Blasian Sensation

Although she’s unsure of where the term "Blasian" originated, Your Hip Hapa admits she finds it to be not only an accurate idiom, but also quite charming. Like our Hapa*Teez t-shirt design on Café Press, the words Black plus Asian = Blasian.

Danni with her Mom 

This month’s featured Hip Hapa Homee is Danni Ai, a creative multi-talented performer and visual artist, hailing from Jamaica, who also happens to be Blasian.

Here’s a list of some of Danni’s many accomplishments.

Milestone performances:

“Return of the King” Tour with Shabba Ranks

"Fugees" in Miami and Hartford Tour Dates (with Pras)

“Faces in the Crowd” @ Times Square Art Center

TSW World Entertainment Network on the Hornig Hapmton Estate

“LoveJones Christmas” on VH1

"Party with Baruch Live" - NYC 

National Coalition of 100 Black Women Youth Forum Speaker

New Taste Magazine, “Showcase 101”

ROMP for Research

“Trailblazer Awards” @ Cascades Mansion

BET’s 106 & Park 

SOBs “DREAMZ” Concert Series

"Partyzone/EMG” @ Greenhouse

"DREAMZ” at the world-famous Copacabana

Danni and immediate family

And, here’s Danni’s story:

Danni with Uncle Ginger

Q: Danni, who are your parents?

A: My mom is Jamaican (of African-German descent) and my dad is Jamaican (of Chinese descent).

Danni with great Grandma

Q: How did you grow up?

A: I grew up mostly with my mom. She always lived in either all black or mixed-race communities. I want to two schools that were all white.

Q: How did you first become interested in music?

A: I always had an interest. Jamaica is a very soulful and spiritual place. My mom can tell you stories about me finding an audience long before what I can remember. She and my great grandmother had beautiful voices. I have a great-great-great that was a riverboat singer, so I guess it's in my blood.

Q: And now, you're also a visual artist. How did that evolution come about?

Danni's artwork

A: It's just another way to express myself. Art is my passion. Sometimes I have a pen in my hand instead of a mic. Sometimes all I have is a toe and the floor. If you can envision yourself crossing the finish line, you will understand how it feels when I open my eyes and let whatever I felt come out of my head.

Danni, cousin Kadia, Mom and great Aunt

Q: How did you develop such strong feminist ideas? 

A: I wouldn't say my ideas are necessarily feminist. They are people-ist. They are for victims of rape and domestic violence. That affects much more than women. I just chose to start with women because their stories are something that I am closer to having experienced. I would never forget my boys and men who have been through the same horrible victimization.

Q: Your family is so wonderfully mixed. What was it like being surrounded by so many colors and cultures?

Danni's Aunt Carol

A: Well, it taught me that tolerance is a word people use when they have seen prejudice. I don't have to tolerate people because we are all human. No one culture is better than the next. "Out of many races, one people" is Jamaica's motto. I see beauty in unity, and failure and dysfunction in the crabs-in-a-barrel scenario. 

Danni and cousins

Danni with cousin Mike

Q: What are some of your future plans?

A: Building awareness towards rape and domestic violence and changing the life of at least ONE person that has been affected by either of those things. One is enough, more than one is a blessing.

Danni with sister Alex

Danni with brother Kris

Danni and first cousins

Thanks, Blasian Sensation! Hey Hip Hapa Homeez, reach Danni through these links:

Twitter: @DanniAi

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/DanniAi

Instagram: @mydanniai

And, please remember to join our multi-culti discussions at our Facebook group page—Hip Hapa Homeez. While you’re in cyberspace, also check out the following:

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 April 2, when we’ll have another Hip Hapa Homee for you to meet, be sweet.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Fetish, Fixation Or Just A Fondness For...

in-progress documentary

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez.

Welcome back to Watermelon Sushi World where we inform and update you about the latest haps in our multi-culti, mixed-race universe.

Remember, you can join our discussions about biracial, blended, hapa, international, interracial, mestizo, mixed race, multicultural, and/or transracially adopted topics by requesting membership in our now Closed Group—Hip Hapa Homeez--on Facebook. You do not have to be a person with a mixed-race heritage, just someone who cares to contribute to our ongoing talks.

And, while you’re there on Facebook, please do us the honor of liking our Watermelon Sushi and War Brides of Japan fan pages—two in-progress films we’re producing. For a list of other sites you can like to support us, check out the end of this blog.

This month’s featured Hip Hapa Homee may shock you by his frank opinions on Asian, and in particular Japanese, women. Some have called it SEX-PLOITATION, but until you’ve read his book (Black Passenger Yellow Cabs), perhaps you shouldn’t—ahem--judge it by its cover. Anyway, let’s let author Stefhen Bryan tell it:

Q: Stefhen, what’s your ethnic background?

A: I'm from Jamaica. As you may or may not know, Jamaica is an island mostly of descendants of African slaves. Hence, I am a Jamaican Negro.

Q: What was it like growing up there?

A: 95% of the population in Jamaica is of Negro African descent. The other 5% is South Asian (Indian), East Asian (Chinese), European and Middle Eastern (Syrian) descent. Though the Chinese were a small minority, they owned all the shops and haberdasheries. So, yellow Asians became my economic role model from early childhood; and, I decided from then that my wife would be yellow, too. 

Q: What was your impetus for moving to Japan and when did you go?

