有 識: Have Knowledge

^{—From the immigration questionnaire given to Chinese entering or re-entering the U.S. during the Chinese Exclusion Act}

Have you ridden in a streetcar? 
Can you describe the taste of bread? 
Where are the joss houses located in the city? 
Do Jackson Street and Dupont run 
in a circle or a line, what is the fruit 
your mother ate before she bore you, 
how many letters a year 
do you receive from your father? 
Of which material is your ancestral hall 
now built? How many water buffalo 
does your uncle own? 
Do you love him? Do you hate her? 
What kind of bird sang 
at your parents’ wedding? What are the birth dates 
for each of your cousins: did your brother die 
from starvation, work, or murder? 
Do you know the price of tea here? 
Have you ever touched a stranger’s face 
as he slept? Did it snow the year 
you first wintered in our desert?
How much weight is 
a bucket and a hammer? Which store 
is opposite your grandmother’s? 
Did you sleep with that man 
for money? Did you sleep with that man 
for love? Name the color and number 
of all your mother’s dresses. Now 
your village’s rivers. 
What diseases of the heart 
do you carry? What country do you see 
when you think of your children? 
Does your sister ever write?
In which direction does her front door face? 
How many steps did you take 
when you finally left her? 
How far did you walk 
before you looked back?