“RENEWAL”

Independently Published, 2026.

…a collective expression of the historical, psychological and emotional encounters we as Asian Americans have experienced and survived in our journey to becoming American, whether foreign or native born. The sad reality is that even after living on U.S. soil for several generations, the legacies of such traumas as war, exile, Japanese American internment, Angel Island detention or slavery in the fields of Delano, continue to haunt and threaten us.

…The different generational attitudes regarding identity and politically correct issues, such as sexism and patriarchy, LGBTQIA2S+, for example, can be challenging for the generally more conservative older generation. Attempts to reconcile the generational gap is a common and often painful thread running through the anthology. Remarkable are the breakthrough moments of self-awareness, contrite humility and compassion descrbied in many of the poems and stories, once the superficial, cultural, or social barriers are lifted.

…Many of the poems and stories arise from deep personal reflection. The process of writing in community necessitates a fragile balance of give-and-take that assumes the dignity and mutual respect of each member. Confidentiality and trust that the writing space is sacred and inviolable is key to the collective writing process. The moral support and encouragement of the group allows the writer the courage and freedom to explore and probe into the most elusive and painful memories or myths of the past or present, without shame or judgement. Such popular myths as the model minority, which has indoctrinated the Asian American consciousness with harmful psychological consequences, continue to persist in the media. Neither sugarcoating our troubling histories by emphasizing only the positives, nor idealizing our cultural identity into archetypal fantasies of superheroes, are realistic or helpful in understanding who we are as diverse diaspora of human beings.

The quest for self-discovery is the writer’s quest for agency. To discover the reality behind the myth and to accept truth without delusion or denial is our charge as writers. At times, the writing comes as an act of creation itself, because what is unspoken festers if not released. Therefore, putting down the words can be an act of resistance, throwing down the gauntlet so to speak. It is with pride that I introduce these voice to readers, who may find consonance, recognition and consolation in these poems and stories told with courage, honesty and affirmation of self, family, community, and humanity. In the midst of the looming unknown we face today, let us keep telling our stories so that they may never be buried or silenced.

— Genny Lim, 9th San Francisco Poet Laureate