I am from the beginning of time and the end of the earth

I am from the 50’s and a December birth

I am from Tomiko and Yoshimi

I am from rice and sashimi

I am from an accountant and an artist

I am from the fields of Cienega and Salinas

I am from San Jose and LA

I am from yesterday and today

I am from my children and my wife

I am from a socially conscious life

I am from an immigrant’s hope and an American dream

I am from okazu and green tea ice cream

I am from a yellow face and an Asian race

I am from boulder creeks and oak tree forts

I am from running track and basketball courts

I am from the Issei, the Nisei, and the Sansei

I am from mentoring, luck and generosity

I am from farming root and urban wing

I am from nothing and from everything

by John Kobara