The Humankind-ness Of Sarah Moriguchi Ross

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

Over the years, Watermelon Sushi World has featured people of all cultures, ethnicities and races. Whether they were mixed, transracially adopted, interracially involved or crossing cultures, they have taken us along on some incredible journeys, and we’ve learned a lot. This bi-month’s Hip Hapa Homee also adds to our multi-culti education by showcasing her family—hopefully, a model for what future families might look like. Read the post below and see if you agree:

Q: Sarah Moriguchi Ross, who are your parents, and how did they meet?

Sarah (right) officiant at Golden Gate Park wedding, 1969

A: My parents met in San Francisco where I was born. My dad had just come out of the Army and WWII, and headed west from Hartford Connecticut. My mom had been working in Louisville Kentucky in the war industry doing draftsman work for airplane building plans. She is from Charleston West Virginia. They met at a boarding house they both resided in.

My dad is German (on his dad's side) and Irish (born in Irish free state) on his mom's side. He was the oldest of eight. My mother is English (on her dad's side) and Native American (Seminole) on her mother's side. I was considered white, although when I was old enough to ask about identity, my parents would say I was a “Heinz 57”. Back in the day, this was a mustard blend that was marketed. My aunt told me about my Seminole heritage much later in life. I was informed that my grandmother, my mother's mother, was adopted and that the county court house burned down with all the records.

Sarah as USPS mail carrier, 1969

Q: What was it like growing up?

A: Growing up in San Francisco, I was fortunately able to interact with many people of different ethnic backgrounds. Being raised white, the conflict I encountered was with my parents over my choice of friends. At 14, my first boyfriend, Fred, was 16 and the oldest of five kids in a multiracial--we used the term interracial back in the day--family of German and Japanese parents. Toshiro (Fred’s dad) was a Nisei soldier who fought in WWII in Germany. He married Josephine (Fred’s mother) who was a young German woman who survived the war. They came to San Francisco and sent for Fred when he was 4, and he got entry into America. He was born in Munich in 1946.

Fred and I married and divorced young. We had two children. I moved to Oregon in 1973 pregnant and with two children—and, single. In 1975, my friend Randy and I started a relationship that resulted in marriage and produced four children. We also raised some of his children. Altogether, we are the parents of ten. I gave birth to seven children. Two are inter-ethnic and five are interracial (multiracial). Randy's three are: one African-American and two multiracial. He is African-American, or a more common term “black”. He is the oldest of three brothers from Los Angeles. We have been together for 39 years.

Sarah (3rd from left, top row) with husband Randy, their four children, and two of hers with her ex-husband

Q: What inspired you to create H.O.N.E.Y., Inc.? (Honoring Our New Ethnic Youth?)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/HONEY-Culture-CLUB/213279792037643?sk=timeline&ref=page_internal

A: Raising our kids of color in a mostly white area presented some concerns--discrimination, mistreatment and lack of role models who looked like them, or even similar to them. The clincher was when they heard us talking about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and they were like, “who?” We knew if we did not do something for them, as well as the community, the situation/area would remain backwards. So, in 1983, before the day was declared a holiday (1986), we planned a big family-friendly celebration for Dr. King’s birthday. We had a petition on the wall to create the day as a holiday. When we finished with the event, we realized that our group of friends and volunteers were a multiracial mix of parents with mixed-race children. Then, we started to organize ourselves to discuss our concerns and our children's identity development. We agreed that combining our efforts to form an organization was a good direction, and incorporated in 1985.

top row: Lela Ross (Sundancer), Karen (Moriguchi) Phelps, Sarah, Randy, Fred Moriguchi, Niyah Ross

bottom row: Maurice Ross, Ayanna Moriguchi, Tumasi Ross

Q: What are some of your group's goals?

A: Our group goals are dual in essence: support interracial families and create a racially harmonious environment. We held programs for children and many adults sat on advisory boards to provide feedback to the larger community. I remember this one instance when I was at a city planning meeting and advocating for black people on the topic of naming a park after Martin Luther King, Jr. The city planner looked at me in complete seriousness and said, “I didn't know any black people lived here.” This was the early 1980's. 

