Hey, Jackie Chan
I’ve heard that before
Chino
That’s what my boss called me because
he couldn’t be bothered to learn my name.
Jet lee. Bruce lee, Mr.Miyagi
I’ve heard them all a thousand times and a thousand times again
I pretend I don’t hear the names
I pretend I don’t feel the stares
And I stuff it all down inside
So I don’t lash out
Because if I do,then they’ll say
“Oh he’s gonna do kung fu”
I pretend that I don’t get mad when they laugh about
What “my people” eat
And i pretend that it doesn’t irk me when
when the next day, that same food is on display in a magazine
And they ask “Where is the best place to get that in the city”
I pretend I don’t get offended when they crack jokes
About how my mom, my sister, my aunt
Are a danger on the road
I smile and walk away, when I talk to someone and they say
“I don’t date Asian guys”
I pretend it doesn’t bother me when the bro next to me
Talks about how “delicate and quiet” Asian women are
Like they’re some sort of flower, whose petals can be plucked
I pretend that It doesn’t bother me when
People say “Why can’t “_____” people be like the Asians?”
I wonder what do they mean by that?
Do they mean good at math? Do they mean unintimidating?
Or do they mean obedient?
Well I’m tired of pretending
Don’t use my skin to insult someone else’s
If I want to insult someone, I will use my own voice
To so many people my skin is all they see
An Asian, Chinese, Japanese or Korean it doesn’t matter
What matters to them is what I’m not
What I’m not to them is an American