I would like you to know…

That we are not all the same color,

But we are the brown people,

 

That all of us who came to America

Aren’t all illegal,

That some of us were born here

With the fear of being steered out of the country.

 

Others are let in without a problem,

But just because of our accents and dark complexions,

The government won’t let us in,

And tells us that we’re going in the wrong direction.

 

You can’t keep us down forever because it is our time to rise,

You thought our spirits were dead but we’re very alive,

We rage and you can’t silence what comes out of our minds,

We are strong, here we come to send shivers down the spines,

Of the nonbelievers, those without faith,

It is our time, and we apologize if we’re a bit late.

 

 

We do not all sit at home and drink cervezas,

Los madres do not babysit a thousand kids and watch novellas.

We are all trying to survive,

Working in the pouring rain without a coat or umbrella,

And we do not complain unlike the unemployed who say

That we stole their jobs when really all we aim for

Is to provide for ourselves and our beautiful children,

Trying to live a good life, we are not just along for ride.

 

Cesar E. Chavez told us what we already knew,

That we can, we’ve been accomplishing,

But have been oppressed and suppressed,

But we still can and if you’re trying to stop us,

You’re going to have put us all under arrest,

Enslave our people, recreate history and give us death,

But I promise to you that our people won’t give it a rest,

We’re showing no one other than ourselves our best,

 

We do not all mow lawns and hop over fences.

In fact we do, because you’ve caged us and we’re fenced in,

And I’m not waiting for someone to let me out,

We’re going to escape and what better time is now.

 

What our race has been through, you will never comprehend it,

We’re a mixed breed working at a fast pace and we cannot switch speeds.

 

We are not exactly what you think,

But we all love to laugh at your stereotypical statements.

 

We do not all stay posted on the block, dedicated to the pavement.

 

We are not slaves, and how far we’ve come should put you in amazement.

 

Hearts start racing when we walk through your grocery store doors,

We are not all criminals that will tie you up and glue you to the floorboards,

Rob you then shoot up the place, because we are not what you think.

 

We are not what you think.

 

We will give you everything including the kitchen sink

That we can barely afford on minimum wage.

Adrenaline stays with this venomous rage.

 

We are all soldiers, in the crossfire of slurs.

 

Double overtime shifts every week, this life is a blur,

The only reason we keep fighting is to ensure our freedom.

Your racial statements, we don’t hear or see them.

 

Our land, we are not trying to reclaim it,

But we are all done with your stereotypes so save it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are not the problem.