Yellow Women
Title: Yellow Women
Creator: Corinne Tam
Category: Body
Creator Commentary:
The sociological imagination, coined by C. Wright Mills, makes clear the relationship between what we perceive as personal experiences and the larger societal forces that shape our everyday lives. This poem examines snippets of my own personal story. However, upon further investigation, one is able to see the role that forces such as patriarchy and race have played in shaping these encounters. My experiences, although unique to me, overlap with those of other Asian-American women. These experiences have challenged my identity in how I feel my “hyphenated-ness,” in understanding my self-worth, and in being reminded of the incredibly brilliant Asian-American women that bravely take chances and make sacrifices to better the lives of us that follow. Understanding my identity fully has not been achieved, and I am unsure that it ever will be. However, as I navigate the world and face more of these types of experiences, along with positive and empowering ones, I am given new perspectives on how others view myself, and ultimately, how I view myself. Through this poem, I hope to reveal the joy I have felt throughout this process—a process of acknowledging pain and using it to recognize growth.
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