DO YOU SEE NOW?
by Empress Han
(aka Mila Konomos)
This isn’t the first time
But how many times
Over how many generations
Before you see
that this isn’t the first time
How many hundreds of years
How many millions of lives
Until you see—
Do you see—
Do you see now--
No such thing
as a model minority
Do you see now—
All the blood covering
Your American dream
Now do you see—
We’re tokens
and trophies
Until we’re targets & scapegoats
for the rage & the hate
of a nation
Where
Our Skin is not white enough
Our Skin is not brown enough
Our Pain doesn’t hurt enough
For anyone to care enough
So we hide
Lay low
Lay down
Erase ourselves
Until we’re
invisible
Shadows
of pleasure
and
Bodies
of commodity
Under the pressure
To be
Everything for everyone
Swallow dignity
No room for self-pity
We eat silence
and secrets
Absorb violence
and tragedy
Centuries
Of wars and
thieves,
Laws
And policies
sanctioning
atrocities
to rid the earth
of yellow peril
and perpetual foreigners
except when we’re building your railroads
or farming your sugar cane
comforting your soldiers
birthing babies for your white mothers
pawns serving in your empires
You think I’m here because I wanted to be
I’m here because no one wanted me
But only to fulfill their dreams
Build their dreams
Scream their dreams
In my bed at night
My daughter at my side
Hold her close
Hold her tight
Pray & whisper
I’m raising her right
So she can see—
No such thing
As a model minority
So she can see—
No such thing
As an American dream
I rise
I weep
I fight
Hoping
She won’t ever have to see
Her own blood
covering
Your American dream.
Empress Han (aka Mila Konomos)
KAD, Poet, Artist, Activist.
Mila, a community member of The Faith Studio, has submitted this work in response to my desire to provide context to the recent and historical attacks on America's Asian population. This is her perspective. My hope is that as we pray for our Asian family we develop a compassion for a people beyond the AAPI (Asian American Pacfic Islander) label. That we see them in their humanity with struggle no unlike our own.