Where my Roots are Tied From Poem - Family Tree, Identity and Belonging
Where My Roots Are Tied From
I am from chopsticks, a bowl full of rice, or rice porridge
From hot morning tea and every yum cha, there is no shortage
I am from a townhome, with a nice grassy backyard and tall garden fences
I am from leaves that fall upon my secret pathway
Leading to our hidden little club in the forest
I’m from dim sum and shared meals
From gung gung (grandpa) and po po (grandma)
I’m from making sure you eat enough, with fruit jellies as a treat
From cut-up fruits for you to enjoy while you work hard and study, a gesture so sweet
I’m from “Mui, Mui” (little sister) and “Sik fan lah” (eat rice/time to eat)
And when it’s time to go, we say “Fai dee lah!” (hurry up/faster!)
I’m from every new year, time to clean, freshen up the house, and wear red for luck
I’m from the plane ride that brought my family to this land,
China and childhood farms are the life they left behind to start anew
Rice and fish, steamed and familiar on our dinner plate
From the size of my uncle’s crab caught and celebrated
To the temples my po po visits, so dedicated
Family photos with Santa and birthdays at McDonald’s printed
Kept in their envelopes when they were developed
Albums upon albums, stacked under the bed
Distant yet familiar memories scattered, snapshots of the life we built
My roots are tied to where I’m from, in my life here
From family and childhood a bond that's near and dear
Above is my poem titled Where My Roots Are Tied From, written from the structure of I am from. Visuals are a great tool to show my ideas and thought process. I desired to use this oak tree clay model I made to represent my life. Much like a tree that goes through stages in life and continues to grow, I was also thinking about my family tree and the members that make up my family that contribute to who I am today. The tree shows who I am and where I’m from. I began mind mapping around the tree with the prompts of foods, places, objects, activities, close family members, quotes, influences, events, traditions, and celebrations. The journey through mind mapping not only organizes my thoughts. It also allows me to see the connections at play and the bigger picture that forms. I wrote things that were significant to me. I was thinking back to my childhood and how those ideas have shaped and helped me grow as a person today. Through this activity, I felt creative, dug deep into my identity, and shared parts of myself through my poem.
Through this process, I can better understand myself and be open to sharing parts of myself with others. The Where I’m From poems help students to feel seen and heard. A powerful statement made by Linda Christensen shares that teachers “made me feel significant and cared about because they invited my home into the classroom. When I wrote and included details about my family, they listened. They made space for me and my people in the curriculum” (Christensen, 2004, p. 7). As educators, we must not exclude other languages or other ways of knowing and being. All the diverse languages and identities are welcomed into the classroom, as they enhance our learning environment to include other voices. Those relations where we honor children’s diverse language/identities lead us to a deeply connected and diverse learning community in our classrooms.
As we invite students lives into the classroom, opportunities arise where we must be respectful and open-minded to the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of students. We must challenge societal notions, such as when "society's inability to place [children] in boxes makes them uncomfortable; the unfamiliar becomes a threat and not an opportunity. The unknown calls into question everything that we thought we knew about ourselves and the world... Being self-reflective and open to transformation is something we should celebrate, not fear" (Vaid Menon, 2020, p. 26). Our classrooms are where learning occurs and opportunities for growth in celebrating the individuality and diversity of our students. Re-imagining our spaces to include children's identities and making space, whether it's through art or sharing and connecting with others. I want to create a safe and brave space where children can authentically be themselves.
References:
Christensen, L. (Feb 13, 2004). Where I’m From Inviting Student’s Lives Into the Classroom. Rethinking Our Classrooms, 2, 6-9. https://www.my-ecoach.com/online/resources/3916/Where_I__m_From.pdf
Vaid-Menon, A. (2020). Beyond the gender binary. Penguin.
Chicago. Vaid-Menon, Alok. 2020. Beyond the Gender Binary. New York, NY: Penguin.