First Prize Poetry 2004:
The Little Line
by Cathy G., China/Texas, Age 15

Balancing on a tightrope,
High in the stormy sky,
Above two chasms,
To neither I can say mine.

One is the nation of my birth,
The seed from which I sprung,
The other is my nurturing mother,
Who is so beautiful and so strong.

So I teeter and I totter,
Along that long dividing line,
Which way do I fall?
Or should I just take a dive?

I ache for my homeland,
But Sweet America, she sings.
My loyalty and love remain unclaimed,
For both nations claim the ring.

Oh! But when the clouds break away,
I can finally see,
Sparkling like a gem in the sunlight,
My true being is set free.

I am I beautiful union,
Of the motherland and the New World,
In me lie two cultures,
I walk that little line no more.

Cathy on life between cultures: The hardest thing about balancing two cultures is that you feel like you don't have a solid identity anymore. Its human nature to want to be accepted, to belong somewhere, but when you are torn between two cultures, a question of who you are arises. Especially during the adolescent years, when teens are starting to find themselves, immigrants are often confused and depressed. The best thing about being an immigrant is that you often have seen more of the world than your American counterparts. Immigrants are enriched with an unique culture and gift of rich heritage and of course pride for not one, but two countries!!

Second Prize Poetry 2004:
Choosing Names
by Grace H., Singapore/California, Age 14

"Fill in your name."
The teacher says.

Such a simple statement to all...
All except me.
My classmates bend over their papers
And darken the bubbles quickly.
They are so sure of who they are.
I sit there,
Uncertain, unmoving.

For which name am I supposed to use?

There is the Chinese name
I was born with;
It is printed on all my documents.
Officially, I am labeled by that name,
And yet it sounds foreign even to me.

Because over the years
I have spent in this country,
This land called America,
People have been calling me by another name:
Easier to speak, easier to spell.
And this is the name I see myself as.

But no matter how I feel,
No matter what I want...
When my hand picks up the pencil
And moves to the paper,
It is the Chinese name
That I must write.

Grace on life between cultures: The hardest things are probably finding authentic Asian food, picking names (as my poem suggests) and finding clothes that fit in but at the same time reflect my heritage. The best thing is that people think you're smart, and they respect you for knowing other languages and foods and cultures.

Third Prize Poetry 2004:
Standing Strong
by Beatrice E., Philippines/California, Age 13

Some people look but they can't see,
They mocked and judged someone like me.
But soon they'll realize they were wrong,
'Cause here I am still standing strong.

I know I'm different from the crowd,
But I am here still strong and proud.
Distinct and special in my own way,
Still standing in the light of day.

So in the end, it came to me,
That they have all been wrong.
Look now at what I can be,
Someone standing strong.