Creator - Andrew Song Author's Note: It's AAPI Heritage Month, and I found it fitting to write a poem that relates uniquely to the children of immigrants - a story of competition, of jealousy motivated by forlorn hope and undeserved pride. It's unfortunate to see that this awful competition is motivated by noble intentions - that of immigrants trying to provide a better life for their children - and I hope that in writing this, we all understand the root cause of this ugliness and move past it. These guests are very rude -
The Yangs haven’t taken off their shoes, though they left their loafers by the door. Otherwise how could they tread so carefully? They ask when is he leaving for college who are his teachers where did he get those awards what did he write on his essays what clubs is he in what did he get on his APs his IBs his SATs his ACTs They can’t just say “WHY is YOUR son going to a better school than my son?” “WHY is YOUR son going to Columbia and mine only to Columbus?” “WHY is my son less than YOURS?” Because why would you run your mouth when you have no face? They don’t because they can’t and they can’t because they don’t They keep their shoes on because with nothing to cover the stench of the feet is apparent. But taking off one’s shoes in someone else’s house is only polite - and besides, I doubt something that small will get the Yangs kicked out of the dinner party. After all, Does it matter the stench of the feet, whether through boots or bare soles, When the ones who smell have enough face to have a nose?
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