What does it mean to be Asian American?
To be oppressed
by the oceans
constant clashes
lashing out
to drown the voices of
our ancestors’ past
so that our generation
must ask
if Angel Island and
concentration camps were
justified hate crimes
just because of slanted eyes
and that still exist today
imprisoned not only in cells
but within ourselves
forcing us to find and redefine
retrospective parts of our lives
with no help; Fed lies
so that imperialism
is sugarcoated
and seen as liberation
then, liberate me
from these intoxicating seductions
mirages of systematic migrations
as if we are now citizens
when really
we are far from it
Filipino veterans
denied their benefits
see the truth is
justice is just an illusion
but don’t be mistaken
these words spoken
are not to defy
but to define
our own identities
understood solely
by our past
Reflection
This poem was part of a final project for an Asian American college course that I took during my first year. In fact, the title of the poem also served as the transition between each group member. Looking back, my section seems to lack concrete examples and misses opportunities to focus on specific moments/events that shaped our history. With that said, it does capture my spirit and who I was about 15 years ago. Furthermore, the format of the poem is something that can be explored in a new and fresh way by those listening. Although this is not my favorite piece of writing, this can be re-envisioned to inspire a new poem with a better topic/approach/writing.
Prompt
Create a poem where you are answering a question: What does it mean to be ____? You can focus on a noun: an athlete, a nerd, a sister/brother, a cousin, a friend, a Catholic, a Muslim, an atheist, an outcast. Or, you can focus on an adjective or state of being: invisible, lonely, happy, depressed, objectified, seen. You might want to consider turning it into a group poem where, like the original version of this project, the title becomes a transition between each speaker.