Teaching Gloria E. Anzaldúa: Pedagogy and Practice for Our Classrooms and Communities

by Margaret Cantú-Sánchez (editor), Candace de León-Zepeda (Editor), Norma Elia Cantú (Editor)

Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa—theorist, Chicana, feminist—famously called on scholars to do work that matters. This pronouncement was a rallying call, inspiring scholars across disciplines to become scholar-activists and to channel their intellectual energy and labor toward the betterment of society. Scholars and activists alike have encountered and expanded on these pathbreaking theories and concepts first introduced by Anzaldúa in Borderlands/La frontera and other texts.Teaching Gloria E. Anzaldúa is a pragmatic and inspiring offering of how to apply Anzaldúa’s ideas to the classroom and in the community rather than simply discussing them as theory. The book gathers nineteen essays by scholars, activists, teachers, and professors who share how their first-hand use of Anzaldúa’s theories in their classrooms and community environments.The collection is divided into three main parts, according to the ways the text has been “Curriculum Design,” “Pedagogy and Praxis,” and “Decolonizing Pedagogies.” As a pedagogical text, Teaching Gloria E. Anzaldúa also offers practical advice in the form of lesson plans, activities, and other suggested resources for the classroom. This volume offers practical and inspiring ways to deploy Anzaldúa’s transformative theories with real and meaningful action.ContributorsCarolina E. AlonsoCordelia BarreraChristina BleyerAltheria CalderaNorma E. CantúMargaret Cantú-SánchezFreyca Calderon-BerumenStephanie CariagaDylan Marie ColvinCandace de León-ZepedaMiryam Espinosa-DulantoAlma Itzé FloresChristine GarciaPatricia M. GarcíaPatricia Pedroza GonzálezMaría del Socorro Gutiérrez-MagallanesLeandra H. HernándezNina HoechtlRían LozanoSocorro MoralesAnthony NuñoKarla O’DonaldChristina PuntaseccaDagoberto Eli RamirezJosé L. SaldívarTanya J. Gaxiola SerranoVerónica SolísAlexander V. StehnCarlos A. TarinSarah De Los Santos UptonCarla WilsonKelli Zaytoun

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2020

Reviews

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was in undergrad, I once saw graffiti in a bathroom stall that read: "Epistemology hurts my dick."

That always stuck with me even though it was probably almost 20 years ago. My God, this book was a slog. I love Anzaldúa but the contributions to this collection are mind-numbingly boring. I struggled mightily to finish it and I'm glad it's over.

The contributors take Anzaldúa's radical and magical writing and cover it with a thick layer of dust. It's unbearable and excessively pedantic. Some of the pieces seemed to be aiming to hit a word count requirement.

I never want to come back here again. Some people need to touch grass.