The Racial Outcast

The woman was of
Chinese descent,
But born here in
The United States,
A second generation
American immigrant.
Even though she grew up
And was educated here,
It is obvious that she
Never got comfortable
With the fact
Of being Chinese
In American society.
It didn't make
Any difference
That fifty percent
Of the office
Was also Chinese.
She still saw herself
As different
From everyone else,
And felt she had to
Defend China's honor.
She took offense
At anything mentioned
Either in the news
Or in general conversation
About China
Or Chinese people
That could be
Construed as
Remotely negative,
Acting as if that was
A direct attack on her.
The slightest comment,
No matter how innocuous
Would draw her ire.
She would become livid
Whenever shoddy or dangerous
Chinese merchandise
Made the evening news,
After all,
China wasn't the only place
That made poor quality goods.
When a Chinese student
At an Eastern university
Went on a rampage
And killed a number
Of people on campus,
She felt the emphasis
In the news coverage
Was the fact
That he was Chinese,
And she railed against
The apparent injustice
Of the reporting.
She talked about
How racist
This country was,
But she was
Far more race conscious
Than anyone else
I ever met.
Her hyper-sensitivity
Made her act like
A racial outcast,
And isolated her
From the rest of
Mainstream society.
It left her
In perpetual battle
With the world,
Pointlessly defending
Everything Chinese.