POEM

Saying Yes

by Diana Chang
“Are you Chinese?”
“Yes.”
“American?”
“Yes.”
5 “Really Chinese?”
“No…not quite.”
“Really American?”
“Well, actually, you
see…”
10 But I would rather say
yes
Not neither-nor,
not maybe,
but both, and not only
15 The homes I’ve had,
the ways I am
I’d rather say it
twice,
yes
Photograph of a teenage girl smiling
Before You Move On

  • 1. Paraphrase Explain in your own words what the poet means by “both, and not only.”

  • 2. Compare How is the message in the poem similar to Arturo’s experience in “American Names”?