Asian American
Photography: Eva Woolridge
A flame
Shines brightest
In the dark
We do not say, "I love you"
And yet we do not love any less fiercely
When the baseline is non-existent
Anything above zero is a seed
If you have ever wondered
if your voice mattered
in a boardroom
in a classroom
in a bedroom
You have felt a little bit
the experience of being Chinese American
If you have ever known
the shame of a family secret,
had something you never
felt free to talk about
You have felt a little bit
the experience of being Chinese American
If you ever wondered
whether you had the right
to ask for X from an institution,
a company, a boss,
If you ever doubted the fullness
of your own personhood,
You have felt a little bit
the experience of being Chinese American
Because the landscape
of the Asian diaspora is so vast,
it is nearly impossible for the conversation
to remain in the binary of a chess board
We carry countries and languages
our experience influenced by
the decade and place we were born in
the generation we are a part of
in which generation our family came to the US
of how many generations we have been here
whether we speak the language of our parents
whether we grew up with our birth parents
if our family is made up of more than one cultural heritage
whether we've ever visited the countries of our lineage
or spent time in any other Asian country
our class, our skin color,
to name a few
We carry the history of war,
genocide, the Cultural Revolution, seeking refuge,
colonialism, our own racism and discrimination,
to name a few
While we seek the sun,
a flame will still
shine brightest
in the dark
An opportunity to a truer freedom
To illuminate all we hold beneath the surface
To let breathe all we keep in
"Awaken
the Great Stone Dragon."
I write in the night
where it is dark
and my flame burns brightest
All you have to do
Is plant a seed.
Let the forest
grow.
One day, we will see
a thousand redwoods.
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