You looked into my ten-year-old eyes

And taught me my first lesson

in the life of minority

Judged not by who I am

But where I come from

You stained my education, that day

And gave me a valuable class

Not one of grammar and equations

The first in prejudgment

“Who helped you write this?!”

You all but spat

Confused I stuttered “no one”

“You can’t have written this by yourself,

you were not born in America.”

Only the beginning

Of the ignorance, I would witness

In mine, the life of a minority

A DREAMer entangled in the majority

Teacher, you promised me equality

A chance to achieve my dreams

“Do well in school and you will see”

But all I’ve seen is defeat

That was over a decade ago

Things have not much developed

This Country hungers for change

Change for these overlooked Americans

Educate yourself individual

Know I am American

Know that I can spell and speak

English is my language

Be not like my teacher

Judging based on ignorance

Don’t take away a child’s dreams

Because you don’t know any better