Dear...

Dear Giannina Braschi,

Reading your "Empire of Dreams," I can't help but note how much of a nightmare our society has become--or, likely, has always been. With the rise of attention toward Asian American hate crimes, it seems that America has been overtaken by racism and violence.

Over thirty years ago, you wrote this collection of poems. Today, statistics tell us that we are crawling toward a future of white people losing their position as the majority. But immigrants are still seen as those same aliens that have "invaded" America like those shepherds you once wrote about did. Is this the sacrifice we make to achieve the American Dream? As generations before us say, it's a price we are lucky to pay. The Empire of Dreams seems to be our American Dream imperialized and oppressed by American culture.

What kind of response did your poetry illicit? Was it interpreted as a radical outburst? How much attention did it garner from nonimmigrants? I am trying to distinguish whether the nonimmigrant response is a necessary form of validation of activists' success. Yes, equal recognition from all communities is a must. However, isn't it more important that minority communities stand up with self-recognition? I believe by creating self worth in our identities, our recognition will filter into how others see us as well. I love to say, be unashamed! If you show shame, you receive shame.