In the video of the debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley, it talks a bit about the possibility of one person’s sense of reality being eliminated for another. In a quote from James Baldwin, “whatever one’s reaction to this proposition is, has to be the question of whether or not civilizations can be considered, as such, equal, or whether one’s civilization has the right to overtake and subjugate, and, in fact, to destroy another”.
I feel that this is somewhat similar and different from Gloria Anzaldua’s piece How to Tame a Wild Tongue. The similarity I feel is the clashing between two different civilizations and between two languages in Anzaldua’s case. Baldwin is speaking of the possibility of one person’s way of life or civilization overtaking someone else’s. The difference I see from Anzaldua is that she speaks of the combination of her two cultures and how they make a culture of their own. Baldwin’s comment about domination is a lot more bleak as well.
E367: Writing and Diversity 
Michael,
I would agree with this statement, in Baldwin’s video there is definitely a little bit of an issue regarding the fact of whether or not civilization is equal or not. I believe this relates to anzalduas piece and many of the other pieces we have been working on because of the differences in languages, discourses, and primary/secondary english. These are things that represent each one of us in our own personal way and can bring up certain problems.
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Michael,
I really liked how you made the comparison to Anzaldua’s piece. After watching the debate, and especially after hearing Mr. Baldwin’s words, I immediately made the connection between Anzaldúa and Mr. Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin utilizes the words ‘we’ and ‘our’ constantly when referring to African-Americans, which creates a sense that they all face this problem together. Also, I agree with your comparison that shows the similarity between Anzaldúa’s “clash of cultures” and “clash of civilizations.”
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Michael,
I think that there are similarities and differences between Anzaldua’s piece and James Baldwin’s debate, and you highlighted some of the important points well in your analysis. Even though Baldwin’s debate was “a lot more bleak,” I think he is trying to emphasize the reality of the situation. Baldwin explains that when one civilization dominates another, leaving aside the physical violence that results from this clash, “the most private, the most serious thing this does to the subjugated, is to destroy his sense of reality.”
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Michael,
I see why you would make this comparison and can see how they might be similar in some ways although I would like to add that what made America’s caste system unique was that it was the only one that benefitted to the extent that it did from the oppression of African Americans over 400+ long years. They do touch on a sense of culture and Baldwin explains that his people have appropriated over time for example when he says, “put me next to a person from Africa and you will notice the difference and swear my grandmother is no rapist” I thought he was speaking more of the ways his people have been withdrawn from their culture as a result of the necessary skills African Americans need and learn to survive in this country that is overwhelmed with a culture that ignores its history. Many African Americans today still have issues identifying themselves (something Baldwin also spoke of) and a portion of those do not even identify with their natural ancestors because of the strong cultural appropriation that took and takes place here in America.
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Michael,
Thanks for bringing Anzaldua into this conversation. I agree that Baldwin’s tone is more despairing, more of a “Jeremiad”, as he puts it. I suspect that this has much to do with a difference in who they are speaking to: Anzaldua is, I think, largely writing about differences in the LatinX population, while Baldwin is speaking to a white—and actually quite literally European—audience. The odd thing is that I find Baldwin, in the end, to be far more inspiring. We’ll see if anyone else in seminar does!
Joe
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