Mexican-American

Mexican-American

You call yourself an American, a Mexican-American.
Hyphens divide and so does a leaky border.
Every time there's a crime,
it's by black or brown grime.
Don't believe me,just watch the TV.
I pay good taxes to keep you
where you belong,behind iron gray prison bars.

Brown's not a crime, you call me mojado,
but my back is dry, born here before pilgrims,
my children fight for barrios
and band in gangs of blood angry red
or brutal bruised blue,
in zoot suits and baggy pantalones,
dangling chains that bind them for life.

No such place as Aztlan, it died at the Alamo
with Davie and Bowie, but your tacos are cheap
and spicy, like your women.
I love a fiesta, festive and fun
but you must help me pay
to dream the American Dream,
to be like US,
like the rest of US, an American.

I love America, but you steal my tomorrows,
why are my children pushed out of school,
allowed to sleep with no dreams,
called borderline, stored away in vo-ed or special-ed,
perdidos sin confianza, and I can't believe
it's a destiny que mi tata Dios
ever made manifest.

We are built on unity and conformity,
diversity unnecessary, nor individuality,
just loyalty. To keep you in prison,
my taxes are high,
so high I can't buy a new SUV;
and that's just plain un-American,
pray and work and play
like the rest of US in the melting pot.

No entiendes, I don't want to be you,
I want to be free to be me,
to speak en mi lengua,
to teach my own history,
de mi cultura, de mi gente,
and I want to honor los ancianos
who refused to melt in the pot.
Cesar Chavez said to respect
one's culture does not mean
to hold another in contempt.

Tempting visions of Aztlan,
mi casa es su casa,
Alamo is the heart of a powerful America,
pero tambien el corazon de Aztlan,
diversity breeds strength and beauty,
all of our hearts beating as one
for in all our hearts
beats the same love,
the same hope.

--Aurelio