This poem is an exercise in claiming my place in history—as a member of a community but also as an individual. It explores some thoughts I frequently have about my Asian-American identity and living in New York.
Asian American
Our America: We Grieve, and Then We Mobilize
“My heart breaks for any young person out there who’s wondering what their future holds—and what kinds of chances will be open to them…” — Michelle Obama
The Supreme Court’s recent rulings on Equity and Diversity loom large across the Girls Write Now community. The Dobbs decision last year stripped women of bodily autonomy. This year brings the Affirmative Action reversal, the reneging on Student Forgiveness Loans, and another strike against Marriage Equality. The list tragically goes on.
25 years ago, we created Girls Write Now to mentor and amplify disempowered and systemically under-represented voices. The Court's devastating rulings are a grim reminder of the barriers we face in our fight for equity—but also the power of our stories to shape culture, impact industries, and inspire change. We grieve…and then we mobilize.
Read: The stories in the collection below reflect how Girls Write Now community members are embracing the personal as well as the political—and creating the foundations for meaningful activism with their writing.
Share: Girls Write Now invites you to share your reactions, words of encouragement, and calls to action—and learn from others around the country and the world.
Act: Access more resources here.
The Perfect American
The Perfect American tells the stories of immigrants detained by ICE. Every episode is centered around a different detainee. Each with a different story, a different perspective, and a different relationship with America. In this country, where not everyone qualifies as American, these people deserve a chance to be heard. A chance to prove themselves, to show who they are outside of what the media spews about them. These are the Perfect Americans, the people who strive to be a part of a nation that doesn’t want them.
Embrace It
When creating this piece, I wanted to embrace a little piece of cultural diversity in the U.S., but also show that historically, diversity hasn’t been welcome here. The piece is a reminder that just because we get along better now, there are still societal problems that aren’t solved.