She believes her identity is being taken away from her because she is looked down upon for speaking Spanish in America. Throughout his essay, he talks about how his First Amendment right has been violated because society believes that if you speak American correctly in America, you will live a better life. When Anzaldúa says "I will no longer be ashamed of existing" (416), she is stating that no matter what people continue to think of her, she will still remain proud and true to her language. When you say “I won't do it again” it represents assertiveness. It's as if she's taking a stand against everyone who tells her that she's not actually an authentic Hispanic like them because she stands out because of her different background. The word “existing” suggests that she will no longer participate in hating herself because of the opinions of others. It was clear that she intended to live for herself by loving who she is, despite past incidents. One of the themes in the passage is accepting who you are despite the fact that you may not be like the rest of the people around you. Self-acceptance trumps the approval of others. Overcoming obstacles that have affected you in the past is an accomplishment that anyone would be proud of. When you make it a priority to not let those obstacles bother you again in the future, it's even