"It is the blood of the Lunas to be quiet, for only a quiet man can learn the secrets of the earth that are necessary for planting. They are quiet like the moon. And it is the blood of the Márez to be wild, like the ocean from which they take their name, and the spaces of the llano that have become their home." (Anaya, p.41)

To this day, Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, is a book I hold dearly to my heart. Personally, I have always struggled to understand the Mexican-American aspect of my identity. With the physical presence of the United States- Mexican border, my identity is affected when I can consider myself simultaneously both an original and foreign from these locations. As Gentzler states, “ I hope to show how the Americas comprise multiple languages; its peoples speak with multiple voices, and its citizens have multiple identities, which are, consciously or subconsciously, always involved in the process of translation.” (Gentzler, p.146) Reading Bless …show more content…
The main character, Antonio, struggles to understand his own identity as he navigates the different cultures embodied by his parents and the language differences he encounters at home, school, and his interaction with friends and family. Gentzler’s theory states that, “...border writers are often cannibalizing two imperializing cultures simultaneously and coming up with new ideas that represent anew as they destabilize.” (Gentzler, p.145) Eventually, “Border writers tend to