The four poets who make up the poetry collective I Was Born With Two Tongues emphasize their dual perspective from the outset. They frequently open their shows by saying they represent China, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Korea. Then they quickly add Baton Rouge, Jersey City, Glendale Heights, and Glenview.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
A couple years ago Kim was an English student at the University of Chicago, regularly traveling to the north side to read his poetry in bars. He soon forged a performing partnership with Marlon Esguerra, who’d recently moved to Chicago with his wife, Anida Yoeu Esguerra. Kim’s classmate Emily Chang recalls, “Anida and I had been the cheering section for Marlon and Dennis.” The four became one in September of last year, united in their mission to increase the Asian-American presence on the city’s poetry scene.
Kim, Chang, and Marlon are the children of immigrants, while Anida migrated with her family from Cambodia in 1979 when she was five. From the beginning the group’s work has been marked by the experiences of having been raised in America yet having retained a strong sense of pride in the cultures and traditions of their elders. “Lock up your stereotypes,” goes one offering, “Concerto in C for Two Shades of Yellow.” “They’re dead, long gone / We are half the world.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Dorothy Perry.
