From “You Know Me” by Valeria Ruiz

From "You Know Me"
by Valeria Ruiz

El American Dream que se va desvaneciendo
The longer I stay
Because the longer I stay
I realize
I am not heard
I am not seen
And I am not wanted here

"Permanent residency or citizenship"
Is the first requisite for any scholarship

Because I have to be one of them
I have to be an American
I have to speak English
In order to have real opportunities

TikTok is filled with pro-ICE troglodytes, praising the separation of families and the murders of innocent citizens. They have created and push the same narrative about immigrants, ignoring the fact that the First Lady is, in fact, an immigrant.

Valeria Ruiz uses “You Know Me” as a letter the president, unleashing her frustrations about systemic inequalities the country presents. It also acts as an erasure of the narrative pushed by the president and his minions. Part of the reason why I chose this poem is Ruiz’s peppering Spanish into her otherwise English narrative.

You can read “You Know Me” in its entirety on Poets.org.