yellow

by Theresa Chung 

 

(don’t) call me yellow-bellied
pleads for justice
ignored like always
who cleans the spills of
yellows’ red?
driven to envy black
fighting for similar cause but
taught to fight each other
yellow lives matter?
hate the sound of that
no matter
doesn’t even exist		 call me too asian
asian identity
asian chick
asian parents
asian music
asian lunch
asian smell
asian dress
asian face
asian shame
asian pride
asian american		 call me ching chong
pancake
*pulling eyes back motion*
oh so you like kpop?
korea? where is that?
wait, do you know kim jong-un?
yellow peril
the asianoramerican identity
all the same
but where are you
really
from?
call me too sensitive
condemn whiteboyblackgirl
stereotypes
but asian-nerd-kungfu-no-english-
can’tbehot-strictparents-all
a’s-submissivedoll-
goodforporn-
smalldick-monkeyface
good comedy
not bad if it’s funny
condemn the discrimination?
no one cares		 call me too american
native tongue?
fear to speak up
despite understanding all
inferiority
lost in traditions
or
lost in translations
my fault for
being
born here
asian american		 call me smart ‘cuz she’s asian
unfair that their team gets to
have her
an automatic win
no chances for
mistakes
or
disappointment
to your parents
and
embarrassment
fake asian
call me exhausted
what does it mean
to feel
proud
to be
yellow
they kill us
because of a
bad day
our lives mean less
than a white boy’s
happiness		 call me yellow
yellow fever
fuck that
yellow
crayon
don’t
dare
say
yellow lives
matter
seeking solidarity
not yet found

call me pretty hot
for an asian
isn’t that funny
take it as
a compliment
only asian girl present
so can’t i just be pretty hot?
what the hell
does this
white boy
even
mean?

 

About the Author:

Theresa Chung is a senior at Northeastern University majoring in the Health Sciences with a minor in English Writing. She is from Central New York. In her free time, she likes to play video games and is a longtime fan of BTS.

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