Rare Books & Special Collections, UBC Library
Those who came before me
Stood squarely in exclusion
The ones who made it
Before the gates closed
Made innumerable sacrifices
To try to belong
I stand outside of exclusion, though it has never left my view
I know that those with
My skin colour, family name, and languages are
Just one headline away from being
Takers of
University seats
Housing
Jobs
From the “locals”
Insular non-assimilators
Pandemic causers
“Everywhere” in “our” country
A carousel of characters that continues to expand
I speak carefully
I am extra polite
I overcompensate
To prove that I deserve to be here
That I am “really” Canadian
I must not prove the labels right
I’m not like “them”
I pay with my words, actions, and appearances
To try to belong
I carry the weight of knowing that the wrong ones
Feed the whispers that
We ruined this country and
It was better when there were fewer people like me
We are no longer tracked through
The tyranny of a bureaucrat’s pen and paper
But the watchful eyes remain
Who are all these Chinese?
Why are they here?
What are they doing?
But not
How are they doing?
Our unwantedness is no longer represented in dollars
Nor physical barriers “protecting” whites from “Orientals”
Nor a piece of paper
Our unwantedness becomes the papercuts we receive
One after the other
But it’s not a big deal
I still have it far better than they did
We’re lucky to be here so
We should just be grateful
Right?
Kyla Yang is a second-generation Chinese Canadian from Vancouver. While studying political science at Western University in London, Ontario — and living abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark — she gained new perspectives as unfamiliar environments prompted evolving questions about identity, culture, place, and belonging. These questions refined her thinking on systemic issues related to identity and inclusion and continue to shape her reflections today. She is passionate about equity, with particular interests in racial and disability inclusion.