Faye Sizemore

WHO WILL STAND FOR ME?

My Irish grandparents came here to the land of the free
My parents grew up here… and that’s how I came to be
Some still call me a ‘Mick’… who will stand for me?

My grandparents came here from Italy
They worked hard… for nothing was free
I’ve heard ‘WOP’ and ‘DAGO’… who will stand for me?

Across the border from Old Mexico
came many hard workers… one was me
‘Taco… wetback… go back’… who will stand for me?

Cherokee mixed with Irish and a little Cree
Perhaps who knows… in the family tree
‘half breed… half breed’… who will stand for me?

To America from India my family and I came
to work and go to school and better our name
I have heard names from A to Z… who will stand for me?

From China my ancestors came here… old ones… so dear
to help build the railroads… and a life for themselves
To some I’m just a ‘chink’… you see… who will stand for me?

From Africa my forefathers came… against their will
to work for free… as slaves of the ground to till
Some call me ‘Boy’ and ‘Toby’… who will stand for me?

We came from Poland before the Second World War
seeking safety for my family and me in the land of the free;
There are whispers of ‘Pollack Jew’… who will stand for me?

From a little Island nestled in the great ocean
came my Puerto Rican ancestors in jubilee;
They call me just a ‘spic’… who will stand for me?

I am a proud son of Native Americans from this shore
I have been to a foreign land and done my patriotic chore.
But still… whispers… ‘a dirty redskin’… who will stand for me?

I came to America with my people… the proud brave Bru
When we came to this land we thought fighting was through
I heard… ‘gooks’ and saw the dirty looks… who will stand for me?

I am Red… I am Black… I am White… I am yellow
I am just your average American fellow…
just your common man… even sometimes Pecan Tan…
studying the Holy Bible… the Torah… and the Koran
facing East… maybe with head bowed… on bended knee
or head back… eyes open wide to see… who will stand for me…