Gloria Anzaldúa
1942-2004
Gloria Anzaldúa was born September 26, 1942 in the South Texas Rio Grande Valley. She toiled as a migrant worker along side her parents and siblings. Gloria has described herself as a “chicana dyke-feminist, poet, writer and cultural theorist.” She became a teacher of students from preschool through to college, including special needs’ students. Anzaldúa was a diverse writer who won many awards for her work. Her most acclaimed book, Borderlands, published in 1987, offers insight into the Chicano and Latino culture, as well as what it was like to be a lesbian living in the midst of straight, white, American society. “Borderlands” provided a venue for Anzaldúa to express her obviously intense frustration at the oppression experienced by individuals who are different, either by their sexuality, or their cultural background. Some of her awards include the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award; The Lambda Lesbian Small Book Press Award; and the National Endowments for the Arts Fiction Award. Gloria used her talent and vision to champion the lives of those who, through no fault of their own, do not fit in. Gloria Anzaldúa died May 15, 2004, from complications of diabetes.
Read more about her at:
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/newsite/authors/ANZALDUAgloria.htm
