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Lynn Fu
Professor Galvan
First-Year Writing Seminar: Community and Collaboration
19 November 2016
The Voice(s) of a Movement
Often we only look at social movements through the lens of the community, in a broader
scope-what they actively did, what laws were changed/made, and how they fit into history.
However this large consolidation, support and powerful force did not spontaneously materialize.
These movements were diligently crafted by individuals, who has the agency to link the
diversive interests and values to focus on a common goal, activating others to broaden the
insurgent network against the oppressive society. It began with a few, who were joined by
hundreds, then thousands, until all the individual voices became one voice. Alone, they were
ignored; together they forced their words to be listened to and not just heard. By knitting together
the real concerns of real people with real experiences, the anthology of radical women of color,
This Bridge Called My Back Entering the Lives of Others: Theories in the Flesh shows the
importance of getting individual voices and experiences heard for collective power. The power of
writing, the power of different voices writing, all fighting for the same cause, creates a safe space
for discourse and a mobilizing force for change.
Like most people, each writer was unaware of the conditions of her oppression. She
simply accepted it as the way things are, and instead all her energy was focused on surviving
in her particular world. Lim asks, Why must woman stand divided?/Building the walls that tear
them down?...A house that must accommodate/A house that must endure/Generation after
generation (Lim 26). The singular use of the word woman instead of women shows how

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both the overall community of women and the individual womans identity is broken. The
different groups of women are divided and cannot come together, and the individual woman is
pulled apart by her different identities. By comparing the woman to a house, Lim connects back
to the stereotype that women were meant to stay in the domestic sphere and how damaging this
belief is to the self. The uses of the word must connotes that the woman has no choice but to
endure this suffering for it is only way to survive. Like a houses outer facade, the woman curates
an image for herself: of strength, of perfection, of pureness. However internally, in the nooks and
crannies the woman hides her pain in the house that is her, Closets with hidden cries/Walls with
stretchmarks (Lim 26). The worst part is that this suffering and fragmentation is passed down
generation after generation a cycle that must not be endured no more.
This sentiment is also seen in Moragas writing, as she had no choice but to enter into
the life of my mother, she repeats herself again emphasizing the lack of control she had over her
life I had no choice...I feigned being the happy, upwardly mobile heterosexual (Moraga 28).
There is a generational trauma that gets passed down as well as the inheritance of the expectation
of what a woman should be. Even more these expectations contradict with the other
expectations of being a-person of color, feminist, a lesbian, and all the other intersecting layers
of oppression. One could not be both a feminist and an African American because the definition
of each were so different-the image of a feminist of that time only showed a upper class white
woman. Society compels the separation of identities which induces this fragmentation, a sad
alienation from ones own self. A feminist woman of color experiences all kinds of different
oppressions but she belongs nowhere. She is lost, unable to give up any part of her identity, for
that makes her who she is, but she longs to fit in, identify with others. Each of the authors
struggle with this problem, this detrimental fragmentation is a widespread but unheard

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occurrence. However, because there was not a community in place to discuss these concerns,
there was no form of healing, each woman is left to handle her solitary pain.
We have been conditioned to hate the otherness inside of us, wishing to erase the part of
us that society constructs us to disapprove. Moraga describes being a lesbian, a woman, a person
of color and the intersection of those categories as a poverty (29). Like the traditional
definition, these identities involve the sense of lacking something, the stripping of power, the
hopelessness, and the struggle to just survive. And where there is a lack somewhere there must
be a affluence somewhere else, conveying the unfair hierarchy and the wish to be simply born
into privilege. Furthermore, the word poverty has a sense of shame associated with it. Not only
are they externally oppressed, they internally oppress themselves. Yamada showcases this
internal oppression in her description of invisibility. She argues that because Asian American
women are expected to be "submissive, subservient, ready-to-please, easy-to-get-along-with,"
that she and many others resignedly accept this expected role (Yamada 37). Because society did
not value them, saw Asian American women as invisible, they saw themselves as invisible as
well. To acknowledge the harsh reality of their oppression is to acknowledge their identity, their
otherness, and that brings immense fear and hatred of ones own self. Cameron writes,
Sometimes I dont want to remember Im Third World or Native American. I dont want to
remember sometimes because it means recognizing that were outlaws (50). The repetition of
the word remember shows the internal conflict in oneself. Cameron knows it is important to
remember but is scared to face the pain of remembering. However as Moraga describes, silence
is like starvation (29). Like poverty, starvation involves the lack of, and to lack something
means to desire the very thing that is missing or withheld. But knowledge is power, and by
knowing something you have power over it to change the conditions it thrives on. By examining

