Returning a Borrowed Tongue
An Anthology of Filipino and Filipino American Poetry

Edited by Nick Carbo

"Astonishing, to say the least, [Returning a Borrowed Tongue] is a book that gives us harsh realism, lyrical beauty and technical purity in poems that eloquently speak of subjects ranging from food to love and lust." - World Literature Today

"A rich and nurturing feast, feeding mind and soul." - Pacific Reader

"Returning a Borrowed Tongue is a necessary addition to our rich Asian American canon. It is an exciting tapestry of Filipino American poets from all walks of life - from the urban centers to lush rural settings; from the veteran activist generation to fresh young poets now blossoming from universities . . .this volume should be an inspiring read for both poetry students and ethnic studies students alike." - Marilyn Chin

The Filipino relationship with the English language is nearly a century old, but is often overlooked in an attempt to forget America’s colonization. This collection of contemporary works displays the poetic tradition that is uniquely Filipino/Filipino American. The contributors, separated by the Pacific Ocean, are linked not only by the American cultural influx, but also by the themes of migration, immigration, exile, nostalgia, desire, poverty, exploitation, racism, and invisibility.

In the early years of American colonization, Filipino poets "borrowed" a foreign tongue when forced to adopt the English language; today, they return it in the poetry of this anthology. Returning a Borrowed Tongue is an important contribution to the growing expanse of Asian American literature.

Nick Carb—’s own poetry has been published in Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Born in the Philippines in 1964, he has lived in the United States for the past ten years. Currently, he lives in New York.

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