"Cihuatlyotl, Woman Alone," from the book, Borderlands, is about the author's struggle to find her identity beyond her race. Gloria Anzaldua struggles with her Chicano values to find autonomy. Chicano family, church, and values of sexuality cause her to barricade herself from her race in order to create her own self concept. She incorporates old, new and self created identities by rejecting the parts of herself that are oppressive. The author explains that in her fight to gain her autonomy she had to 'kick and claw'. Also, she fought to hold on to pieces of herself that were different. Essentially, the author is fighting with multiple identities, U.S. American, Indian, Mexican, Chicana and Lesbian. The author is angered by the pain her multiple identities causes her. She rejects oppressive values based on her race and the dominant culture in order to find autonomy. She is also philosophical about admitting she has an inherent connection to her Chicano race that can never be refused as part of her multiple identities.

Judith Ortiz Cofer, the author of the book, The Latin Deli writes about her situation as an American Puerto Rican immigrant in the poem, "The Chameleon." She compares her ethnic cultural situation to that of a Chameleon. She is caught behind a screen, like the chameleon in her poem and is forced to change. She must adapt to the dominant society just as a chameleon changes colors for survival in the wild. All the while the dominant society stays the same. In the end of the poem, the chameleon is released upon displaying a rainbow of colors. However, it is frozen awaiting the change of the oppressor which has caught it. The author plays the reverse role of the oppressor in the poem, the one who catches the chameleon. Only, in the end of the poem she releases the chameleon and asserts freedom by allowing differences. She is not the oppressor nor will she be oppressed. In essence, the author is like the Chameleon who has multiple identities but will not change to fit the dominant society because her survival depends on it.

In the book, Getting Home Alive, Aurora Morlaes poem, "Wolf", describes how her cultural and racial differences make her isolated, as if in an impermeable clay house. She is only liberated by her true self, the Wolf. However, her true self changes shape as she comes closer to understanding what her true self is. She fears that if she ignores her true self, as the dominant society does, her identity will be lost. Essentially, she claims her true self is becoming extinct. She insists that she must share her Puerto Rican Jewish American identity with those that are unaware of her reality. This will ensure cultural preservation. This poem is Aurora's attempt to change forced acculturation in the U.S. Rather than perceiving difference as bad, the author attempts to shed light on the positive benefits of differences. The benefits are in individual identity, cultural preservation and peace.

Rosario Morales author of the book Getting Home Alive, also deals with cultural domination in her poem, "My revolution". Rosario's poem urges people to change the dominant Anglo societies structure toward gender differences. She angrily tells the reader to reject a culture that totally eliminates the comfort of ones own homemade identity. For example, women should not be confined to specific positions in society through gender discrimination. She clearly asserts her Puerto Rican Jewish American identity in the poem. She claims her identity is multifaceted, unique and versatile, therefore she will not blend into a one size fits all culture where women are discriminated against. She clings to the comfort of her own self created identity and thinks women should define their own unique identities. She views cultures with purist ideology as nonversatile and nonfunctional. The reader can see her reasoning in the imagery she uses in her poem. She shows the duality of the dominant culture compared to her self created culture. This illustrates the apparent absurdity behind viewing the two cultures in this way. This validates the synthesis of multiple identities such as Rosario's.

Each author's poem discussed, is about taking responsibility for having multiple identities. When the poems are compared one can see their similarities. The authors declare their identities are embedded in their cultures. The authors come from different races, ethnic groups, religions, sexuality, values, families and nations. However, all are United States citizens. These factors are attached to each authors identity which is comprised of multiple identities and cannot be separated from their culture.

All of the poems discussed illustrated a common theme of cultural change. The poems all give voice to minority ethnic groups concerns about cultural or gender domination. The authors are taking responsibility for having multiple identities by rejecting cultural domination, and urging others to also reject cultural domination. These poems promote change. The authors see cultural domination as a threat to their survival. The difference between these poems are the degree to which the authors see cultural domination as a threat to their survival.

Aurora Levins Morales sees her culture becoming extinct and she tries to prevent extinction by transmitting her culture to the next generation. Rosario Morales sees her gender freedom at stake, but does not view it in terms of extinction. Her imagery sends a vivid message of cultural oppression. She encourages all people to fight for what they believe to be in their best interest. Judith Ortiz Cofer also sees her cultural freedom as oppressed. She is not going to wait for the dominant society to change any longer. She is giving herself the freedom to show her multiple identities without assimilating. She will not give up the many colors of her identity. She will not allow herself to be oppressed. Anzaldua is also a revolutionary, but feels threatened by cultural extinction. She has much pain attached to her cause and avoids blaming herself by sharing her internal struggle for identity and independent values. All of these women speak for a social cause, to stop internal colonialism and cultural domination.

The poems written by each author shows they believe that their culture is an important factor in finding their identity. Their efforts change the way difference in culture is viewed and is essential to their cause. I think each of these authors believe that they have the power to prevent cultural domination with the help of others and by making their voices heard.