, Ceiia. "Sobre La Mujer Argentina (On the Argentine Woman).', An Interview by Jan Braumuller. Off Our Bacfts,Aug/Sept ISAO. Jorge, Angela. "The Black Puerto Rican Woman in Contemporarv Societv."Ir.r The Puerto Rican woman Edna Acosta-Belen, ed. New york: piaeger, i97e. kt Luz; "The Hispanic Woman in America,,, Special Issue. November, 1977. Available from: See"Gonzales". Mirand6, Alfredo and Enriquez, Evangelina. L' Chicana: The MexicarLAmeican Woman. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1979. Mora, Magdalena and Del Castillo, Adelaida, R., eds. Mexican Women in the united states:strugglesPastand Present.Los Angeles: ucLA chicano studie s ResearchCenter Publications,1980. ,,Latin NACLA: Vol. XIV, No.5. September/October 19g0. American Women. One Myth Many Realities." Special Women,s Issue. Available from: NACLA, 151 W. 19th St. 9th Floor, New york, Ny 10011.$2.50. National conference of Puerto Rican women. puerto Ricanwomen in the unitecl States:Organizing for Change. Washington, D.C.: National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, 1977. Nieto-Gomez,Anna. "La Feminista.The Feminis1.,' Encuentro Feminil 1, No. 2, 1974. , "Sexismin the Movimento.,,lzr Gente6, No. 4, 1976. Rodriquez-Alvarado, M. "Rape and Virginity Among puerto Rican Women." Aegis: Magazine on Ending Violence Against Women, March/April 1979. Available from: Aegis,P.O. Box 21033,Washington,D.C. 20009. RodriquezrTrias M.D., Helen. "sterilizatio'Abuse.', Womenand Health, Mat.t June 1978. Available from: Biological Sciencesprogram, SUNy College at OId Westbury, Old Westbury, NY 11568. S6nchez,Rita. "Chicana Writer Breaking Out of Silence.,,De Colores3, No. 3, 1977. Available from: See"Baca". Sdnchez, Rosaura, and Cruz, Rosa Martinez, eds. Essayson La Muier. Los Angeles:UCLA Chicano StudiesCenter publications, 1977.

257 Tijerino, Doris. lnside the NicaraguanRevolution Vancouver, B.C.: New Star Books. 1978. Tovar, Ins Hernandez. "Chicana Writers." ln Women in Texas.Rose Marie Cutting and Bonnie Freeman, eds. Austin: University of TexasPress,1977' , lhe Feminist Aesthetic in Chicano Literature"' In The Third Woman:Minorir,* Women Writers of the IJ.S Dexter Fisher, ed' Boston: Houshton Mifflin, 19b0. Guadalupe."The LiberatedChicana- A StruggleAgainst TradiValdes-Fallis, A Journal of Liberation 3, No 4, 1974.Available from: Women: Women: tton." A Journal of Liberation,3028 Greenmount Ave., Baltirnore,MD 212i8' Latina Writers

Brinson-Pineda,Bdrbara. Nocturno.Berkeley: El Fuego de Aztldn, 1978' Corpi, Lucha. Palabras det Mediodia. Noon Words. Berkeley: El Fuego de Aztldn, 1980. Cota-C6rdenas, Margarita. Nocftas DespertandoInconciencias.Tucson: Scorpion Press,1975. Books, 1975' Hoyos, Angela de. Arise,Chicano.Bloomington, Indiana: Backstage Casa Berkeley: Vida. Tierra de La Moreno, Dorinda. La Mujer Es I'a Tierra: Editorial, 1975. "The Dayof the swallows."Incontemporarychicanct Estela. Portilla-Trambley, Theatre. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1978. Berkeley: Tonatiuh International, Rain of Scorpions.

r975. Marina Sobra. San Francisco: Casa Editorial, 1977 Rivera,

Meztiza.Tucson: Grilled Flowers, 1977. Summer 1980' Scott,Milcha and Blahnik, Jeremy. "Latina." Frontiers, San Francisco:Editorial Pocho-Che,1980' Serrano,Nina. Heart Songs. Tovar, Ines Hernandez. Con Razon, Corazon: Poetry. San Antonio: Caracol Publications,1977. Villanueva, AIma. Mother May I? Pittsburgh, PA: Motherroot Publications, 1978.Available fron'r:214 Deu'ey St., Pittsburgh, PA 15218' NilenloPark, California: Disenos Literarios, Serpenls. Zamora, Bernice. Restless 1976. Latina Lesbians

colectiva Lesbiana Latinoamericana, ed. Latin Ameican I'esbian Anthologr-, Antologia Lesbiana Lotincnmericanc. write to (Escriba a): Juanita Ramos, 170 Avenue C, Apt. 4-H, New York, N.Y. 10009. Hilda and Christensen,Elia Hidalgo. "The Puerto Rican Lesbianar.rd Hidaleo, *Puerto winter 1976177. Rican commtn\ty." Journal of Homosexualiry. the 1980' October Bacfts. "Cuban Our Off Lesbians." Jones,Brooke. Moraga, Cherrie and Hollibaugh, Amber. "What We're Rollin Around in Bed in Ferninism,A ConversationToward Ending Them." Wiih: SexualSilences 12, Spring 198i. Heresies Natural Lighting 1, No. B. "Lesbian cuban Refugee: Interview with Sheela Easton."

