Max Huang

In the land where banyan trees prevail,

My ancestors’ spirits soar on Taiwan’s gale.

Today I stand on American ground,

Where my running shoes make a lonely sound.

Miles stretch before me, an endless track,

Two cultures on my shoulders, a burden on my back.

With each step, I carry a legacy

One whose very essence defines me.

I’m always in fear of being passed,

I run through doubt as stereotypes are cast.

“You’re smart AND fast!”

Why can’t I just be fast?

“You’re going to quit after you get into a good college?”

No, I want to run forever.

On the starting line, statistics stand stark and clear,

Less than two percent look like me here.*

In a sea of fourteen thousand runners strong,

Just three hundred where I belong.

I dream of an Ekiden’s team embrace,

Where running’s not just a solitary race.

In Japan, they cheer with fervent hearts,

While here, we struggle to find our parts.

Now it is time; dreams must take flight,

We must put forward all our might.

In my veins flows the strength of those,

Who crossed the Pacific, weathering woes.

From 彰化’s mountains to San Francisco’s hills,**

Our journey is long, but stronger our wills.

For you, I race toward horizons yet unseen,

Where every runner can live their dream.

Endurance learned from immigrant strife,

Propels me forward, gives dreams their life.

With every lap, every mile I go,

I prove we belong, we have something to show.

For every Asian kid told they can’t,

I run to prove that yes, we can.

I carry my culture with every stride,

My heritage and passion, side by side.

Defying the odds, getting stronger by the hour,

Through running, we find our power.