The goal statement from our Facebook group, Honoring Our New Ethnic Youth H.O.N.E.Y. Inc., was founded in 1983 in Eugene Oregon. This non-profit was formed with the goal of providing support and advocacy for the enhancement and acceptance of multiracial persons and their families. The organization’s premise is that in order for the healthy development of interracial families to thrive, it is important that racial harmony be attained by our society. Therefore, through education, Honey strives to create a well-established multicultural community. Our programs and projects reflect these fundamentals. Typically, we still hold celebrations for MLK Day and Loving Day in a family-friendly style. We had a Saturday program for 20 years called Culture Club. Now, it is more of a playgroup and held less frequently.

Q: Some of us are aware that Eugene Oregon is considered a politically radical community, but is it a particularly mixed-race city?

A: Eugene's second biggest “ethnic group” is comprised of persons who are two or more races. This figure is not inclusive of persons who are inter-ethnic, i.e., white and Latino. Our largest ethnic group is Latino. Some data is still a challenge. An old friend once said, “The black University of Oregon football players sure do pepper up the place.” He was a “blue blood” originally from Chicago. I think that meant a light-skinned black person.

I make my own observations about our mixed-race populations. Over the years, the demographics have changed statistically and visibly. When my children attended school in the 1980's, they were the only children of color in their class. Now, as my grandchildren attend school, there are many children of color and, often, they are multiracial. Children of color and mixed-race kids are less isolated now in the school institutions. Therefore, there seemed to be less need for our program, Culture Club. Yes, there are black and brown environments here. But there is no neighborhood that is defined by a particular ethnic group other than white. Upper classes live in the hills and lower classes in flat lands. We have a huge population of homeless people and families. Honey families are a mix of low income and average income folks. The 1,200 black people on the census tend to be middle-class or greater. The five or six thousand of two or more races are a variety of income backgrounds.

Q: Oregon once had a “no blacks allowed” law, yet today, the Pacific Northwest is known as a progressive/liberal region. Any thoughts on that?

Sarah, at center with long white hair,
doing Tai Chi on Loving Day
June 21, 2015 

at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

A: Yes, that is why the area is mostly white. It was called the exclusion law. When the state was formed in 1859, there was a vote to determine if this would be a slave state. They voted against slavery and for exclusion. This excluded people of African descent, Chinese, Hawaiian and Malays. That law was discontinued in 1926. If I were a ruler of this Oregon land, I would say immigration should only be granted to People of Color for an indeterminate number of years until the racial balance was achieved. Exceptions only to family members. A total fantasy, I know. White supremacists nationwide want to make Oregon a white homeland, and there are many white Oregonians who resist this, also due to their liberal progressive nature. However, when it comes to exclusion, groups still practice various ways to stick to their own kind. My kind is human kind, thank you. A good book on this state history is called, “Peculiar Paradise, A History of Blacks in Oregon.” 1980 Laughlin, (I think). When I read the book in 1989, it really made me realize why this area is like it is. A big “ah hah!”

Q: Since you are so invested in youth and tomorrow's citizens, you must be optimistic about the future.

A: I am not a person with her head in the sand. I know what is going on and it is all very concerning and upsetting. But, yes, to say I am optimistic is true. We have big problems and they can be solved. But division only makes matters worse. Divide and conquer is very effective, and we all need to counter these divisions--put our heads together and create peace, life and love.

Mahalo, Sarah. Dear Hip Hapa Homeez, please consider visiting these links:

Watermelon Sushi film

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook

Watermelon Sushi World Networked Blogs on Facebook

Hapa*Teez on YouTube

Hapa*Teez on Facebook

Hapa*Teez on Café Press

War Brides of Japan v.2 on YouTube

War Brides of Japan on YouTube

War Brides of Japan on Facebook

Yayoi Lena Winfrey fan page on Facebook (sorry, but Your Hip Hapa can’t add any more friends to her regular profile page)

Twitter

And join our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook where we interact with you through comments on postings of articles like the one above.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Beyond Bagels And Sushi: Meet Francesca Yukari Biller

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez. If you love bagels and sushi, we have a treat for you! This month’s Hip Hapa Homee is an award-winning journalist who loves to serve up delicious fusion meals representing both of her cultures—Jewish and Japanese. But she’s about more than just diverse food combos, as you will see below. Dear Hip Hapa Homeez, meet Francesca Yukari Biller:

Francesca serving up cultural fusion

Francesca with parents and siblings

Q: Francesca, who are your parents and how did they meet?

A: My parents are quite honestly two of the most interesting people that I know (and it's not just because they are artists and polar opposites in so many ways), making their intercultural marriage creatively flourish for more than 57 years with four children and six grandchildren.

