This week and following our trip last Sunday to the Museum of the Chinese in America, Tasha led our class on a retrospective journey and discussion on Asian/Asian American artists. From authors like Amy Tan to representation in shows like “America’s Best Dance Crew”, it is clear that we as Asians/Asian Americans have made significant contributions to American pop culture, although sometimes we don't always 'like' the way we are portrayed.
In response to class, students were tasked with creating an expression of immigration and culture through art. Here is what we produced:
Working From Morning Til' Night
By Ming:
Working from morning til night,
Barely rest,
We work harder but we earn less money,
We do the jobs that the people would not do,
This is an American dream.
People
By Suzanne:
Some people spread their wings to fly,
Others just wait in the cage rather than be un-free,
Some don’t care, and some will fight till the end (if there really is),
This is the definition to human beings,
All the same,
The commons that have
Emotions,
Thoughts to this and that,
Feelings to show or hide,
Motions to describe the emotions,
All the same because from how we are created,
From mommy’s stomach
But we are all different which makes us unique and not boring or dull,
But sometimes we just don’t know how much we should appreciate to what we are given,
Life, to begin a journey
Family, to know what caring and loving is
Education, to learn things never set towards our minds before
Look, to see for ourselves
Knowledge, to learn and the past
However, since we think differently,
Our reactions will too,
But it is up to us to show the rights from the wrongs to surrounding,
That is if however hard it is, we will be ourselves to the end,
For that is what is suppose to be
Created.
(click the "Read More" link below to see the rest of the expressions of art!)
In response to class, students were tasked with creating an expression of immigration and culture through art. Here is what we produced:
Working From Morning Til' Night
By Ming:
Working from morning til night,
Barely rest,
We work harder but we earn less money,
We do the jobs that the people would not do,
This is an American dream.
People
By Suzanne:
Some people spread their wings to fly,
Others just wait in the cage rather than be un-free,
Some don’t care, and some will fight till the end (if there really is),
This is the definition to human beings,
All the same,
The commons that have
Emotions,
Thoughts to this and that,
Feelings to show or hide,
Motions to describe the emotions,
All the same because from how we are created,
From mommy’s stomach
But we are all different which makes us unique and not boring or dull,
But sometimes we just don’t know how much we should appreciate to what we are given,
Life, to begin a journey
Family, to know what caring and loving is
Education, to learn things never set towards our minds before
Look, to see for ourselves
Knowledge, to learn and the past
However, since we think differently,
Our reactions will too,
But it is up to us to show the rights from the wrongs to surrounding,
That is if however hard it is, we will be ourselves to the end,
For that is what is suppose to be
Created.
(click the "Read More" link below to see the rest of the expressions of art!)
The Change But Unchangeable
By Suzanne:
Many stereotypes had began before my arrival to this world,
However, it’s goes on each and everyday of life
With too many races,
It continued nonstop,
People tried to stop,
But gave up,
People ignored,
But got irritated,
People fought,
But it does not solve anything,
People then started to change,
But that just change their origin
There’s no other way,
But to stand up for one another
And hope to be able to make miracles happen,
It’s not the matter of time,
Because we’ve been living like this for years, decades, to centuries
We all got to do what we can,
To bring things back,
To what we people call as “Peace” but really just another
Revolution.
Untitled Poem
By: Jing Ling
Gold Gold
In everyone’s eyes
America is a golden country.
Dream Dream
Everyone runs to this land
Just try to achieve their golden dream.
Dark Dark
They arrive to here
Recognize everything is dark in here.
Hard Hard
They through hard time
But hard to say it out.
Where is the gold?
They did not find it.
Where is the dream?
It was ruined by cruel and dark community.
Why they should suffer those unfair things?
American say
Just because they are an immigrants.
I laugh
Very loud
I tell them
Human born equally
We have nothing wrong.
We
Are
Equal.
Who Am I
By: Fatima
Standing on a cross road,
I am so confused.
Who am I?
What is my identity?
We all make the same journey.
Same baggage of hopes.
But how much do we really gain?
Every dream demands a price,
I have learnt that now.
A strange land will never amount to my home.
The tall mountains and blue sky.
Whether innocent laughs or a shoulder to cry on,
I have fallen so many times to remember.
How can a tree grow without roots?
Sometimes eyes can’t see what time can teach
Looking at my hands, I see
These callous lines drawn by time,
Making me wonder,
Who am I?
Where do I belong?
By Suzanne:
Many stereotypes had began before my arrival to this world,
However, it’s goes on each and everyday of life
With too many races,
It continued nonstop,
People tried to stop,
But gave up,
People ignored,
But got irritated,
People fought,
But it does not solve anything,
People then started to change,
But that just change their origin
There’s no other way,
But to stand up for one another
And hope to be able to make miracles happen,
It’s not the matter of time,
Because we’ve been living like this for years, decades, to centuries
We all got to do what we can,
To bring things back,
To what we people call as “Peace” but really just another
Revolution.
Untitled Poem
By: Jing Ling
Gold Gold
In everyone’s eyes
America is a golden country.
Dream Dream
Everyone runs to this land
Just try to achieve their golden dream.
Dark Dark
They arrive to here
Recognize everything is dark in here.
Hard Hard
They through hard time
But hard to say it out.
Where is the gold?
They did not find it.
Where is the dream?
It was ruined by cruel and dark community.
Why they should suffer those unfair things?
American say
Just because they are an immigrants.
I laugh
Very loud
I tell them
Human born equally
We have nothing wrong.
We
Are
Equal.
Who Am I
By: Fatima
Standing on a cross road,
I am so confused.
Who am I?
What is my identity?
We all make the same journey.
Same baggage of hopes.
But how much do we really gain?
Every dream demands a price,
I have learnt that now.
A strange land will never amount to my home.
The tall mountains and blue sky.
Whether innocent laughs or a shoulder to cry on,
I have fallen so many times to remember.
How can a tree grow without roots?
Sometimes eyes can’t see what time can teach
Looking at my hands, I see
These callous lines drawn by time,
Making me wonder,
Who am I?
Where do I belong?