varicose veins blood-swollen veins, commonly occurring in the legs.
were-people for Kingston, another term meaning ghosts, or spirits.
wetbacks offensive slang, generally used to disparage people of Mexican descent who illegally enter the United States; here, Kingston means illegal Chinese immigrants.
white crane boxing a style or system of martial arts, or fighting arts.
whorls spiraling forms; for example, a tornado.
whorls spirals; Kingston compares women who carried many objects on their backs to snails' coiled shells.
yams sweet potatoes, starchy root vegetables associated most with the southern United States.
yang and yin Yang is the masculine element of Chinese philosophy — that is, aggressive, hot, active, dry, and bright qualities. Yin is the feminine element of Chinese philosophy — that is, receptive, cool, inactive, moist, and dark qualities.
yellow croaker a saltwater fish; in China, yellow croakers are caught mainly in Kwangtung Province, which supplies about one-fifth of the fish consumed in China.
zenith here, the highest region of the sky.
zinnia a stiff, hairy-stemmed flower with a single flower head; except for blue, zinnias bloom in all colors.
