MARISOL
Alaska, 2010
When census officials come to the door,
Mamá pretends we’re not home so she won’t
have to answer nosy personal questions.
Months later, at school, I learn that this country
now includes fifty million people of Latino ancestry,
with more than 60 percent born on US soil.
I wonder how many there would be if no one
was afraid to be counted.
How would they figure me out anyway,
when my family is half Irish Australian
and half Peruvian Chinese?