My father, Les Biller, was born and raised in Los Angeles and his ethnic background is Russian-Jewish, English, Welsh and Irish. He is a full-time artist and was an art professor at USC, UCLA and the University of Hawai’i. My mother, Sumiko Aoki, is 2nd generation Japanese (Nisei) and was born in Captain Cook, Hawaii. Her family owned and farmed Kona coffee lands, and her brothers served as decorated soldiers in the 442nd Infantry during World War II. Today, she is a fashion designer and owns an upscale clothing boutique in Santa Monica, California.

My father has always been a rebel, and I say this quite fondly. After graduating high school, he attended The University of Hawai’i. This was quite a shock, and a wild and an unconventional thing to do, as this was the 1950's not long after World War II when there was still a lot of anti-Japanese sentiment throughout the U.S. This is where he met my mother as she was attending the University of Hawai’i while studying for a Masters degree in teaching. They married shortly after, had two children and spent three years in Kyoto, Japan where my father was a Fulbright Scholar.

"famous L.A. martini", anyone?

Q: You've written about the meals you ate as a child. How did your mother learn to cook Jewish dishes, and did your father share any culinary duties with her?

A: Some of my very first memories as a child includes both images and sounds of my mother cooking as she sang classic jazz standards in our seaside home. No matter what else was happening, our family could always count on my mother's loving brand of homestyle cooking, fashionable and stylish well before international fusion meals became the norm.

I believe that my mother learned to cook classic Jewish dishes like “Sweet and Sour Cabbage Stew”, “Beef Brisket” and “Matzah Ball Soup” not only because my father loved them, but because she truly enjoyed experimenting and trying new recipes; and, the more unique and new, the better.

Some of the recipes were handed down from my Jewish grandparents, and others, like the classic brunch of lox, bagels and cream cheese were borrowed from the numerous Jewish delis that we visited throughout Los Angeles during the 1970's, including the infamous Cantor's Deli where we often saw Jewish comedians like Mel Brooks and Milton Berle.

As for my father, he did not share in any of the preparing or cooking of our meals, although his great priceless contribution included a biting sense of both slapstick and intellectual humor, story telling, and deep conversations about art and culture, along with his "famous L.A. martinis" which attracted unique and colorful guests from many different backgrounds.

Francesca in her "writer's hat"

Q: When did you know you would become a writer?

A: Writing is such a fluid and organic art form, that I candidly cannot recall whether I was first a writer, a person, or a person who was a writer. As I grew up amongst a family of artists going back several generations, my every breath was sewn in music, colorful images and creative cultural thoughts and energy as a natural remedy and rhythm that formed the lives of my siblings and me.

My very first memory as a writer was when I started to write poetry at about four or five-years old. I was in love with the way that words simply looked when letters came together as they both started and ended on a page. Before I attended kindergarten, I was stringing words together that both rhymed and echoed themes of nature and home. First, I wrote short lists of birds, and then of trees and the sun. By the time I was seven, I was writing longer poems about my visits to the seashore with both of my grandfathers, one a Japanese fisherman and the other, a Russian wandering adventurer.

those encouraging parents

Q: With your mother being a fashion designer and your father a painter, in what ways did they encourage you towards a writing career--either consciously or unconsciously?

A: Growing up in my house was like living inside of a symphony that never seemed to have an intermission. Fluid creativity seasoned every sense of both courage and somber attempts, and my parents outwardly and inwardly encouraged passion beyond all other values.

Whether I was watching my mother hand-sew hundreds of intimate silk rosebuds onto a kimono-influenced wedding gown, or my father thrash about his paintbrushes in turpentine and fleshy oils of bright and dark colors, I only knew that I felt alive.

And I felt most alive when I was singing, drawing and writing, which I did religiously each day, even though our home boasted of no religious deities or icons. Rather, the creative process was in and of itself our flames of joy and faith, as my father painted on both small and massive canvases in our living room, and my mother always seemed to have a needle and thread dancing on ribbons of velvets and linen dresses that she designed beneath the large picture window that framed our living room.

Sumiko with flowers in her hair

As a writer, the visual images that my parents continually created before my eyes gave me boundless material to write about--and to become lost in--as I spent whole weekends in which I wrote with barely sleeping or eating, as I developed calluses on my fingers from the art pencils that I grasped with both a sense of longing and calmness. 

Q: It seems you've experienced more than the "usual" mixed-race experience through having a Japanese American mother who grew up in Hawai’i with relatives who were part of the 442nd all-Nisei military as well as being Jewish. How has all of that factored in your life?