258

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6. Native American Women Native American Women - General

Batille, Gretchen. 'Bibliography on Native American women." Concerns ro, No. 2, May 1980.Availablefrom: Concerns,405 Elmside Blvd., Madison, WI, 53704. Bennetf Kay. Kaibah. Recollections of A NavajoGirrhctod. Los Angeles: western Lore Press, 1964. Camerino, Vicki. "The Delaware Indians As Women: An Alternative Approach."American Indian Journal, April 197g. Green, Rayna. "Native American Women: A Review Essav." Srgns, Winter 1981. , "The Pocahontas perplex: The Image of Indian Women in Popular culture." Massachusetts Review 16, Autumn 1975.Available fr.m: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Jacobson Angeline. contemporary Native Ameican Literature: selected anrj Partially Annotated Bibliography.Metuchen, N.J.: scarecrow press, 1977. Katz, Jane B. I Am The Fire of Time: The voicesof NativeAmeican worrer. Ne*. York: E.B. Dutton, 1927. La Duke, Winona. "In Honor of the Women Warriors.',Off Our Backs,February 1981. [,andes,Ruth. Tfte ojibwa woman. New york: columbia university press, 1969. Lee,.Pelicanand Wing, Jane.,,RitaSilk-Nauni vs. the State.,,Off Our Backs, February,1981. Marriott' Nice. The Tbn Grandmotriers.Norman, okla.: University of oklahoma Press,1945. Medicine, Bea. "The Rolesof women in Native American societies, A Bibliography." Indian Histoian 8, 1928. , "Role and Function of Indian Women." Indian Education, Janu_ ary 1977. , The Native Ameican Woman; A perspective.Las Cruces, N. Mex.: Eric/cress, 1978.For sale by: National EducationarLaboratory eublishers,Austin, TX. Miller, Dorothy I. "Native American women: Leadership rmages." Integrateducation, January/February 197g. Niethammer, Carolyn. Daughtersof the Earth. New york: Collier, 1977. Terrelf John upton and rerreil, Donna M. Indian women of the westem Morning: Their Life in Early Ameica. New york: Dial press, 1924. udall, Louise. Me and Mine; The Life story of Heren sekaquaptewa. Tucson: University of Arizona press, 1969. Witherow, Judith. "Native American Mother.,, euest, Spring 1922. witt, shirley Hill. "The Brave-Hearted women.",4ft wesasne Nores g, summer 1976. Available from: Al<wesasneNotes, Mohawk Nation, Rooseveltowrr, NY 13683. , "Native Women Today: Sexism and the Indian Woman." Civil RightsDigest 6, Spring 1974.Availible from: U.S. Commission on Cil'il Rights, 1121Vermont Ave., N.W., Wash., D.C.2O4ZS.

Porcupine,S.Dak.: We Will RememberGroup, 1978. Women of all Red Nations. Write to: WARN, 870 Market St., Suite 438, San Francisco,CA94lO2. Amen' Zastro,Leona M. "American Indian Women as Art Educators."riournalof can Indian Education18,October 1978.Available from:Journal of American Indian Education, Arizona State U., Bureau of Educational Researchand Services,Tempe, AZ 85281. Native American Wornen Writers

Allen, Paula Gunn The Blitd Lion. Berkeley: Thorp SpringsPress,1975. My Knees.New York: Strawberry Press, A CannonBetween \978. Campbell, Janet. The Owls Song.Ner,r'York: Doubleday, 1974. Campbell, Mar\a. Half-Breed. Nen'York: Saturday Review Press, 1973. Harjo, Joy The LastSong.Las Cruces, N. Mex.: Puerto del Sol Press, i975' Wat Moon Drove Me to This. Berkeley: Reed and Cannon, 1979 Rose, Wendy. Academic Squaw Reports to the World from the lvory Trtwer. Marvin, S. Dak.: BIue Cloud Quarterly, 1977. , Hopi RoadrunnerDancing. Greenfield Center, N.Y.: Greer-rfield Review Press,1973. , Long Division: A Tlibal Historr-. New York: Strawberry Press, 1976. "Builder Kachina: A Home-Going Cycle."BlueCloudQuarterly, Vol. 25, No. 4. Available from: Moorhead StateCollege,Minn New York: Viking, 1977. Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. Losuna Woman. Greenfield Center, N.Y.: Greenfield Revierv Press,1974. Anthologies and Collections

