32 Things My Mother Taught Me and the 1 Question She Left Me With

A poem that was declared a finalist in the 2019 William & Mary Literary Awards (2019)

Don’t stare at people on the metro.   Don’t talk to strangers on the street or accept anything they’re selling.   Don’t let anyone grab your luggage when you’re walking to a taxi cab.   This is how to circle “Caucasian” on forms that ask about your race so they don’t think you’re  anything but white.  

Make sure to always wash your hands after you use the restroom.   The ten second rule doesn’t exist.   This is how to forget your native language so no one thinks you’re anything but white.  

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