Lee A. Tonouchi
Republished with permission
From “Significant Moments in da Life of Oriental Faddah and Son: One
Hawai‘i Okinawan Journal”
Bess Press (2011)
I wear long pants,
long sleeve shirt,
but too late
everybody in school
already seen da shame
I trying for hide.
Aftah Star Wars comes out
all da kids start calling me
CHEWBACCA,
cuz I full Okinawan,
so outta everybody
in da school
I get da hairiest arms,
da hairiest legs,
and da hairiest head.
And even though I no mo’ hair
on my face
I guess to dem das
close enough related
dat apparently I can pass
for being
one WOOKIE.
Bad enough da teacher,
her, she no even notice
all da red dots on my arms,
da puka patches of skin
on top my limbs
for wea all my fur
used to be.
Da worstest is when
da teacher helps dem,
by supplying ’em
wit da invisible weapon
dey need
for turn me
into one human ripper wallet.
“Mrs. Oshio, you get Scotch tape?”
dey ask.
And she GEEVS ’em.
And not jus one piece.
Da WHOLE ROLL.
And when she ask wot da tape for,
dey say we just playing Star Wars.
She no catch on
when dey tell
I playing da role of Chewbacca
and I going be
their prisoner.
Lee A. Tonouchi is da author of da children’s picture book “Okinawan Princess: Da Legend of Hajichi Tattoos” that won one Skipping Stones Honor Award. An’den he also wrote da poetry collection “Significant Moments in da Life of Oriental Faddah and Son: One Hawai‘i Okinawan Journal” that won one Association for Asian American Studies book award.
