“I miss my mom. I can’t sleep. 

I can feel my tears running down my cheeks.

The English sentence I speak most frequently is ‘I’m sorry’. 

But you know what? I’m not sorry.

It’s not my fault.”

As migrant women, how often do we feel forced to pretend that we are fine when we are actually hurting inside?

Inyoung Lee’s moving and ironic piece is both a quiet explosion of anger and a love letter to a country that, like a duplicitous lover, has first enticed and then rejected its protagonist. Her clear, simple prose goes straight to the heart, also touching on the stereotypes and racist assumptions specifically directed at East Asian women.

Find out more about Inyoung here

Has this story made you think, smile, cry or even smirk? Please send us your responses.  Over the coming weeks and months, our interactive website will gradually morph into a digital gallery featuring audience responses to thingsiamnot.com/responses. 

You can also reach us via email [email protected], on Instagram at @legalalienstheatre or on Twitter and Facebook at @LegalAliensITC 

Written and performed by: Inyoung Lee

Producing Artistic Director: Lara Parmiani

Concept: Emmanuela Lia

Director: Becka McFadden

Visual Art: Laura Rouzet

Website design: Daiva Dominyka

Social media: Catharina Conte

Original Music: Angelina Rud & Martin Bakero

Things I’m Not is funded by Arts Council England.