Life In Verse: The Narrative of an International Student from Vietnam

Editor's Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of The Collegian.

Wondering why football is not used for “football” when it starts with “foot,” 

Wondering why Fahrenheit is used instead of Celsius, 

Wondering why fries is an everyday dish even though it’s unhealthy, 

Wondering why you are expected to say “great” to “what’s up” when you feel like crap. 

Wondering why Hispanics are treated as a race when it’s an ethnic group, 

Wondering why you are suddenly treated as the “inferior” kind, 

Wondering why racists don’t exist in America anymore, but racial discrimination does, 

Wondering why you are asked about communism just because you’re Vietnamese. 

Wondering why your country is treated as “Asia” at school, 

Wondering why it’s common knowledge that you would probably get rejected at sororities and fraternities because you’re Asian, 

Wondering why you have never felt the need to embrace your Asian self before, 

Wondering why people conceal bad fashion choices under the term “casual clothes”. 

Wondering why the school claims to be diverse when it only hangs Christmas decorations, 

Wondering why “white privilege” does not exist anymore just because you’re poor, 

Wondering why people like drinking cheap vodka just to get drunk, 

Wondering if you can ever succeed and feel comfortable in this place with your background.

---

To submit a poem or prose piece to "Life in Verse" please contact columnist Megan Brooks at megan.brooks@richmond.edu.

Contact contributor Phuong Anh Dinh at anh.dinh@richmond.edu.