She believes her identity is being taken away from her because she is looked down upon for speaking Spanish in America. Throughout her essay, she explains how her First Amendment right was 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 to exist” (416), she affirms that no matter what people continue to think of her, she will remain proud and true to her language. Saying “I won’t do it again” represents self-affirmation. It's as if she's taking a stand against everyone who tells her that she's not really an authentic Hispanic like them because she stands out for her different origins. The word “existing” suggests that she will no longer participate in hating herself because of the opinions of others. It was evident that she plans to live for herself by loving who she is despite past incidents. One of the themes of the passage is accepting who you are, even though you may not be like the rest of the people around you. Self-acceptance triumphs over the approval of others. Overcoming obstacles that have affected you in the past is an achievement that anyone would be proud of. When you make it a priority to not let these obstacles bother you in the future, it's even