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and analyzing the sources, conditions, effects of oppression and pain, one is able to reclaim her
power. Individually, each woman is powerless and fearful, but together, they compel each other
to have strength and a community fosters courage. Without this unifying institution in place, a
vicious cycle is formed: one is afraid to explore and uncover pain and pain only intensifies when
it is neglected. And so although one is hungry for knowledge, one tends to deprive herself of
sustenance, of healing because of fear.
Each writer has had a very different experience, but they all share the experience of being
oppressed in their status as a feminist woman of color. Oppression can vary in many factors but
we tend to look at these factors separately in a person, not together, losing the potential for power
in understanding the self and the world. This anthology is unique in that it shows all writers
describing a realization and unification of the multiplicity of her identities-reclaiming the other
inside, the other that is us. Through a series of revelatory experiences each writer discloses her
battle against conformity and her process of coming into consciousness. However each writer
uses different techniques to emphasize this awakening. Moraga uses the sudden insertion of the
word CLICK after a moment of realization, an important turning point in her life (30). The
dramatic use of all capital letters calls attention to and emphasizes the importance of the
awakening experience. The reader is startled by the interjected word much like Moraga was
startled by a sudden realization that the major reason for my total alienation from and fear of
my classmates was rooted in class and culture. CLICK (30). Furthermore the word click
connotes immediate and impactful change. Just like switching on a lamp, which transforms the
room from complete darkness to bright illumination exposing the area, Moraga and the reader
are enlightened to aspects that profoundly changes the way they think. This revelation, for both
the author and the reader emphasizes the need for one to document her own feminist movement

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through writing. Yamada uses quotation marks and italics to show the unravelment of the long
conditioning process to finally settle into her true identity. She writes I would let it go because
it was pointless to argue with people who didnt even know their remark was racist (Yamada
36). Her use of quotations act as a sarcastic recollection of the way she used to think or points of
views she used to blindly accept. They also act as a sort of mocking scoff at the way others
ignorantly think as when she writes, her students understood the anger expressed by the Black
and Chicanos and they empathized with the frustrations and sorrow expressed by the American
Indian (Yamada 35). The use of italics emphasizes the sad realization of the external
oppressions she internally accepted, and the anger that came afterwards with that injustice. In a
recollection of a conversation with her father she writes it was all right for me to be a pacifist
because as a Japanese national and a girl it didnt make any difference to anyone (Yamada 38).
The use of quotations shows her mocking view of her fathers ignorant words while the italics
shows her disappointment and frustration of her invisible status. Recollecting deeply personal
experiences, the writers were able to broaden the definition of feminism in a way that it follows
their physical realities. Through a soul wrenching, excruciating analysis of their lives, the
realization, activation, and transformation of the self was possible.
Although they were motivated by the desire to express oneself, they did not write to only
heal themselves. By writing their personal stories, they sought to reveal dismissed problems in
the world, and share a vision for a better future. By writing about grappling with oppression, they
show the reader that these conditions should not be passively accepted. By writing about their
own pain, they show the reader that they are not alone. Furthermore they show the reader that
this awakening process is possible and the unification of identities is not only important but
powerful. Morega writes about a Ntosake Shange reading was a significant moment in her

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awakening, she felt like everything exploded (31). It spun her into a deep scrutinization of her
life, a rediscovery, a remembrance of her roots parts of her own self. Moraga was sparked by
Shanges reading as she spoke with power about a world that is both alien and common to me:
the capacity to enter the lives of others (32-33). Just like Moraga was awakened by someone
elses experiences she hopes the writings in the anthology can do the same for others. However,
where one person may be profoundly impacted by one piece of writing, another person may not
be as affected by it or identify with it. Although each essay has a similar message, each author
has her own unique style and techniques in employing that message. By bringing writers of very
diverse backgrounds together, the anthology opens up a space for unification and leaves room to
expand for all differences.
The title of this chapter, Entering the Lives of Others: Theory in the Flesh describes
this powerful force for change through empathy: understanding, feeling, and experiencing the
life of another. Each writer turned a theoretical space that incorporated the various aspects of
identity for women of color and grounded these elements in lived experience. The writings of all
authors convey raw emotion, shown by how the word pain used in the chapter six times, fear
seventeen times, and alien ten times. The flesh, the physicality of the body theorizes how one
is treated: by skin color, by gender. The use of the word flesh also connotes the physical
realities, the authentic experience of those marginalized. It is important for all to understand that
oppression is physical, material, psychological, made up of intersecting relations of domination.
The Theory works to puts the reader in the mind of the writer, feeling and becoming the
Other. By having deeply personal real life situations, real life experiences the anthology allows
the reader to enter the physical realities of the writer. The body and anthology act as one and the

