Just when we thought Liz Gilbert was the only one who liked the phrase "Let's Cross Over"...

I love how Gloria Anzaldúa incorporated Spanish words, poems, and phrases throughout “Borderlands”.  I thought the mixture of languages accentuated her cross-cultural message.  I especially liked the poem on page 107, which to my understanding, roughly translates to something like: “There are borders that exist/ that divide people/ but for each border/ there is a bridge.”  I think this poem is a beautiful representation of the passage’s theme.  Though the human race is divided by difference, life is full of chances to overcome and accept it . 

The mother’s stubbornness in Thomas King’s “Borders”, though somewhat annoying, is also inspiring.  She refused to see herself as anything other than Blackfoot.  I can’t imagine needing to deny my own heritage or nationality; but this story made me think about those who might need to do so on a regular basis, some for their own safety or survival.  

Gish Jen’s “Who’s Irish” was probably my favorite story out of the three.  I appreciated the narrator’s humor and deeply rooted sense of self.  She reminded me of my own grandmother, who also used to take care of me when I was little.  It upset me that the grandmother in this story couldn’t share her Chinese culture with little Sophie, since my favorite thing when I was little was when my grandma would tell me stories about Hungary.