A: I believe that having an exotic and unusual mixed-race and cultural background is what has given me the drive to create even more than the average artist, as I feel so much emotional history from the blending and fusion of both. Whether I am inspired by riveting tales of my Japanese samurai and World War II hero relatives, or by stories of bravery, isolation and philosophy from my Jewish ancestors, I know that having the opportunity to be part of both gives me a sense of tenacity and purpose I may not otherwise have.

meet Francesca's daughters

Q:  Do you think by marrying a Jewish man your children may lose some of their Japanese side? What do you do to keep them connected to that part of their identity?

A: I am now divorced from the father of my daughters. However, their thirst and interest for their Japanese identity remains strong, perhaps even stronger than some children who are 100 percent Japanese as they are continually excited about being born into two distinct cultures and, therefore, more curious. As a writer, I have found this to be a usual occurrence among children who are a quarter of some strong thread of race and culture. Our home and extended family inspires our daily life with Japanese culture, whether it be through recipes, painting and writing, watching classic films by director Akira Kurosawa such as “Rashoman” or “Seven Samurai”, or attending cultural events and museums.

Rose and Jade

Q: Tell us about any of your future speaking engagements, panel presentations, etc. 

A: I am an award winning investigative journalist, author, writer, poet, speaker and singer. My work is published for The Japanese American National Museum, Elephant Journal, Salon, The Chicago Sun Times, The Huffington Post, My Jewish Learning.com, Interfaith family.com, USA on Race, for radio and television and events.  

This month, I will be reporting special coverage and writing a unique personal perspective for the exhibit "Hello! Exploring the Super Cute World of Hello Kitty", the first large scale Hello Kitty museum retrospective in the United States in honor of the 40th anniversary of Hello Kitty to open October 11 at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

far beyond bagels and sushi

I am also writing two books to be published in 2015. The first book is a collection of humorous and thoughtful essays and short stories about my more than colorful experiences growing up as a Japanese Jewish girl in Los Angeles and Hawai’i during the 1970's.

The second book will be a compilation of poetry and prose that tell stories of a multicultural family and their artistic adventures, as well as motherhood as told through the lens of creativity, idealism and cultural inspiration. Here’s the link to the Author Page: 

http://zorbapress.com/?page_id=1452

Speaking engagements include a special talk for The American Association for University Women in San Francisco in March 2015 about “Girls and Empowerment”, as well as writings and conversation for the Mixed Remixed Festival in June 2015 to be held at the Japanese American National Museum.

Francesca, your story was delicious! Oiishi desu. Mahalo for sharing with us. Hey, Hip Hapa Homeez, if you’re still not full, here’s a short list of some of Francesca’s many accomplishments:

Award Winning Investigative Journalist

Edward R. Murrow Recipient

Writer, Author, Poet, Speaker

Print, Broadcast, Radio, Television

Multiculturalism & Identity

Parenting & Relationships

Inspirational & Philosophy

The Arts & Pop Culture

Short Stories & Essays

Poetry & Prose

Reporting & Documentaries

You can also check out her website:

http://www.francescabiller.com/

To learn more about us at Watermelon Sushi World, please check out these links:

Watermelon Sushi film

http://www.watermelonsushi.com

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/watermelonsushi

Hapa*Teez on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBIMaJUljjI

Hapa*Teez on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/hapateez

Hapa*Teez on Café Press

http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez

War Brides of Japan v.2 on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNSEUkT2N4E&feature=plcp

War Brides of Japan on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnJkujn1iek&feature=colike

War Brides of Japan on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/WarBridesOfJapan

Yayoi Lena Winfrey fan page on Facebook (sorry, but Your Hip Hapa can’t add any more friends to her regular profile page)

https://www.facebook.com/yayoilenawinfreyfanpage

Sexy Voices of Hollywood

https://www.facebook.com/sexyvoicesofhollywood

Twitter

https://twitter.com/watermelonsushi

Until we meet again on December 3, here’s to all the bagels and sushi your Hip Hapa Homee’s heart desires.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Flipping It

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

Seven years ago when Your Hip Hapa began this blog, there weren’t a lot of mixed race groups and organizations out there, let alone individuals writing books, making films or creating clothing exclaiming multi-cultural pride. Today, everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon simply because there are so many of us now.

alone no more...

