PANA Institute for Leadership Development

This poem was collectively written by participants in the 2008 PANA Pilgrimage to Manzanar.

We are Issei

stories of (in)justice silenced
not able to own land,
discriminated by race,
war, wind and dust,
betrayed, abandoned, disenfranchised, bewildered,
sick and confused

we escape to homeless gardens.

We are Issei

Always starting over
over and over again
a balancing act
adapting to a different culture
maintaining strong ties to the home country

Full of hope
faith in the future
possibilities open up with our
creativity
innovations in farming, landscaping
blossom into hospital and mess hall gardens
past-times in camp spring up
like our flowers and vegetables
in the desert

A secret camera records our
strength, determination
perseverance of spirit in life and death
an obelisk remembers the vulnerable left behind

We are Nisei

assimilated alienatied disappointed imprisoned lost
without our property
schooling cut short by incarceration
crucified on the cross of war
“dirty Japs”
no no - yes yes
uncertainty betrayal self hatred

Moab

We are Nisei

Adapting
persevering
we are proud
our resilience of spirit
enables us to find ways yet to be children
play in the midst of suffering, our parent’s suffering
our high school yearbook tells the truth of both

We’ve had a long road to recovery
to the truth-telling that gave us voice
we understand
we remember
we stand in solidarity with others

We are Sansei

not knowing silence and
confused about its meaning
unaware of the hole in our bodies
there is anger in our blood, our souls, but we don’t know why
educational privileges bring high expectations

instead, apathy and rebellion

We are Sansei

Claiming the power
that comes from challenging the accepted
we have a vision of healing that reclaims through a
raised fist of collective action
fighting for redress
we claim our Asian American identity
our hybrid collective selves

Storytelling
gives us reasons and ways of
remembrance
creative ways of reaching out
of healing brokenness
of empowering
of knowing and claiming our responsibility and compassion

We are Yonsei, Gosei, Nosei...

confusion
identity crisis
unanswered questions – who am I? what does it mean?
silence from grandparents, urgent for stories

meanwhile,
global disintegration,
resource depletion, degrading ecosystem

We are Yonsei, Gosei, Nosei…

Yearning to remember
to honor
to search for our history and meaning
we explore new possibilities
to return to our heritage

Finding our selves
our identities
through being a Taiko drummer
through going on pilgrimage to pay respects to our forebears

Our interrelatedness is
continually transforming
even as we carry the old legacy of past generations
there is new discovery
learning and celebration of new voices each day

(Edited by Vivian, Jeffrey, and Gordon.)