© Latinas in History 2008

Victim of a rare illness and resultant physical imbalances caused Anzaldúa to stop growing at the age of twelve, but this did not stop her from developing a passion for writing. Prominent as a recurring theme in her work was injustice against women, and in 1974 she wrote poetry and one of her first essays was titled, “Growing Up Chicana.” A Chicana lesbian and feminist, her greatest contribution was This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color, the book she co-edited with Cherrie Moraga. Published in 1981, the volume delves into the unique social, cultural, and political intersections of Chicana feminism. A second publication, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, established her foundational credentials in women’s and Chicana studies. In 1990, a sequel to Bridge titled Making Face, Making Soul/Haciendo Caras was published. Anzaldúa's intentions were to give younger Chicanas a sense of continuity in to the Chicana feminist and queer experience. Anzaldua’s publication, This Bridge Called Home: Radical Visions for Transformation, would be her last. On May 15, 2004, Anzaldúa died at her Santa Cruz home from complications due to diabetes.