Green Card

We are the children of hope,
Folks came here floating on a big plane or small boat
From the banana republics and rainforest cafes
Save up their little pay just to see some better days.

I am the first.
Born into this system I navigate with ease,
For my parents sake I will survive by any means
Even if that means Physics, bio, calculus and chemistry
These boring subjects encompass their every single dream
At 15 I translate between the judge and the jury
My teacher says I'm doing bad, I tell my dad not to worry,
Plus I can't translate all the hate that she gives me,
Racist curriculum I'm not dumb and don't need your pity.

Maniacs rule your cities while geniuses drive your cabs
And I have to work twice as hard for every single thing that I've had
Selling from my stash, trying to make that quick and easy cash
Dead end jobs that can leave you dead on the job

Poverty is like love, it makes you do some crazy things
Like using a fake gun to stick up the stick up kids
Babylon system leaving no options
Get rich or die trying either that or just dying
So instead we work, and we work and we work for jerks
Bosses who don't see people but see profits
And not the holy kind, I'm talking dollar signs
And I begin to see why poverty like love is blind.

Or maybe just colour blind?
A tiny inconvenient truth about labour groups
And the masses of the working classes,
But some people say that race doesn't even exist.
Tell that to the tress still soar from hanging lynches.
But during this day and age,
We have fresh new waves of semi-paid slaves,
Willing to work for less than our minimal wage
And these foreigners don't understand these foreign concepts
Thought they were Canadian, but slowly dismissed that nonsense
And I hate to say it, but, this is it
This is your land of dreams
Where you can still live 3rd world in a first world country

Love has cupid and poverty has stupid
This is a place where we can grow up to learn nothing about ourselves
A place where they insist that sex should sell
A place where we should want the things we definitely do not need
A place where your kids can become addicted to alcohol and weed
And I bet they didn't tell you this on your immigration application
Because sadly this may still be better than your former location
So if you won't say it, than I guess I'll have to say it for you
Besides I'm used to translating your dreams and hopes too.

Aside from on America's most wanted, we are not wanted, here
Because my colour and last name still spark fear,
The same kind that can easily become violent,
And you can't be protected by studying science,
Because even our nerds aren't good enough for them,
I was born here and I'm screwed, but you have an accent,
You get the same respect as fat kids in gym class,
First to get cut and always picked last
But don't get mad, because you're doing the best that you can
And I love you because you were not afraid to take a chance
So the next time someone tells you to go back to where you came from
Tell them we should all go back, and finally let the natives have some fun,
In Solidarity.