再见, sweet Asian sister.
I’ve loved your laugh and your crowded hallways for as long as I can remember
But it is your lands the people love, not mine
Your rice is not my rice
Your tongue is not my tongue
It is your festivals they celebrate
It is you they call “Asian.”
总是月亮, មិនដែលជួបព្រះអាទិត្យ.
I am an angel trying to fix my wings
But you— they lift you higher and higher on a podium carved from their sweat and tears
They worship your neon dynasties, and fill their heads with trends they don’t want to understand
Do they drink from the Mekong or the Huangpu?
Either way, my river still runs dry.
We live beneath the same sun, sister,
Yet yours is the one they flock to for warmth;
I don’t know how to tell you 再见
Because I have never known how to say លាហើយ
And the borders you draw in the sand do their job too well
The wind tearing my protests away,
Leaving my skies barren
In order to cool yours.
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putting this here since the description was too long for the word count.
i have nothing against all the amazing Chinese women out there (i’m talking to you, Chloe Gong) but in a lot of ways, alongside Korean/Japanese women, they’re often viewed as “standard” Asians. i’m a triracial gal (Cambodian/Thai/Black) who feels closer to her Asian heritage and i honestly feel like us Southeasteners are often overlooked in favor of … “default” Asians simply because their appearance beckons to the American gaze “better” than that of others.
anyway, this is me … replying to my own post …ah well.
me is Japanese and Hispanic and Filipino, I'm also native American so I say don't worry abt it bro
although I am 70% japanese
Hi there! This is a beautiful poem that enlightens me about feelings and thoughts I have not personally experienced. I am not asian, so it is not something personal to me. It is very true, though, that oftentimes, Asian is seen to mean Chinese or Japanese, and people forget that many other parts of Asia exist.
I think the inclusion of other languages throughout the poem really enhances it. I looked up what one of the lines means, which seems to be 'Always the moon, never the sun.' split between two languages. Chinese being the moon, the language and culture that is accepted, and I know the moon has a big part in Chinese culture, sometimes representing beauty and unity. The Sun is the Khmer language, which is spoken in Cambodia, a place many might not shine a light on when thinking about Asia.
I don't have much in the way of criticism. I just thought it was very beautiful!
I just really love how this poem. It kind of gives me a sense of plain sadness rather than envy, like you know that's just how it is. I also like how this poem tackles people outside the community deciding who is Asian and who is not. I'm not Asian so I may not truly understand the feeling, but the way you put it into words is very beautifully crafted. Keep it up!! :]
AAA I LOVE THIS POEM! (fellow part Asian here (half Japanese, half Dutch, though I probably look more Japanese)