"Where I'm From" Poems to Explore Literature and Ourselves

I am from the taste of delicious sushi for birthdays and spicy Korean food for family visits.
I am from the sight of spiky cacti, cows across the big grass field, and the bright sun burning my eyes….
I am from my mother saying, “If you’re scared, just remember that 99.9% of the time, you won't die.”

I am from two new years,

From the international and the Chinese…
I am from three languages,
From “Sawadeeka!” to “Konichiwa!” then “Hello!”…
I am from the modern technology that builds who I am,
From the Netflix shows and the chaotic for you page on TikTok….
From being loud and annoying to self-confident,
I am from my family who wishes me to have a happy educated life.

I am from sushi, udon, and lamb meat with gravy.
I am from believing in myself.
I am from resting my worries on God.

These are some lines from the “Where I’m From” poems my 6th and 7th graders wrote at the end of our study of the novel When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park. My 3 goals for the unit were for students to grow in their ability to read and discuss deeply, to understand more about the history of Japan and Korea as they live in Japan, and to begin to consider their own identity, how it has been formed, and how they will form it.

Here’s how I introduced the last point about identity to them: 

“Who am I?” is a question we all ask many times in our lives. It is an especially critical question for adolescents. On the journey from child to adult, it’s important to determine for ourselves in what ways we want to be like our parents and in what ways we’ll be different. As we search for answers we begin to define ourselves. How is our identity formed? To what extent are we defined by our talents and interests? by our membership in a particular ethnic group? by our faith? by our social and economic class? by the nation in which we live? How do we label ourselves and how are we labeled by others? How are our identities influenced by how we think others see us? How do our identities inform our values, ideas, and actions? In what ways might we assume different identities in different contexts? How do we manage multiple identities? Answers to these questions help us understand history, ourselves, and each other.

There’s a lot to negotiate here, especially for all of us who have ended up here, at an international Christian school in Japan. We all have different stories that brought us here, and we will respond to those stories in different ways. Whether you are currently a Christian or not, the Bible does offer us a few solid footholds in the midst of the swirling currents of change and choice. It says we are made by God, in God’s image, and therefore we have value and we are loved. If we love God, we love the variety of people God has made. We want to understand the potential God has given us, and that others have. If you’re a Christian, God is remaking you to be like Jesus, so you know you have his love and help. And as a child of God, you have brothers and sisters around you who will also love and help. 

Often the characters in literature are in the process of discovering their identity. Percy Jackson is coming to grips with his identity as the half-child of a Greek god whether he wants to be or not. Will is growing in his skill and understanding of what it means to be a Ranger–how he’ll be like his mentor Halt and how he’ll be different. Sarah in Ghost Boys  [the novel we'd read last term] responds to her situation by creating a web site to raise awareness of violence against black boys, and reaching out to her dad to help her shape a world where more Jeromes and Emmett will live to grow up. 

As we watch these characters discover and build their identities, we can think about our own identities–the parts we have no choice about, the parts we have choices about, and what choices we will make. Who are we? And who are our neighbors? How are they shaping us, and how are we shaping them? And what kind of world do we all want to make together for each other and with each other? How does God make us wise and strong to do it?

While we read When My Name Was Keoko, we traced how the 2 main characters, Sun-hee and her brother Tae-yul, developed their identity. At the end, we co-constructed “Where I’m From” poems about the 2 characters, using a graphic organizer to brainstorm content, and asking each student to contribute his or her favorite line. Then we wrote poems about ourselves. 

The Sun-hee poem was short because half of the class was participating in another learning experience that day. But the next day, they got to see the model and then participate in constructing the Tae-yul poem. However, because I just told students to donate their best line, we had a lot of repeats. The next time, I’d probably assign lines.

I Am From

(Sun-hee)

I am from being better at studying and writing kanji than my brother.

I am from smells of tea and sounds of war.

I am always stuck with Japanese rules, I can’t speak Korean, banned from Korean stories, forced to have and use a Japanese name.

I am from Omoni’s dragon pin and rose of Sharon tree, hiding in the dark for now.

I am from helping Mrs. Ahn when she was beaten by the Japanese, even when I was afraid.

I am from being smart, hard-working, kind, and creative.

I am from hoping that uncle comes back home.

I Am From

(Tae-yul)

I am from Sun-hee asking me questions about everything.

I am from fixing machines with my uncle.

I am from enjoying to make things with my uncle, like my bicycle.

I am from dirt, hard work, callus.

I am from the sounds of planes.

I am from the sounds of whirring engines and the scents of pine trees.

I am from the familiar drill of an airplane engine.

I am from smells of gasoline and sounds of airplanes.

I am from dreams to become a pilot.

I am from the everyday sights of punishments, the sound of gunfire, and the terrible atmosphere full of people’s cries and fear.

I am from sounds of bombs and fierce Japanese soldiers face.

I am from words that passed and words of new.

I am from being the only one who can fix Uncle’s printing press to keep it going until he returns.

Finally, we all wrote our own poems. I think it was really important that we had the practice of the character poems, and that I also modeled writing my own poem. 

I Am From

By Mrs. Essenburg

I am from amber waves of grain, live oak trees bearded with Spanish moss, and spouting whales off the California coast.

I am from Sunday pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, stretched to feed any visitors at church, and Dad napping on the couch before going back to preach the evening service.

I am from “Jesus Loves Me” and “The Lord is my shepherd.”

I am from playing Horse, Around the World, and one-on-one for hours, waiting for Mom to finish her teacher work after school.

I am from David and Susan buying me my first hiking boots, stiff and leathery, and taking me on my first backpacking trip.

I am from bedtime travels in books—to Narnia with my mom and to Hogwarts with my kids.

I am from loving the image bearers of God in the desks in my classroom, introducing them to the tools of language that will help them uncover marvels in themselves, in creation, and in their neighbors.

After many years of teaching a rather involved 10th grade “Who Am I?” paper in response to reading Henrik Ibsen’s drama A Doll’s House, I think this was a pretty good launch 6th and 7th graders into this important exploration. 

How do you engage students in the important question of identity?

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If you’re not familiar with “Where I’m From” poems, here are some more resources:

• "I Am From" poems, Children's Literacy Initiative
• "I Am From" Activity Guide: A Tool to Foster Student Interaction in the Classroom, University of Minnesota 
• Examples from the Kentucky Arts Council