I. Am. An. American

Just because I do not live in the US at this moment doesn’t make me less American than any of you. 

I was born and bred in this land that hated me. 

I took my first breath, my first steps on this land. 

I shed my first tears, my first blood on this land. 

It is the land where I was raped 

It is the land where police have detained me, questioned me 

This land has done too much to me for you to think you can remove its hold on me. 

This is where I learned of racism and was subjected to it 

This land owes me much.