TO MY GRANDCHILDREN

IF YOU ARE TEMPTED TO REPEAT 
THE ETHNIC-RACIST SLURS YOU HEAR 
IN PRESS, OR SCHOOL, OR ON THE STREET 
THEN REMEMBER THE LINES I WRITE DOWN HERE.

THE NAHMANS WENT FROM BABYLONIA TO SPAIN,
WHERE THEY LIVED FOR AT LEAST A THOUSAND YEARS.
THEN   ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED YEARS  IN SICILY,
THEN TURKEY, COMING TO AMERICA IN THE EARLY 1900's.

ON GRANDMA'S SIDE, THE FERNANDEZ CLAN CAME FROM ASTURIAS, SPAIN 
FROM SPAIN TO ARGENTINA,WHERE MOST OF THE FERNANDEZ CHILDREN,INCLUDING HER MOTHER, THERESA WERE BORN.  THE FAMILY MOVED TO THE USA IN THE 1930's.

GRANDMA'S DAD, TRINO RAMOS, WAS BORN IN THE CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN. 
THE RAMOS FAMILY MOVED TO CUBA WHEN TRINO WAS A CHILD. HE WAS RAISED IN CUBA, THEN MOVED TO THE USA AS AN ADULT.

ON YOU MOTHER'S SIDE, THE CHANGS FROM CHINA, 
AND THE IBAS FROM JAPAN, CAME TO THE USA.

NO FINER FOLKS CAN BE FOUND THAN THOSE 
THROUGH WHOM SUCH BLOOD FLOWS 
AND FOLKS FROM ANY PLACE AND EVERYWHERE, 
CAN TELL THE SAME PROUD STORY.

MY GRANDCHILDREN, NEVER SUCH SLANDERS 
EVER BELIEVE OR REPEAT .
IT WOULD BE LIKE STEPPING ON OUR 
AND YOUR OWN TWO FEET.