See Me

When you don’t see my color you don’t see me

When you see my color and quickly make an assumption you don’t see me

When you make conclusions of who I am base on my color

My ethnicity

My orientalness

You don’t see me

When you don’t see my gender you don’t see me

When you see my gender and make an assumption about my capability

My strength

My weaknesses

You don’t see me

When you interpret my actions with projections

And without proper communication

Without giving me the opportunity to explain

To express

To examine

You don’t see me

When you don’t see my pain you don’t see me

When you see my pain and ignore it and call me sensitive you don’t see me

When you explain your reasons in long-winded lectures

And shut your ears

And disregard my reactions and feelings and different point of view and opinions

You really really don’t see me

I do not want this kind of invisibility

I do not accept your evaluation of who I am

Or your guidelines of who I should be

I want you

To see me