Seoul Over Stereotypes

a spoken word poem. watch the performance here

When you think of your stereotypical Asian girl,

do not envision me.

You see, in my house, my mother cooks rice.

1. I. Hate. Rice.

I once told my mother

I preferred cheeseburgers over kimchi.

2. I did not survive. My friends say that I am their favorite Mulan.

3. I am Korean.

Don’t ask me to answer

your misconceptions of who I am.

I don’t need to add or subtract my identity

to please you

-that’s your problem to solve.

My mother did not sign me up to play tennis

like you thought she did.

I can’t even hold an instrument

but I can beat you with an argument.

I can see perfectly fine,

my vision is 20/20

and when I get my license,

don’t look at me funny.

You see, I am not your Asian stereotype.

God painted me with all the right shades,

perfected my being