#StopAsianHate

“Where I’m From”
By Ktru Moo 

I am from where the rice is grown,
The weather is fresh, under the feet.
I'm from under a leaf, blanket and covers,
Smiling face and fire burnt the candle.
I'm from where birds flew away to settle.
Like a seed under soil that needs water.
I'm from this little hand can pray,
And faith lead us like water.

I'm from houses, not a home, and crawling with feeling.
I'm from eight lives, eight minds,
Eight hearts and smiles.
I'm from "don't sing while you eat"
Or the tiger eats you.
I'm from the wind singing, leaf dancing,
And "things don't last forever."

I'm from under a roof but not under a roof,
And even permanent marker doesn't last.
I'm from Hill Tribe house, made of bamboo,
Dirt, leaves, and smoke flying.
I'm from spicy food, wheat fields, green forest,
And strong root.
I'm from looking up at the moon, wishing on a star,
And moving on.

My family is like a watered flower.
When the flower is grown it becomes lovely, beautiful,
And it feels special like a dead tree still growing.
We are a blast of brightness,
To know it is a blessing from god,
Whether we are close or far,
We are a family in love like moon and star love each other. 

This piece from Asian American young author Ktru Moo has always been a favorite of ours, and this week it feels particularly poignant. We are grieving with our Asian American students, staff and community members after the killing of eight individuals, six of whom were Asian American women, in Atlanta on Tuesday night. As an organization who believes that words matter and that stories can change the world, we are deeply saddened not only by this horrific act of violence, but also by the media’s portrayal of this killing and the motivations behind it. We know these killings are not about one man having a bad day, but are instead connected to the uptick in violence against Asian Americans as a result of racist rhetoric during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also know that this violence and discrimination towards the Asian American community is not new. 

We commit to learning the stories of the individuals whose lives were taken, about Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Hyeon Jeong Park, Julie Park and the two victims who have yet to be named, about where they are from and what their families are like. We are committed to building with brilliant storytellers in the Asian American community, who can help us situate this violence in a history of injustice, and who can teach us the stories of resistance that will move us forward.