When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities

The “pink socks” symbolize gender stereotypes and anti-gay prejudice, exposing how even subtle discrimination is extremely harmful, particularly when it comes from family (Line 14). When Chen’s parents say, “their new coworker is like that,” they cite his “pink socks” as the indicator of his sexual orientation (Lines 13-14). They are adamant that their son “can’t // can’t be one of them,” because he doesn’t present himself in the same way (Lines 14-15).

Gender demarcation by the colors pink and blue is normalized within American culture. Baby boys are swaddled in blue after they are born while baby girls are swaddled in pink. By purposefully noting their coworker’s pink colored socks, Chen’s parents show their subtle disapproval of his gayness: the facet of his identity that defies social norms. Sexism, much like gender demarcation by color, is another pervasive facet of American culture, devaluing anything feminine in comparison to its masculine counterpart. Pink is a feminine color, and therefore, gay men become less masculine, less valuable, and in cases of hate crimes, less human by association. Chen exposes how deep anti-gay prejudice runs not only in the fabric of his country but within his family through the symbol of the “pink socks” (Line 14).