And, isn’t that amazingly wonderful? Those of us old pioneers of the mixed-race movement can now be HAPA that we have so much company.

Below is our interview with Leslie V. Ryan, author of I am Flippish! all about a Filipino and Irish boy. http://iamflippish.com/

I am Flippish!

Q: Leslie, how did your parents meet?

A: My parents are both Filipinos. My mom has some Spanish and my dad is 1/8 Chinese. My dad met my mom at a picnic in her hometown. He was invited by a coworker to go to a party and saw my mom. He courted her the old fashioned way. She was 16 at that time and he was 23. Things were different in those days. They got married a year later. She was 17. They were married for 48 years until my dad passed away 8 years ago.  

Q: How did you grow up?

A: My dad was a diplomat for the Philippine government so I was blessed to have lived in Japan, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. I was born in Japan and my first languages were Japanese and English. My parents and older brothers spoke fluent Japanese. My parents believed in immersing themselves in their host country so after living there for 12 years, they were trilingual and fluent in Tagalog, English and Japanese. Then, we moved back to the Philippines when I was five-years old and I didn’t speak one word of Tagalog. I had a tough time at school because everybody spoke Tagalog and all I knew was English and Japanese. Kids were mean, but I somehow survived and learned how to speak Tagalog. I lived in the Philippines until I was eleven-years old and then we moved to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

every color of the rainbow...

I went to an international school in Port Moresby. It was an incredible experience to be in a school that is represented by every color of the rainbow. Our school celebrated International Day and embraced each other’s cultures. The expat and diplomatic community placed a lot of emphasis in showcasing each other’s cultures so I took part in learning how to dance the traditional Filipino dances. I made friends who were from different parts of the world--Jordan, New Zealand, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), China, Korea and Scotland, just to name a few. There was a significant amount of mixed-race students at my school in the 80‘s and, from what I remember, it was really no big deal and there were no issues about it. Maybe I was not aware of any conflicts, but my classmates and I thought being mixed was cool because they had the best of both worlds. That’s why when I came to the U.S., I saw that there seemed to be more of an issue being mixed here than in a Third World country like Papua New Guinea.  

global citizens of I am Flippish!

Growing up in different countries, along with my parents’ encouragement to learn about the diverse cultures around me, molded me to be a global citizen. I want my children to grow up as global citizens, too.  

Q: What compelled you to study Japanese?

A: There are two reasons why I wanted to study Japanese in college: One, I forgot how to speak Japanese because I never got to use it after I moved to the Philippines so I wanted to learn it again; and, two, I wanted to study law and work in Japan. Unfortunately I didn’t go to law school and went to work instead after graduation.  

Q: What motivated you to write I am Flippish!?

A: I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2006 and by March of 2007, had gone through a double mastectomy, hysterectomy, reconstruction and two rounds of chemotherapy. I was bald as an eagle, ultra sensitive, emotional and vulnerable. The hot flashes and being pumped up with all kinds of medication didn’t help my demeanor either. My son Sean was 5 and my daughter Linley was 2 then. Sean was excited to wear a hat that said “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” to the school’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration, but a mom spoiled that moment when she told him to take the hat off because he didn’t look Irish and couldn’t be Irish. The woman said it in a joking manner (backhanded racism) yet I was hurt and insulted by her comment. She was a friend who knew my husband is Irish. I didn’t show my son how upset I was. However, Sean asked me if he was Irish and I said yes, he was fifty-fifty--half Filipino and half Irish. Then I had an “aha” moment and explained that he’s "Flippish" and got the best parts from me and my husband, that’s why he looks that way. Sean got it. The name stuck. Sadly, that was the first and last time he wore that hat.

a Flippish family

After the incident, I decided to augment my son’s education about his dual heritage. I began looking for children’s picture books about multicultural families at major bookstores. I found a couple of books that used animals that morphed together as a roundabout way to explain to kids about being mixed. It wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted a book that talked about race and ancestry not a dog getting together with a horse and becoming a "dorse". How can my son relate to animals? I wanted to face the issue head on and not use animals to explain to my son about his dual heritage. I wanted to talk about real people dealing with real issues. Frustrated, angry and still feeling sensitive and hurt, I decided to toss the drama and channel my anger by doing something to fill this vacant niche. I initially wrote the story for my children with no intention to publish it. However, when I shared my story with a few friends who have biracial children, they loved the way the story explained to their kids about their diverse heritage and told me that it will be a shame to keep the story to myself and that there was a need for stories like I am Flippish! to help multiracial families all over the world. I never aspired to be a writer, but now I have lots to say and it’s hard to stop.  

