Anzaldua emphasizes that a person's identity passes through his culture and his native language. In this text, Anzaldua points out that many people, especially teachers and her family, encourage her to lose the language and perfect her English because this is the way to be successful. However, Anzaldua states that, “Until I am proud of my language, I cannot be proud of myself…I will overcome the tradition of silence” (21). Anzaldua points out that if she can't be proud of her culture and background, how can she identify? I feel that education cannot be the only factor that contributes to how individuals view life. For example, for Anzaldua, her family and community always criticize her for not knowing Spanish or for knowing English and not embracing her culture. Furthermore, she is constantly in battle between what she should follow or what her family and teachers tell her. I think on this point Anzaldua knows that if she can't be proud of her own language, then how can she think about English if she can't even embrace her own culture? Her family's influence on her in becoming a “certain person” had a great impact on the way she thought about her surroundings. Her perspective on learning a different language also comes from a sense of wanting to feel accepted or fulfilled