And I would also have to agree that I would really
caution against that the ghettoization of ethnic poets,
and also the other thing that I've noticed
is that as soon as somebody pegs you as an ethnic poet,
they're so reductive about what kind of poet you are.
If you're an Asian-American poet,
it's like there's only one kind of Asian-American poetry,
and it completely flattens out the amazing diversity
and miraculous difference between Asian-American poets
themselves.
I was actually looking at this symposium about what's
African-American about African-American poetry,
and Harryette Mullen was talking.
And she was talking.
First she said that, quote, "Black poets are not
free to choose anything as long as our experiences
in this country compels us to pay tribute
to the power of oppression," a, "Without the constant reminder
of our otherness we might be as integrated into America
as any other poet."
But on the other hand, she also says
"The results of outsiders failure
to respect the differences among African-American writers
is destructive, and in fact, it's a caricature".
I think those are the sort of opposite roles of [INAUDIBLE],
but I certainly don't see it as my mission
as preserving Oriental culture as we put it.