Google has made an art form of taking obscure social justice warriors — some of whom were totalitarian Marxists — and transforming them into colorful “Google Doodles” fit for a kindergartner. Today’s doodle: some random feminist queer theorist of Chicana studies: basically everything America needs right now.
The creator’s name is Gloria E. Anzaldúa, an author, poet and “scholar of Chicana cultural theory, feminist theory, and queer theory,” according to her Wikipedia page.
Obviously chosen as a slight against the Trump administration, the latest Google Doodle grew up in a Texas border town, where she “developed theories about the way marginal cultures develop,” according to CNET. More on her legacy:
Anzaldúa’s writing drew from her experiences growing up as both American and Mexican, exploring the ways a person can be shaped by geography, geopolitics, language and myth. Google notes that Anzaldúa’s work has influenced scholars across multiple disciplines including Chicano studies, women’s studies, LGBT studies and postcolonial studies.
In 1981 she co-edited ‘This Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color’ with feminist activist Cherríe Moraga. Anzaldúa is perhaps best known for writing the semi-autobiographical ‘Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,’ which was published in 1987 and examined the invisible “borders” that exist in society.
Anzaldúa rejected the concept of assimilation and wrote frequently of her dismay with immigrants losing their native languages and cultures when migrating to other cultures. Her label for this: “linguistic terrorism.”
“While I advocate putting Chicana, tejana, working-class, dyke-feminist poet, writer theorist in front of my name, I do so for reasons different than those of the dominant culture … so that the Chicana and lesbian and all the other persons in me don’t get erased, omitted, or killed,” she explained of her position.
On sexuality, Anzaldúa held some freakish views, describing herself as multi-sexual who grew up with an “intense sexuality” toward her own father, animals, and even trees. Though she had relations with both men and women, she identified herself as a lesbian in most of her writings.
The Google Doodle has previously honored terrorist-supporting Marxists like Yuri Kochiyama, who “admired Mao” and had affections for Osama Bin Laden.
”I consider Osama bin Laden as one of the people that I admire. To me, he is in the category of Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Patrice Lumumba, Fidel Castro, all leaders that I admire,” said Kochiyama in 2003.