Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza

by Gloria Anzaldúa

Since its initial publication in 1987, Borderlands/La Fronter: The New Mestiza remains one of the most important books to address the issue of mestizaje— being of mixed race, mixed blood, and/or mixed cultures — in the field of cultural studies. For Chicanos and Chicanas, this publication marked one of the signal events in changing awareness of both self and broader culture.

With the release of the second edition of this work, including an interview with the author, Anzaldúa's personal take on this important topic is both singularly intimate and a bridge toward understanding. Long implemented in both cultural theory and women's studies classrooms, Borderlands retains its place among those titles not only to be required reading, but a text in which many of us will find "home," again and again.

Making Face, Making Soul/Haciendo Caras: Creative and Critical Perspectives by Women of Color

Edited by Gloria Anzaldúa

Gloria Anzaldúa was co-editor of one of the earliest and most influential collections of writings by women of color, This Bridge Called My Back, published in 1983 by Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press. In this follow-up anthology from Aunt Lute Press, Anzaldúa brings together a wealth of new talent, voices, and perspectives, engaging readers across the world once again in meaningful dialogue and personal reflection about what it means to be a contemporary woman of color.

Organized into seven thematic sections, this voluminous work is at once accessible and challenging. As such, it is one of the texts most highly regarded in classroom settings. For some, Making Face, Making Soul may be a first introduction to emerging authors. For others, the anthology stands as a welcome reminder of the strength of our voices, united.