Wong, Nellie. “When I Was Growing Up.” This Bridge Called My Back, edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, State University of New York Press, Albany, pp. 5–6.
In this poem, Wong talks about her experience growing up as a Chinese American. She wished that she could be white. She saw her sisters’ lighter skin being praised, while her own skin was made to feel ugly. The women she saw on TV were blonde and white, and she imagined that she could look like them. The girls at her school sported expensive clothes and curly hair. She felt special when receiving attention from white men, and forced herself to be an Asian stereotype to please them. She felt ashamed of men of her own culture. She felt that her skin was dirty, while white skin was clean. Wong has shared the experience of many women of color who compare themselves to the white beauty standard.