Earth: An Antholog' of Contemporary Hobson, Geary, ed. The Rememberecl Press,1978. Natle Ameican Literature.Albuquerque, N. Mex.: Red Eartl-r Rosen, Kenneth, ed. ?fte Man to SendRain Cknds. Neu' York: Viking' 1974. Voicesof the Rainbow: ContemporaryPoetry by Amencan Indians.Nerv York: Viking, 1975. Native American Lesbians

Allen, Paula Gunn. "Beloved Woman: The Lesbians in American Indian 7, 1981. Cultures."CondLtions Seealso "Native Arnerican Wornen Writers." Burning Cloud, Nisqually Nation. "Open Letter from Filipina/Indian Lesbian." , WA. of Cobr. 1, No. 1. Available from LCC, P'O. Box 4049, Seattle Lesbians Canteron, Barbara. Speechesby the Gay lndian Activist are available by fles.s,P.O. Box7222, Watertown, MA rvriting to B. Cameron clo Persephone o2t72. Kate Millet, ed. Chrystos.JJurnal entries in CaterytlLtr.

260

7. Feminist and Women's Studies Periodicals Cited in the Bibliography

A Magazire of Writitg by Women.P.O. Box 56, \hn Brunt Station, Condittotrs: Brooklyn, NY 11215. Frontiers: A Joumal of Women'sStr{dies.Women's Studies Program, Hillside Court 104,University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309. Heresies: A l-eminist Publication ttn Art and Politics. Box 766 Canal St. Station New York, NY 10013. Off Our Bachs:A Women's Nervs Journal. 172420th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. Quest:A FeministQuarterly.P.O. Box 8843, Washington,D.C. 20003. The Radical Teacher:A Newsjournalo/Socialisl Theory and h'actice. P.O. Box #102, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02142. iNo. 6, December 1977SpecialWornen'sStudiesissue). The University of Chicago Press, of Womenin Cultureand Society. Signs:Journal 11030Langley Ave., Chicago,IL 60628. SinisterWisdom:A Joumal of Wordsand Hctures for theLesbianImaginattonin AII Women.P.O. Box 660, Amherst, MA 01004.

Sunbury, Box274, Jerome Ave. Station,Bronx, NY 10468 San Francisco,CA Third World Cot.nmunications, Ave', Austin, TX 78722 Robinson 3414 Press, Thorp Sprir.rgs tonaiiutr InGrnational, 2150 Shattuck Ave ' Berkeley, CA94704 Western Lore Press, Los Angeles' CA Nern'StarBooks,2504 York"Ave.,Vatrcouver,B C VGK 183 Canada

8. Small Presses Cited in the Bibliography

BackstageBooks, Bloomington, IN Blue Cloud Quarterly, Marvin, SD Caracol Publications,P.O. Box 7577, San Antonio, TX 78207 Casa Editorial, San Francisco/Berkeley, CA Diana Press,4400 Market St., Oakland, CA 94608 Diseiios Literarios, Menlo Park, CA El Fuegode Aztldn, 3408 Dwinelle Hall, U. Cal., Berkeley, CA 94720 P.O. Box 1959,San Francisco,CA 94101 Editorial Pocho-Cl.re, February 3rd Press,306 LafayetteAve., Brooklyn, NY 11238 The Ferninist Press,Box 334, Old Westbury, NY 11568 Greenfield Review Press,P.O. Box 80, Greenfield Ctr., NY 12833 lsthmr,rs,San Francisco, CA KelseySt., 2824 Kelsey St., Berkeley, CA 9.4705 Lighthouse,San Francisco,CA Liwanag Publications,San Francisco,CA Momo's Press,Box 14061,San Francisco,CA 94114 Naiad Press,P.O. Box 10543,Thllahassee, FLA 32302 Out & Out Books, 476 SecondSt., Brooklyn, NY 11215 Press,Inc., P.O. Box 7222,Ytlaterlown,MAO2772 Perseplrone Puerto Del Sol, Las Cruces, NM Red Earth Press,P.O. Box26647, Albuquerque, NM 87125 Reed & Cannon, 2140 Shattuck #311,Berkeley, CA 94704 ScarecrowPress,P.O. Box 656, Metuchen, NJ 08840 Scorpion Press,Tlrcson, AZ SiamelessHussy, P.O. Box 424, SanLorenzo, CA 94580 SpinstersINK, RD 1, Argyle, NY 12809 P.O. Box 451, Borvling Green Station,NY 1000,4 Strar,r'berry,