Borderlands / La Frontera Terms

“Borderlands” is Anzaldúa’s term for not only the literal border region in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, but also the complex cultural dynamics that develop whenever multiple ways of being come into contact—and… read analysis of Borderlands

Chicana/o is a term for people of Mexican descent living in the U.S. (“Chicana” is the feminine form and “chicano” is the masculine form.) Anzaldúa’s work emerged from major Chicano political movements of the… read analysis of Chicana/o

Widely spoken in central Mexico before the conquest, Náhuatl was the indigenous language of the Mexica-Azteca empire. It is still spoken today by well over a million people in the region. read analysis of Náhuatl

“Mestiza” (feminine form) and “mestizo” (masculine form) are adjectives or nouns referring to mixed-race people in Latin America. “Mestizaje” refers to the broader process of racial and cultural mixture, and particularly that of Spanish and… read analysis of Mestiza/o/aje

Tejanas (feminine) and Tejanos (masculine) are Hispanic Texans whose family history in the state stretches back to when it was still part of Mexico. They are often confused for recent migrants and treated as foreigners—when… read analysis of Tejana/o

“La Raza” (“the race”) is generally a term for Chicana/o people as a whole, but depending on the context, it can also refer to all Latin Americans. read analysis of La Raza

Corridos are ballads popular in the Borderlands and much of Mexico that generally tell the stories of major social, political, and cultural figures and upheavals. read analysis of Corrido

Menudo is a stew made of tripe and red chili. It is traditional to northern Mexico and the Borderlands. read analysis of Menudo

The Rio Grande Valley is an agricultural region now located at the southernmost tip of Texas and the eastern reaches of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands. Gloria Anzaldúa’s family has lived there and farmed the… read analysis of Rio Grande Valley

The Azteca-Mexica partnership, often known as the Aztec Empire, was the military alliance that ruled most of central Mexico before the Spanish conquest. They identified the present-day U.S. southwest as their homeland, Aztlán. read analysis of Azteca-Mexica

The Coatlicue state is a trancelike mode of awareness that helps people confront and overcome deep-set internal contradictions. In the Coatlicue state, with the conscious mind “occupied or immobile,” the unconscious guides people toward growth… read analysis of Coatlicue State

“Mestiza consciousness” is Anzaldúa’s term for a special kind of positive, dialectical perspective on difference that she proposes as an alternative to borders, prejudice, and inequality. Specifically, where most people see a conflict… read analysis of Mestiza Consciousness