Blog 1

For centuries women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community as well as individuals with disabilities have been neglected and disregarded by the society of white people. Women as well as their rights have been overlooked and ignored, and of course times are different now and there is equality, for white women. In the essay, The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House, written by Audre Lorde, the African-American poet and essayist describes the issues faced by African-American women, women of color, and people of the LGBT community. This essay confronts and addresses the controversy of differences between women of color and white women, and more importantly the problem with racist feminism.

In the essay, Lorde speaks about the lack of differences between racism, sexism, and homophobia. In the eyes of white Americans, all women of color, all members of a different sexual orientation, are different than them. There is a status of patriarchy within Americans. In any job setting, between an African-American woman, a white woman, and a Latina; the white woman would get hired, the white woman would earn more, the white woman would have greater opportunities, obtain a higher education. The white woman would not clean houses for a living, the white woman would not struggle with hiding her identity, she would not get fired for wearing cornrows, or would not be prohibited from speaking her native language.

There is a truth in Lorde’s statement that “if white American feminist theory need not deal with the differences between us, and the resulting difference in our oppressions, then how do you deal with the fact that the women who clean houses and tend your children while you attend conferences on feminist theory are, for the most part, poor women and women of color?” There is a separation in feminism, and that is Lorde’s overarching message. In the year of 1937, the first Disney Princess was introduced into society, she of course was white. Children of color did not have an African-American princess until 2009, which was Princess Tiana. The question is, where is the Mexican Princess? It is the year 2020, and there is yet to be one. Society has yet to introduce Mexican-Americans into their culture. The last known Mexican-American figure that was known and recognized by American culture was Selena Quintanilla. There are Mexican-American celebrities known, but not as famous and iconic as Selena. Lorde was an activist towards African-American women, towards women of color. In her essay, she spoke about the lack of union between women. Why must there be differences? Why can’t all women join together and become stronger by uniting their knowledge, skills, and visions?

There is a strong connection between Audre Lorde’s essay “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Masters’ House” and the poem “And When You Leave, Take Your Pictures With You.”  Written by poet Jo Carrillo, “And When You Leave Take Your Pictures With You,” is a poem that emphasizes the importance of working class women and the strong privilege of white Americans. Just as Lorde expressed the difficulties faced by women such as “those of us who stand outside the circle of this society’s definition of acceptable women; those of us who have been forget in the crucibles of difference—those of us who are poor… know that survival is not an academic skill,” Carrillo also expresses the difficulties and differences of women of color. Carrillo demonstrates how privileged white women are and how they feel superiority towards “us” the women “walking to the fields in the hot sun, with straw hat on head if brown, bandana if black, in bright embroidered shirts, holding brown yellow black red children.” When white women see that-- women who work, who sweat in the sun, killing themselves by working for the white, they do not like that, because “when our white sisters see us in the flesh, not as a picture they own, they are not quite as sure if they like us as much.” There is a difference, a space diving women. A woman of color will never be viewed the same as a white woman in society, white women must not survive, they must not escalate and walk in knifes to succeed, they do not go through hunger, and are not sexualized or disrespected.

Another important work that emphasizes the lack of status of Mexican-Americans and people of color is the story “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” written by author Gloria Anzaldua. This work of literature connects with Lorde’s ‘The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House,” by expressing the silence of culture. Just like African-American women must hide their culture, their essence and are forced to be invisible in society, Mexican-Americans must deal with that too. Anzaldua recalls a moment in her youth when an Anglo teacher would punish her with a sharp ruler for speaking her native tongue, Spanish, and where she was constantly told “if you want to be American, speak ‘American’ if you don’t like it go back to Mexico where you belong.” Cultures are forced to change their essence, to transform into Americans, to forget who they are and where they came from. Language is the music of culture, it is a part of someone that defines them, it is what adds flavor to your being, no one should hide who they are to become accepted in society. Everyone is equal, every culture is beautiful, and Anglo Americans must be aware of that.