They compared my skin to theirs.
They are Chinese and I am Mexican,
but our skin was both brown.
Maybe the Filipino brought out the sun
in their heritage?
Maybe the fields of rice, worked in
China came down
and kissed them on the cheek.
I tried to stay white,
influenced by years or
summers seeing field workers
burnt in the lettuce fields of
Salinas and Monterey.
I did not want to be Mexican then,
chose the light-skinned Spanish description
of my forefathers.
The one my abuelita aspired to though
darker than I.
Mestizo heritage has duality,
choices of where to conform.
I was burned in Texas,
sunburned with those who cross the
border for a new life.
Now I add layers of brown,
until tan lines define me
who I am,
as the Aunty Cinnamon
foretold by the little
girls who compared my
skin to theirs so
long ago.
Poems of my fathers draw near
- Gisella Perezarce
- Pasadena, California, United States
- Inspired by the poems of my great-grandfather, grandmother, and my father, my sister and I continue to write. This is a simple offering of mine.
2 comments:
la china poblana was said to have been a princess from the philipines, abducted by pirates, and sold to a land baron in puebla or oaxaca. she was revered as a saint by the local indians, she taught them how to read and write, and also how to sew sequins on their clothes, this is how the shiny skirts are made to dance el jarabe tapatio.
aspiring to resemble the white men who betrayed mexico is a common example of self hatred in the meztizo culture.
no god like, not in tune with jesus who was of very dark skin. Santa Monica was an african woman, mother of st. augustine, but all her statues and images are with false white skin., not respectful of god's creation. many of the early catholic church fathers were african.
the virgin of guadalupe chose to present herself as african
piel canela= skin cinnamon
this is an important mexican song.
< b>Blogger NEVERMIND said...
la china poblana was said to have been a princess from the philipines, abducted by pirates, and sold to a land baron in puebla or oaxaca. she was revered as a saint by the local indians, she taught them how to read and write, and also how to sew sequins on their clothes, this is how the shiny skirts are made to dance el jarabe tapatio.
aspiring to resemble the white men who betrayed mexico is a common example of self hatred in the meztizo culture.
no god like, not in tune with jesus who was of very dark skin. Santa Monica was an african woman, mother of st. augustine, but all her statues and images are with false white skin., not respectful of god's creation. many of the early catholic church fathers were african.
the virgin of guadalupe chose to present herself as african
piel canela= skin cinnamon
this is an important mexican song.
May 3, 2009 3:54 AM
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