I Never Wanted to be a Model
When my family came to America
we became models
me
the model at school
4.0's and perfect scores and musical talent
my father
the model at work
toiling into the hours of night in front of a computer screen
never complaining
my mother
the model housewife
shuttling her family from one place to another
but just like models on the runway
we were used against our will
society has standards for those whose skin is not white
and my family became one of the millions of families
whose yellow skin was used to keep others "in their place"
because the politicians will always question why blacks and hispanics require welfare
while "asians" don't
even though the majority of southeast asians live in complete poverty
because people in power will never stop me for looking like a "thug"
while other communities are terrorized by the fear of being shot
because I have to be submissive and quiet
in order for society to tell other women of color that they're being too loud
so i'm removing this filter
the rose colored glasses that were placed on me the moment i set foot into the promised land
because if I don't want to be america's model anymore
i won't be used as society's tool
to prove the "america dream" is alive
because for many others
it died a long time ago