Simple Operations” by Elaine Gao
Elaine Gao is a rising senior at a high school in Oklahoma. Although English is her second language, she has always loved it more than her mother language. After reading almost 500 pages a day, she started to write short stories, poetry and even novels. She has just self-published her debut novel, The Oracle, last September.
A Word from the Author:
As a Chinese foreign student studying in the United States, I have personally experienced the stereotypes placed upon the Asian population. We are labeled either as dirty migrants or as devious thieves. This poem spins the common rhetoric that "Chinese students are good at math" into a reflection of the inherent biases and the need for systemic change to encourage more ethnic diversity in America.
One plus one equals two.
Black hair plus yellow skin equals Chinese,
who take your orange chicken order
and owns the best massage parlor.
But there’s no place else for your forehead’s crease.
One minus one equals zero.
Pretty Asian girl minus awful English equals a no.
They own the classroom’s corners,
the farthest ends of the bleachers.
Your lips curl in scorn as the referee calls go.
One times one equals one.
High IQ times good attitude equals A-student,
who monopolize rankings by teachers,
and modestly destroys white contesters.
But you only care that their social language isn’t fluent
One divided by one is still one.
Your ego divided by their brilliance yields your ego.
They are thieves springing out of nowhere,
Robbing green bucks out of the rightful heirs
Your balled fists accompany a grunt.
