La Guera By Cherrie Moraga

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In La Guera by Cherrie Moraga, the role of empathy and race are present throughout the text. I will explain the role of each by addressing how empathy aids in the creation of intersubjective relationships and its relation with oppression while also explaining how race plays a role with regards to privileges. The role of empathy is important to understand since it helps in the creation of intersubjective relationships. In addition, it also helps in the ability of negotiating the differences in the forms of oppression. Let us examine the following quote to understand this: "When I finally lifted the lid to my lesbianism, a profound connection with my mother reawakened in me. It wasn’t until I acknowledged and confronted my own lesbianism in the flesh, that my heartfelt identification with and empathy …show more content…

What this quote means is that Moraga developed a sense of empathy towards her mother. This in turn helped her understand (create group alliances) among people affected by the various degrees of oppression. More precisely, her lesbianism aided in her ability to negotiate the differences in the different forms of oppression. For instance, she states that “in this country, lesbianism is a poverty” (Moraga 1979, 29). Therefore, since her sexuality is some kind of poverty (some form of oppression) she is able to create an intersubjective relationship with her mother who also endured a different kind and degree of oppression (i.e. being pulled out of school to work while her father would drink away her profit). As for the ability of negotiating the differences in the forms of oppression, her

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