By: Chris Kim

Sculpted by hands of an Eastern craftsman,
A story begins in the land where the sun expands.
Cherry blossoms flutter, unfurling the past,
Yet dreams dance westward, tethered to the mast.
We set our sails, a sea of stars our guide,
To the land of plenty, our hopes amplified.
Yet what awaited wasn’t gilded or free,
Still we endured, planted roots like the banyan tree.

Learning new rhythms, tongues twisted around phrases,
Reflecting our struggles in strangers’ faces.
A bridge over two worlds, culture in our skin,
Invisible narratives etched deep within.

“Succeed,” they say, “for you’re the model minority,”
Our victories seen, not our hidden anxiety.
With silent tears, we perform the act,
Wearing masks of courage, adhering to the pact.

Our foods, once ridiculed, now savor on tongues,
Our stories unheard, silenced among throngs.
“Foreign”, they label, though we’ve shared the same dawn,
In the country of stars and stripes, we’ve long since been drawn.

Look into our eyes, see the ancient fires,
The resilience of ancestors, their unfulfilled desires.
Caught in an identity tug-of-war, fierce and wild,
Yet, we cradle both worlds, like a tender child.

Two cultures entwined, like the strands of our DNA,
In this complex journey, we find our own way.
American-born, but Asian at the core,
In a diverse nation, we are so much more.

A struggle, yes, but within lies a powerful song,
A testament to a spirit, relentless and strong.
In the tapestry of this land, our stories unfold,
In the red, white, and blue, our futures we hold.

And so the tale weaves, each day anew,
In every heartbeat, an echo of our true hue.
From many nations, one people we form,
In this symphony of humanity, a new norm is born.

In the richness of our heritage, find not division,
But a powerful call to unity and vision.
This is but one journey in a multitude of voices,
In a land of many, we share the choices.