Ikaw, "You Will Say Sorry"

People say  we are defined by our past. But What if the history from your past isn’t that grand? Do you refuse it or do you learn to accept it? Kevin Nadal wrote a poem called "Ikaw" from his early college days. He expresses his anger from what he and others have gone through with the stereotypes living in America and situations that the media does not bring up to light from the past and the present. Combined with poetry he expresses his feelings mixed with historical facts to inform his audience. I was shocked and surprised. I did not know information that was said imbedded in this poem.

I feel ashamed. I feel embarrassed that I did not know this information and I feel like every other society, brain washed American. It makes me angry that the media does not cover important topics other than Obama’s new, fluffy, poodle puppy in the big white house that is chewing up all of the furniture and bit the emperor of japan during a ceremonial dinner of the rich, important people of the world, or celebrities dramatically breaking up with cheating scandals, messy divorces (Oh no! Who is going to get the $65 billion dollar mansion with a built in five lane bowling alley and gold encrusted toilets?), or partying underage in night clubs flashing their ‘who ha” to egger paparazzi as they step into taxi cabs. I feel ashamed. When did the public stop caring about important issues that have an impact on themselves? Are we as Americans really that self-centered and selfish? Why in America, issues are only viewed as a battle between “black and white?” What about everyone else? Being a Mexican American, I thought being a Mexican was hard to be recognized in society. I can relate to Kevin. My whole life I was discriminated against and was not told important details and historical events from my past family history which makes a part of who I am. When I used to live in Mexico and I was treated differently because of my skin color. My skin is too white to be a “real” Mexican thus I don’t need to know important information. It is like having colored sunglasses. You can see what is in front of you but when you remove the colored leans away from your face the perspective changes like one big illusion. I learned a lot of historical events and learned how crude really society is.