Mika Mica Meeka Mike
This matters because
I felt strange walking into my friend's house with shoes on,
and my friend's mother told me to call her "Sara".
I felt strange when my classmate judged my lunch my mother prepared every morning.
"Is that rice? I hate rice."
"What is it?"
"It's pretty. I like it."
I shook my head because I didn't know that's what it was called,
and that something I eat everyday was something strange to a friend.
I shook my head because I didn't like the exoticism,
this unwanted attention to a normality I found it to be foreign to others,
this normality now I appreciate more
and wish I can go back to.
This matters because
I realized I don't like misunderstood monster movies
Frankenstein's monster, King Kong, Phantom of the Opera
because I saw myself as them
alien, mute, and disfigured
This matters because
As a monster I felt alone
Growing up I didn't want my sister to grow up
having the feelings I have now.
So I prayed she made friends that accepted her
But BAPAC helped me realize I needed the same kind of friends for myself too.
Photo courtesy of Glenn Ricci and Submersive Productions, LLC.
Written by Mika Nakano, Resident Graphic Designer of Baltimore Asian Pasifika Arts Collective.
This matters to me because…
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