Borders in Chicana Literature

"To live in the Borderlands means you are neither hispana negra española ni gabacha, eres mestiza, mulata, half-breed caught in the crossfire between camps while carrying all five races on your back not knowing which side to turn to, run from [...] To survive the Borderlands you must live sin fronteras be a crossroads." (Borderlands 216-217) The American Southwest: a 2000-miles borderline between the USA and Mexico, home for most Hispanics with a Mexican-American background. The ostracism the Chicanos often face in this area is especially felt by their female community members. Due to their gender, the oppression is manifold and much more complex than that of their male counterparts. The present monograph describes the Chicanas' reality through the eyes of two Chicana writers, Gloria Anzaldúa and Sandra Cisneros, who both criticize the present institutions, but do not limit their criticism to pure feminism; rather they promote a holistic view of the Chicana as "New Mestiza" by appreciating the enriching experience that the life at the borders implicates. The book is a challenging task for all those who are interested in women's minority writing.