Legal Alien

In Lines 16-18, the speaker refers to themselves as a “handy token / sliding back and forth / between the fringes of both worlds.” A token is a symbolic piece of currency that can be traded for something of value, but it can also refer to a member of a minority group who is included to give an outward appearance of diversity and equality without any actual effort to achieve these ideals. In both definitions, the token’s value is defined by others.

In the context of “Legal Alien,” being a token symbolizes the speaker’s objectification and subsequent degradation by others. They may feel tokenized in their workplace at an English-speaking office, where they are used as a symbol of diversity without a real effort to be included as a whole person. In varying contexts, they may be thought of as handy or convenient to people who want to use them without considering their individuality as a complex, multifaceted human being.

In Line 19, the speaker offers but a fake smile in the face of prejudice. The phony smile symbolizes the alienation the speaker feels because they cannot express their genuine feelings to anyone around them. To keep the peace, they must placate others with a smile—however forced—instead of expressing their frustration at being misunderstood and pigeon-holed into a single category of existence.