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same: the individual transforms their lives and bodies into writing that will in turn live inside the
bodies of others.
However one writer is not enough to encompass everything, everyone. All narratives
need to be presented to provide an accurate representation of the world. Although individual
voices are powerful to awaken other individuals, it is vital to have a consolidation in order for
advancement as a whole. Morega writes one voice is not enough, nor two...if we could make
this connection in our heart of hearts, that if we are serious about a revolution then we need one
another...the real power is collective (34). The profoundly personal experiences act as a medium
for communication And the formation of community is not by ignoring our differences but the
expression of solidarity among them. Morega writes in the foreward with interesting formatting
that emphasizes the importance of the message.
We are the colored in a white feminist movement.
We are the feminists among the people of our culture.
We are often the lesbians among the straight.
We do this bridging by naming our selves and by telling our stories in our own words
(23).
She repeats the word We to show that although they are excluded from all these groups, they
are excluded together. The repetition of the sentence structure also cultivates a feeling of power.
By acknowledging their status, they are able to own it, reclaim it.
Unlike other anthologies, this was not just a collection of great works, it is provocative,
conscious-raising, and transformative. As editors of this anthology, Moraga and Anzaldua
meticulously picked out and ordered each essay to unify the diverse group and create a
conversation among them. The chapter begins and ends with poems, a more theoretical approach

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to the topic, sandwiching the more concrete, raw experiences in the form of essays. The first
piece by Genny Lim Wonder Woman involves a woman watching the bodies of others and
wondering about their lives-doing different things but sharing the same feelings, experiencing
similar and different inequalities because of their status. Lim uses the imagery of bodies to
connect them to others and herself. She describes different bodies, Short, tall, skinny, fat/
Pregnant,married, white, yellow, black, brown, red but despite their differences are all
fundamentally similar. Wonder Woman is the perfect start for the chapter Entering the Lives
of Others: Theory in Flesh by talking about the physicality of the body, and theorizing what the
implications, effects of the bodies are. Furthermore she wonders about the lives of others,
wishing to understand them-what separates them what unites them. Lim takes the role of the
reader: how they should question, think as they read through the chapter. From there Moraga
describes oppression and coming to consciousness in La Guera. It then moves to Yamadas
experience of double invisibility to Valerios Its in my Blood My Face where she describes the
difficulty of retaining ties with ones culture. Cameron then discusses racism and responsibility
in Gee, You Dont Seem Like An Indian From the Reservation, then moves to separation and
denial in Moraless ...And Even Fidel Cant Change That!. The chapter then ends with the
poem I Walk in the History of My People by Chystos where she writes about pain. The pain
that is passed down, cultivated by abuse and neglect, the pain that divides those who are
privileged and those who are oppressed. The community that is built on the history and
continuation of pain. So the chapter works by weaving through each author and their lives,
entering one life and bringing the lessons learned there to the story of the next author. By
collecting similar themes with different messages together, the individual essays are allowed to
interact to further overarching argument. The anthology was profoundly influential as it knitted

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together the diverse lives and circumstances. It created space in a world where their voices were
lost, as a place for discourse and a foundation for power. This sense of togetherness, that they are
not alone in their struggle allowed the collective overcoming of fear to forge a destiny, to change
history. These interactions turns individual emotions and experiences into collective action, fear
becomes indignation which propels action and motivates hope.
This Bridge Called My Back continues to be revolutionary, transcending the body of the
individual writers. By bringing together diverse backgrounds into one platform, the anthology
provided a global perspective and a way to communicate horizontally-a collaboration of
continuous change through the sharing, discussing, and preservation of the anthology to
overcome powerlessness of solitude and despair. Individuals were motivated the writers charged
narratives and entered into the organic diverse environment where they could be authentic, have
a voice, and that voice be valued. Together they healed themselves and they healed others and
created a unyielding, supportive community that is bonded by their devotion to fight against
oppression.
Bibliography
Moraga, Cherrie, and Gloria Anzaldua, eds. Entering the Lives of Others: Theory in the Flesh
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color. New York:
Kitchen Table, Women of Color, 1983. Print.