Yes and No
Yes, I am Asian. And No I am not. I am Hmong. I am not Chinese. I am not Japanese. I am not Korean. I am not Cambodian. I am not Vietnamese. I am Hmong. And No, not as in Mongolian.
Yes, Hmong people are from Laos. Yes, Hmong people do not have a country. Yes, I am American. Yes, you can call me Asian but I am Hmong. Yes, that’s the widest my eyes open. Yes, I can see clearly with my eyes like this. Yes, my last name starts with the Z sound. Yes, Hmong sausage really is a type of sausage. Yes, I am actually average height for an Asian.
No, I am not from Laos. I am from a place called America. No, I do not know karate. I know wrestling. No, I am not in calculus. I am in Trigonometry. No, I actually do not know how to use chopsticks. I prefer forks and spoons. No, I do not eat rice every day. I eat it twice a week. No, I am not Buddhist. No, I do not have an accent. No, “Ching-chong-wing-wong” does not mean anything in my language. No, I was not named Peng because my mother clanged two pots together. Do not call me Jackie Chan. No, my parents do not work in a sweatshop. No, they did not make your Nikes. No, they do not own a Laundromat. No, I do not eat dogs. Or cats, for that matter.
Yes, I am Asian. And No I am not. I am American. I eat American food, McDonald’s and Carl Juniors to name a few. I listen to American music such as Coldplay, Lil Wayne, and Lupe Fiasco. I watch American movies like “The Hunger Games.” I am more literate in English than Hmong. Nevertheless, do not say gibberish and ask me what it means in my language. Do not tell me to go back to China just because that is where you think all Asian people are from. I am from the same place you are from, The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
Yes, I am American. And No I am not. I am Hmong. I kill chickens almost two or three times a month. I kill a pig almost once every two months. I slaughter a cow once a year. I go to Hmong New Year every year. I do have a vegetable garden in my backyard. I have six siblings. Four of their names do rhyme with my name. I do have many cousins, and I am probably related to any Hmong person with my last name. I listen to Hmong music such as Logo and Rare. I eat Hmong foods such as Hmong sausage and “Wrap noodles.”
Yes, I am Asian. Yes, I am American. Yes, I am Hmong.
I am all three, not just any One.