Race, Nationality, Ethnicity, Does It Really Matter?

Since when was it about my skin color?
Not the content of my character or grades

Part Filipino, probably Spanish, Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon: Irish and Dutch, a little in between

Yet all you see is that I'm really brown.
Excuse me, you wouldn't state that, I'm just tan.

The Hispanics think I'm Hispanic
The Indians, both Native and India born
Think I'm one of the same
The Filipinos want me to come over
The Hawaiians beckon me home

Pale in the winter; tan in the spring
I know enough to pass me for anything

I take my shoes off at the door

Of someone’s house, of someone's home

and I think, “Does it really matter?”

Ethnicity, race, nationality are all one in the same.

I’m not a fuckin’ label.

I'll state rather plain.

With two step moms who are Japanese
Am I really Japanese, Filipino, or white?

Because it does come up to social upbringing, right?

Pale in the winter; tan in the spring
I know enough to pass me for anything

One of my favorite uncles is Black.

Maybe I’m part black because in high school

I always took his advice and he easily socialized me

Social norms of the African American community.

More best friends of color

Than of the traditional white

Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese

Mixed, chop suey, hapa Haole

Former boyfriends of different races

Puerto Rican, Filipino, Native American and yes, white

There are so many times
I'll walk into a store
A Hispanic guy comes by
Starts chatting with me in Spanish
I took two years of Spanish,
But I'm sorry, I'm not Hispanic or Spanish

“Aloha,” “Mabuhay,” “Konnichi wa”

Hawaiian, Tagalog, Japanese  

Pale in the winter; tan in the spring
I know enough to pass me for anything

When did it become an issue of how Asian I look?
I'm analyzing my ID...

The perfect smile, but those slant eyes

I guess I do look a little Asian in that ID.

A college professor made a remark,

Under her breath as she checked my ID

“I’m seeing your real IDs today,” she was saying.

I was stunned, I held my breath

Was she really just playing?

Pale in the winter; tan in the spring
I know enough to pass me for anything

I’ve been slighted at the restaurants

In the South of course,

But being mixed is always a burden;

no matter wherever you are.

When I was little, I was not Asian enough

I spoke proper English, not enough Pidgin

After I moved, I was too dark

Suddenly, I stood out in the diner

First to order, last one served

I can’t imagine being African American

I haven’t inherited years of slavery

Through the strands of my DNA

Just the fact that I’m very brown

It’s acceptable because...

I'm pale in the winter; tan in the spring
I know enough to pass me for anything