Q: How has your book helped children?

A: My book has helped children from all ethnicities--mixed or not mixed. I have received wonderful comments from parents who interpreted my book in different ways. I am going to classify them into two categories.

1. Mixed-race families:

I have had parents who thanked me for finding a positive way to explain to their children about their mixed heritage. They also loved how my book showed their kids to confidently reply to dumb questions such as, “How come you don’t look like your mom/dad?” It instills pride in their mixed heritage and thus, shuts down the questioner. Sometimes the person who asks the question ends up figuring out where their ancestors came from.

Mixed-race adults who read my book told me that they wished they had a book like I am Flippish! when they were growing up because they had a lot of issues with their racial identity of not belonging to one ethnic group. They never realized that if they embraced all of their countries of ancestry and didn’t have to choose one ethnic group to identify themselves, they would have grown up to be proud of their multicultural heritage. Instead, they grew up trying to belong in one group and resenting or being ashamed of their other heritage. My illustrator is half Native American Indian and Mexican. He grew up trying to belong to one group. He felt he didn’t belong in either group so he grew up resenting his dual heritage. When I interviewed Adolph to see if he could illustrate my story, I asked him to read my manuscript to see if this was something he would like to work on. After he read it, he told me his story of growing up biracial and that my story gave him clarity and understanding that he belonged to both ethnic groups and not just one. He is “Indixican” for American Indian and Mexican.  

I think it is partly the fault of the Census and survey companies for creating racial identity issues in multicultural families. Census and surveys are archaic because they still make people choose one ethnicity even though there are more and more mixed-raced people in 2013. *(Your Hip Hapa’s note: Both the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census allowed more than one choice for ethnicity.) If a child is biracial, then it is not fair for them to check only one box. It creates resentment and confusion for children.  

2. Non-mixed families:

I have a lot of readers who are not from mixed families and loved my book. My readers have said that my book has engaged conversations at the dinner table or cocktail parties about where their ancestors came from. America was built by immigrants so unless their ancestors were Native Americans, their ancestors came from some country around the world. I had one mom tell me that her daughter Emma had to call her grandmother to find out where her ancestors came from. Emma found out they came from France and England so she is "Franglish". Another reader told me after they read my book they were inspired to book a trip to Ellis Island to find out where their ancestors came from.

  

My book is not just for multicultural families. It is for all families.

Q: Any future plans?

A: I’m currently writing a YA time traveling/historical fiction. It’s set in California, France and Italy. My protagonist is a 17-year old kick-butt girl named Frankee. I also have on my list a children’s picture book about adoption. I wish I could have more hours in the day to write. I try to juggle motherhood, writing and lecturing about my book.

I’ll be appearing as one of the featured authors at the Target Family Event at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles on July 13. I’m also set to sign books at the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture this September in San Pedro, California. I’ll have all my events posted on my website www.LeslieVRyan.com

that ubiquitous rainbow...

Q: How did you come up with that great motto, “We are the colors of the rainbow, United as mankind, One earth, Love, respect, and peace.”?

A: I have this motto in the back of my book and will have it in all my future books because I want to send a positive message to my readers about treating each other with respect and kindness. If we can all treat each other with respect and kindness, there might be a chance to achieve world peace.

“We are the colors of the rainbow”

We all unique in our own way. The colors of the rainbow are the diversity of our world yet a rainbow comes in one unit. We cannot call it a rainbow if it is an arch with just one color. Colors of the rainbow = diversity.

“United as mankind”

We are all human beings that come in different colors, shapes and sizes yet like the rainbow, we are lumped all together as one unit.  Mankind = The Rainbow.

“One earth”

We have to live together on this one planet.

“Love, respect, and peace”

If we all love and respect one another, then there will no longer be bullying, crimes, or wars, and maybe we can all live in peace and harmony.

Love, respect and peace to you, too, Leslie and to all our loyal Hip Hapa Homeez. Remember to help support this blog by checking out our Watermelon Sushi website, liking our Watermelon Sushi fan page and purchasing a Hapa*Teez t-shirt. Check out the vid clip here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBIMaJUljjI

And, don’t forget to join us on our Facebook group page, Hip Hapa Homeez, where we discuss being ethnically mixed, transracially adopted, interracially involved and/or crossing cultures.

Mahalo nui loa to you all from…

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi