To White Women Who Think They’re Different: Stop Fuckin’ Touching Me

By Kil Ja Kim

This is one for all the white women,

Who think they’re sisters in the struggle.

I guess you don’t get it.

You can...
walk around with your colored lover.

read the same books as me.

get that happy “oh, it’s a person of color” smile when you see us non-white folks.

and most insultingly, listen with aggressive sympathy as I talk
about…

The racism and sexism I experience
and the
white men who feel at will to touch me.

You say things like, he better not do that to me

I guess you don’t get it, huh?

If you’d notice all along,
he only touches women of color.

But I guess you thought we were in the same boat, huh?

Think again.

You’re still a white woman, which means…

Your body is valued more.

People are more concerned with how you feel.

People are more afraid to do something to you
because they know people would be more outraged
that he is touching you.

You see, people don’t care much what white men do
To Black, Brown, Red, Yellow women.

So you can stop trying to think we alike.

Stop thinking
that just because we use the same bathroom in public spaces
mean we in the same boat.

Stop thinking
that if I reach out to you
and give you a hug once in a while when you're sad
that I want you to violate me.

But I guess that’s something you like to secretly think (even though publicly you
tell me your theories on racism and how you know you’re different).

That must be why you don’t think twice about…

telling me you like my long (Asian) hair,

telling me you like my ass (as if you’re one to judge),

sharing with me your ideas about race, sex and the rest (don’t you notice I just look at you when you speak?),

standing all up on me,
‘bout to bust a nut because I have some pigment and dark hair and eyes,
getting that giddiness in your white flesh, turning pink from delight
that i’m a colored girl,

getting excited cuz I’m an “angry Asian woman,”
that I’m not being “submissive” like the people of color YOU don’t want to hang around,

getting all excited cuz my thick (Asian) body with my “Asian anger” reminds you of…

all the black people you want to fuck
(just like you want to fuck me).

And when I am just standing there,
Or just sitting in a chair,

you touch me so easily.

Just like all of the white men.
But I guess you think that it’s cool, that we’re like that, that we’re sisters.

(sorry, excuse me while I snort)

(ok, I am back)

Yes, you, the white woman who
listens aggressively,
loves colored people aggressively,
AND just like any white man, wants to touch me at will aggressively.

Putting your hands up on my head like I’m your little kid

And on my thighs, like I’m your bitch

And slapping me on the ass when you like what you see.

It is apparent that this ain’t no white woman’s secret either cuz
you do it when folks are around.

And who ever said that bullshit that white woman don’t have access to patriarchy?
I know, I know, something you deny.
Cuz if you actually had to deal with the power you have as WHITE women
it’d fuck up your world view.

Remind you that reading all of your whiteness books ain’t changing shit.

Cuz it’s your white hands I got to…

avoid (and cut off).

But you gotta see yourselves as connected to me somehow.

But you more connected to white men,
even the ones you think are racist and sexist and…
different than you?

But you must have something
because you sure can touch me like the white men do.

In front of all of the white folks.

And the few other people of color they like to touch too.

Copyright 2003 © Kil Ja Kim