In the excerpt from "Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry," Anaya effectively uses rhetorical appeal to convince readers that censorship is a tool of the powerful by:
1. Anaya delivers a passionate argument against the ability of school boards to ban books. By sharing the painful anecdote of his novel being burned and banned in Bloomfield, New Mexico, he highlights the harsh reality of censorship and its impact on authors and their work.
2. Anaya establishes his credibility as a published Chicano author by referring to his first novel, "Bless Me, Ultima." This reference adds weight to his argument against censorship, as it shows his personal experience with having his work targeted by powerful entities.
By combining personal experience, emotional appeal, and credibility as an author, Anaya effectively conveys to readers the detrimental effects of censorship and how it can be wielded as a tool by those in positions of power.