Mute by Celine Tsai (Grade 10+)

The poem "Mute" by Celine Tsai explores the idea behind the written character of "mute" in Chinese, which combines the symbols for "mouth" and "Asian" together. Through this image, Tsai explores the implications this has had on her and the struggles she has experienced through speaking out against racism and stereotypes. Though "Mute" begins with Tsai's observation that she learned to stay quiet as a child, it ends with a call to unlearn this habit and for the reader to use the voice they have to amplify themselves and others. "Mute" was recently published in Vancouver Poetry House's Cotyledon anthology.

Celine Tsai is a Taiwanese Canadian slam poet who began her journey at a youth poetry slam event in Vancouver's Cafe Deux Soleil in 2017. Throughout university, Tsai continued to write and perform her poetry at slam competitions, at TEDx events, and a conference hosted by Jack.org where she was the closing speaker after the mayor of Kingston. She was also the recipient of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award for her volunteer work. In September 2023, she plans to begin her JD at the University of Toronto.