I was intrigued by Lara’s inclusion of Frantz Fanon’s definition of decolonization. Fanon describes decolonization as, “quite simply, the substitution of one ‘species’ of mankind by another. The substitution is unconditional, absolute, total, and seamless” (2). It is also a process that aims to grant individuals independence from colonial power, or more generally hegemonic power. Lara’s decolonial framework seeks to obtain autonomy with regard to the intersection of queer and black identities. The concept of body-lands plays into this also as it hinges on individuals’ subjectivities as they relate to bodies and the geopolitical formations those bodies are confined to. Lara references Anzaldúa as well, and I believe her work Borderlands speaks further to the struggle of claiming one’s own sovereignty. In Borderlands, Anzaldúa provides historical context to the modern issues pertaining to Mexican immigration into the U.S. I think her description of the U.S.-Mexican border as “es una herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds” (3) speaks to the overall brutality of the situation. She points out too how the border can be used as a tool to reinforce an us vs them mentality that ultimately benefits white supremacy. Taking into account the colonial past of Mexico, I’m left feeling as though there hasn’t been a change in the ways the U.S. exploits minorities and has consistently white washed our histories. The precarious experiences of those crossing the border are the new means of subjugation and erasure. I believe this way of viewing borders fits into Lara’s conception of body-land.