high school immigrant youth

hey yall,
for the last 7 months, i volunteered at a non-profit in oakland that organized with Chinese immigrant youth, and i wrote this poem a few months ago because i was really inspired by the youth. i really learned a lot about their immigrant experiences and struggles. it was really cool working with the youth because they are hella smart and passionate about their community. so, here is a short poem to share.

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from east
to the west
for a better life and education
these words hang at the edge of our mouths
cross the common minds when we think of immigration
but how does it feel
to be in a country that's not of the native land
to walk and appear strange to the majority
to speak in a tongue that's unfamiliar?


it is like
trying to communicate the thoughts and ideas we have
but in the end
translates into something inaccurate
wrong
inferior
as if we lack the knowledge to see
the smirks on their faces
the degrading immitation of our voices
our voices
that connects the culture
history and identities that are deeply rooted in our homeland
from feeling embarassed to speak in public
to being silenced in the group
as if we are anti-social
as if we have our own cliques
when our cliques are the those who understand our experiences
our fear of discrimination
the hardships we swallow as strangers from a difference shore
yet, even if we lack the confidence
we fight for what our ancestors believed in
we defend our dreams
in what we envision as equality and justice
and try our best
not to navigate through system of oppressions
but to transform and redefine
by challenging the misconceptions
dominant worldviews
language oppression
and bring hope to the community
a community of diaspora and migration
that is the backbone
of the American
so-called dream