Flor de Oro

 by Grisanti Valencia

Yo so Grisanti, Ita Kwaan; Flor de Oro;

Embarrassment of my skin has kept me trapped

NOW! I love my brown skin

Living on the East side of Fresno

I have hopes and aspirations

I feel trapped among

Poverty, Drugs and Sex

People on welfare surround me

I feel trapped in a world of the common question!

What are you? What’s your identity?

Mexicana? I did live in Mexico,

Oaxaquena? My parents are from there,

Chicana? I do share that political identity,

Sonorense? my birth Certificate says I was born there

What am I?

I say I’m indigenous and it is not accepted!

I say I’m Chicana and they tell me I’m not.

Yo soy Zapoteca,

Yo soy Oaxaquena!

I’m that raped child at 10

I have been raped by the person who created me

My protector harmed me

I’m that girl scared of love

I am that girl that runs from love

I am Rigoberta Menchu,

Fighting for the rights of her people

the indigenous people no one will fight for

I am the undocumented child arriving the United States at 5

I am a DREAMer

I will survive!!

I will live the “ American dream”

I will help raped children, abused children, neglected children

I am Malcolm X

A radical being that the government wants to keep in his place

Dr. king wants the same thing I want,

FREEDOM!!!

You don’t have to be a man to fight for freedom,

You have to be an humble human being

I am the flower of gold,

My skin is the color of Dirt!

People see me and all they see is another Mexicana

I am an exception to the rule

I am a raped, abused child.

I am undocumented and proud.

I will continue to dream,

I will continue to fight!