Who gets to define what “America” means? Politicians get a lot of air time. We wanted to hear what “the people” think. So in Fall 2021, we launched a contest asking UConn students to tell us what “America” means to them. We received a diverse array of responses in the form of short essays, creative writing, poetry, photography, and other forms of original artwork, from students across UConn’s schools and campuses. Of these, eight winners rose to the top based on their originality, creativity, and quality.

View the video below to hear Honorable Mention winner Rianka Roy read her poem “Coming to America” and discuss the inspiration for this work. 

“Coming to America”
Rianka Roy
Graduate Student, Department of Sociology
Class of 2024

As I stood at the airport, waiting for the doors to open to a new land, I held

My breath in suspense and awe. A man behind the counter was checking my papers.

Embracing an odd courage that I never knew I had, I

Recalled in wild excitement what I had read about this land. I remembered how

Immigrants, thousands and thousands before me,

Crossed perilous borders. Legal and illegal paths merged

And mingled into a dream of many colors whose borders were never real.

I was walking those paths. I was in history. I would be another brown streak on the canvas. But do

Sleeping children see their mothers, who live on the other side of a wall?

A wall made of bricks so heavy that they can pull your souls down to the dark depth of a pond.

Do I dare cross these bridges? Do I have the keys? Who do I have to walk with me?

Real histories are written in the sands of time, but are the grains too fine to see?

“Enter, please. Here’s your passport. Welcome to America.”

An ‘alien’ forever, perhaps legal, perhaps not.

My journey begins. Like others, I too shall build my destiny.

Who gets to define what “America” means? Politicians get a lot of air time. We wanted to hear what “the people” think. So in Fall 2021, we launched a contest asking UConn students to tell us what “America” means to them. We received a diverse array of responses in the form of short essays, creative writing, poetry, photography, and other forms of original artwork, from students across UConn’s schools and campuses. Of these, eight winners rose to the top based on their originality, creativity, and quality.

View the video below to hear Honorable Mention winner Jenna K. Trott read her poem “Because of the Brave” and discuss the inspiration for this work. 

“Because of the Brave”
Jenna K. Trott
Graduate School of Social Work
Class of 2023

Home of the free because of the brave
Because of the ones with something to say
The ones who challenged what’s “right”
Who stood up
And sat in
And joined in the fight.

Home of the free because of the brave
Because of the ones who helped pave the way
The Baldwins
The Parks
The Angelous and the Kings
And the ones who took on Uncle Sam in the ring

Home of the free because of the brave
Because of the ones without names to their graves
The ones who carried a nation on their back
Only for 200 years later be still under attack.

Home of the free because of the brave
Because of the ones knowing if Rittenhouse were black he wouldn’t be saved
Because of the Taylors
The Martins
The Rices and the Jones
And the ones unable to ever come home.

Home of the free because of the brave
Because of the ones fighting for a better tomorrow today
The ones waiting for Ms. Liberty’s kiss
For love
For life
For the pursuit of happiness.

Home of the free
Because of the brave
Because of those who stood their ground unafraid
The ones who pursue justice for all
For united we stand
And divided we fall.

 

Who gets to define what “America” means? Politicians get a lot of air time. We wanted to hear what “the people” think. So in Fall 2021, we launched a contest asking UConn students to tell us what “America” means to them. We received a diverse array of responses in the form of short essays, creative writing, poetry, photography, and other forms of original artwork, from students across UConn’s schools and campuses. Of these, eight winners rose to the top based on their originality, creativity, and quality.

View the video below to hear Exhibition Finalist Kyra Arena read her poem “Fly Away” and discuss the inspiration for this work. 

Fly Away
by Kyra Arena
CLAS and NEAG (Double Majoring in English and Secondary English Ed.)
UConn Class of 2023

I see a glorious eagle menacingly swoop down and
Crush the rabbit’s neck with its talons.
Disturbed, I cry out:
“He can’t breathe!”
After a moment of grief, I fly away.

The next day, I saw the eagle
Circle above a nest of squirrels who
Dispersed in terror at the sight of their predator.
Never to be united, for the eagle was now between them.
Upset at their predicament, I fly away.

By the river I saw the eagle loom innocently,
Until he dived into the water, resurfacing with a fish.
The surviving fish have no place for refuge,
For their home is now a feeding ground.
My heart strings tugged, yet, I fly away.

I weep for the rabbit, squirrel, and fish
But remain blissful in my ignorance.
Until I hear the remaining animals say:
So what do savages do?
“Fly away.”