What do you see?

The girl standing in front of you today.

Call me, 

Slanted eyes, I can’t see.

Ching chang is my name,

Made from the sound of a can crashing down the stairs with no meaning.

Now let me ask you,

How do you blindfold an Asian?

Of course, with a piece of dental floss, that's how small my eyes truly are.

You ask me, who my hero is.

You might expect me to say; Jakie Chen, Bruse Lee, or Jeremy Lin.

But in reality, my hero is actually martin Luther King Jr,

He didn’t fight with his fist but with a peaceful voice.

He not only used his mind but also his heart.

fighting for the voice of African Americans and the end of segregation.

He even lost his life-fighting.

But who fought for me?

For my rights and identity? 

I was silenced from the very beginning,

December 16, 2005, I was born in the second most powerful country in the world.

My voice was concealed by them...

Shhhh… Don’t let them hear me,

Don’t tell them I’m speaking freely.

Oh god, help me!

I wasn’t raised religiously.

Was I wrong from the very beginning, 

to be born in that country?

October 24, 1871

Yes, one Chinese killed the police,

But one man doesn’t identify for all of us.

That night… 

You shouted “hang them, burn them out”

Many didn’t fear what’s to come,

We have already been through all in our home town.

One of the victims that night was a 14-year-old boy.

Around the same age as you and I.

Imagine what he could've done with all that precise time of his life, (edit:that is)  if it still remained.

June 11, 1963

The dream of having a pair of precious blue eyes and blond hair.

Bloomed inside of me, 

Like fire lit up inside of me.

My emotions can’t be described using only words,

But it felt like a feather touching my chest,

almost pulling out a butterfly that diminished and disappeared,

and then transformed into my dark eyes,

like waterfall it was unstoppable, tears and weeping went on for hours.

January 2, 2020

The fear inside of me is breaking down,

Making me alarmed in terror,

As the outbreak of covid-19 was verified,

Many affected and few died.

This illness created,

Yet another way for racism 

Another excuse to make fun of someone different than you.

The terror grow inside of me, rapidity

Almost colourless and shapeless, an abundant burst of fierce light,

The irony of blood rushing inside of my brain,

As my heart raised expeditiously. 

What do you see?

The girl standing in front of you, the mirror reflection within

See? Oh, why don’t you see?!

I’m not just Chinese,

I’m not just Korean

I’m not just another immigrant,  

I’m not just American,

I’m more than that…

I came here for freedom, education, and equality.

But the more time I spend here,

My identity, nationality is slipping away with 

My individuality slowly.

Now I’m lost, confused, and destabilized

No, don’t look at me with your allocations.

I will not be silenced today! 

As you judge me silently.

I am more than that, see!

I’m a girl with dreams as big as the open blue sky. 

My wishes are numberless compared to the stars at night.

There is a part inside me that wants to break out for you to see.

So why don’t you see?

I’m not just identified as one, I’m many colorful works of art combined.

See? Now that’s me.

So, why don’t you see?