linguistic identity

Joseph Palagonia
ENGW_1100_34
Professor Young
August, 30, 2015


             I have selected three meaningful quotes from How to Tame a Wild Tongue, which connect linguistics to culture. My first quote states, "Ethnic identity id twin skin to linguistic identity- I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself." My next proceeding quote, "Pachuco is a language of rebellion, both against Standard Spanish and Standard English. It is a secret language. Adults of the culture and outsiders cannot understand it. It is made up of slang words from both English and Spanish." My last quote chosen states, " There is no one Chicano language just as there is no one Chicano experience. A monolingual Chicana whose first language is English or Spanish is just as much a Chicana from Michigan or Chicago or Detroit is just as the Southwest. Chicano Spanish is as diverse linguistically as it is regionally." The opening scene begins with the doctor stating, " We're going to have to control your tongue." This is ironic because the overall message of this essay, is linguistic defines who a person is entirely. Personally, I do not know much Spanish, therefore the writing was difficult to understand. I think Anzaldua used spanish in her writing to represent the degree of difficulty it takes to understand a different language. Academic English can be defined as Spanish (standard) due to it's specific focus of one language. Chicano Spanish integrates multiple different spanish dialects mixed with a secret form of the language which causes it to be classified as nonstandard. Speaking and writing is a big part of the person I am today. A person's accent or dialect alone, can explain a lot about their personality or culture. Like Anzaldua, in English there are forms of secret languages as well. To most it is just considered slang talk, but two or more people can relate to a hidden statement through slang code, for example inside jokes or statements most people will be confused by the meaning. When I am speaking with my friends we usually talk in a more relaxed slang dialect of English, but when I am around my parents or a professor I speak more respectfully and professional due to the formal position they hold before me. The quote, "I am my language," means we are how we talk. There are plenty of revealing facts about a persons identity that can be distinguished through language alone, for example race and or culture. The introduction of this essay connects to the conclusion because it discusses how other ethnicities are willingly able to give up their tongues, but Chicana language is far more important to the Chicana culture for it to be denied. The language we speak identifies cultural background of family heritage. Without identity it is impossible to be unique. My identity is the most important thing going for me, because my name is what classifies me different from the man next to me. For example, How to Tame A Wild Tongue states, " With that recognition, we became a distinct people, we became aware of our reality and acquired a name and a language."

Joseph Palagonia

Joseph Palagonia
ENGW1100-34
Professor Young
August, 26, 2015
                                                          Getting to Know You
1) I would consider myself to be a bit of a sports head, I love the game of basketball most specially but I am big on baseball and football as well. I find sports to be a natural stress relieving therapy; its like I am in my sanctuary on the basketball court.
2)I have a great passion for keeping fit and staying healthy. It may be a daily regime my high school basketball coach imbedded into my brain, but I definitely enjoy the grind the most, and the success which results from that.
3) Back home in New York, my good friends gave me the nickname Palo. I think this nickname is ironic being that my last name is Palagonia. My friends simply added the first three letters of my last name and the letter o which comes after the letter g. Now, I am forever known in New York as Palo.
4) I like to allow my mind to flow while writing, but I do believe in preparation. I personally find it easier to generate thoughts when my mind tends to flow.
5) My high school english class definitely spent less time reviewing then most schools. My school had English for only half of a semester during my senior year, but it was an advanced writing class which focused primarily on draft and paper work. My teacher did prep us on the five paragraph structure, and other rules of grammar.
6) I am a fan of all types of music, I love music in general but if I had to choose one genre I would choose Hip-Hop. Unlike most, I am behind my time with music; I like old school artists like Biggie Smalls, Nas, and Tupac but I do like new style artists as well.
7)I do use Social Media, but I hate thinking about how it is destroying society. My favorite app would have to be SnapChat, only because you can actually be somewhat SOCIAL and interact with others.
8)My most important  lesson I learned as a freshman is not to fear failure. There is only one option for failure: TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN! The effort will lead to success.
9) I have a lot of confidence in myself, because I like the man I am becoming today. If i had to rate myself I would rate myself a A but I know theres always room for success. I consider myself an A, because I understand that adversity is conquerable, and you can do anything that you set your mind too in this life and thats the key.