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