A: I figured if I liked "rice", I should be in a rice field. Why be in a potato patch when I like rice? So, I moved to Japan from California on Wednesday April 18, 2001.

Q: What motivated you to write Black Passenger Yellow Cabs: Of Exile and Excess in Japan?

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Passenger-Yellow-Cabs-ebook/dp/B001F0RKXE

A: As an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher), I had tons of time on my hands and I wanted to write about this amazingly novel experience I was having in my newfound home. 

Q: What's it like for you living in Japan now, compared to a dozen years ago? Is there more or less acceptance of gaijin (foreign people)? 

A: When I first arrived, there were only 1 million foreigners and not many people spoke English. Now, there are about 2.5 million foreigners and more people speaking English. I still get stares, but not as much as I did a decade ago. 

Q: Being married to a Japanese woman, you must have some thoughts about how interracial couples fare in Japan. Can you share?

A:  I think interracial couples and children in Japan experience far less stress than they did 10 years ago. It’s not perfect, but I think in many cases the kids are glorified as kakkoii (good looking, cool). 

Q: What are some mixed-race, interracial and cross-cultural projects you're working on now?

A: Actually, my wife and I are currently temporarily in the U.S., as she was accepted to a graduate law program at the University of Southern California a few years ago, and I embarked on a book tour. Since being in the U.S., I've written a second book, Only Begotten, and a solo play, Doodu Boy, which is partly based on Black Passenger Yellow Cabs. Doodu Boy debuted in Los Angeles on August 23, and is being translated to Japanese for me to perform when I get back home to Japan next spring.  

Here are the links to my new book and the solo play fan page on Facebook.

Yoroshiku.

https://www.facebook.com/DooduBoy

http://www.amazon.com/Only-Begotten-ebook/dp/B00CEJV5R2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380222362&sr=1-1&keywords=only+begotten

Domo arrigatou gozaimasu, Stefhen. Hey, Hip Hapa Homeez, drop us a line if you’d like to be featured here on Watermelon Sushi World. And, please check out the links below.

Ja, mata ne?

Watermelon Sushi, the movie

Watermelon Sushi fan page on Facebook

Hapa*Teez on YouTube

Hapa*Teez on Café Press

Hapa*Teez fan page on Facebook

War Brides of Japan version 2

War Brides of Japan

War Brides of Japan fan page on Facebook

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Mahalo Hapa*Teez fans (left to right): Cassie, Teri, Robert, Ejiro, Carol, Eva and Julia.

Jamaica Mi Proud For Wayne Chin

Greetin's Hip Hapa Homeez! I'm feelin' irie tonight hangin' out here with all my Jamaican friends. Roots, come forward!

Recently, the lovely Corene Antoinette posted some intriguing video clips at her blog called Jamaica Mi Proud. Corene is all about her island culture, so check her out here:

http://www.coreneantoinette.blogspot.com/

When I saw her piece about Jamaican musician Wayne Chin, photo above, I knew I had to feature him as a Hip Hapa Homee. Born in Spanish Town, the biracial Chin grew up in Harbour View and moved to New York in 1980. Today, he's a radio host, sound engineer, singer, songwriter and music producer.

Q: What's a nice multiracial Jamaican guy like you doing fielding questions about being Hawai'ian or Puerto Rican?

A: I have been asked that question many times. About 90% of the time, I am mistaken for Hawai'ian and, a few times, Puerto Rican. But my answer--as always--is, "I'm a Jamaican". As all Jamaican people, we don't categorize ourselves as Chinese Jamaican, African Jamaican, Caucasian Jamaican, or Other. We are just plain Jamaican.

Q: Why do so many people not realize the great numbers of Asians living in the Caribbean?

A: Probably because we are just Jamaican or Caribbean, and we never felt the need to be categorized.

Q: How did your family end up in Jamaica?

A: Well, as for my mother's side, we all know how the slaves came to Jamdown (Jamaica), and my father's side was from Chinese people trying to run from persecution back in the days of the Communist regime.

Q: Have you retained any of your father's Chinese culture?

A: Only the food and the lust for life. LOL!

Q: How long have you been involved with music, and what are some of the things you do with it?

A: Well, from the age of self-recognition, you know, I walked and talked and sang. But, as we all know, the world seems to think that music is only for the youth. So nowadays, I only produce a few artists. I also write, engineer and remember the good old days of touring. LOL. However, I am about to reintroduce myself to the world with a new album with my group CHINAFRICA, and also my lover's rock group, Foreign Intrigue. I am the lead singer for both.

Q: What's your day job at the United Nations?

A: I am a sound engineer.

Q: How has having a multicultural background helped you at the U.N. where you're surrounded by so many different ethnicities?

A: I never thought about that. I guess that music and people of inner beauty just take up all my thoughts.

T'anks, mon, for sharing. To learn more about Wayne, check him out at Corene's blog or at his mySpace page:

http://www.coreneantoinette.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-06-18T10%3A30%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

http://www.myspace.com/waynechin

Personally, I was surprised to discover large populations of both China and India descended people in the Caribbean. But when one stops to consider that those two countries have the most people on the planet, it makes sense. Besides, a lot of Asians came as indentured servants to European colonizers who also brought African slaves to islands previously populated by Indigenous tribes like Arawak and Taino. The West Indies is definitely a melting pot!

Hey, here's a big, fat shout-out to all of you who have joined our Hip Hapa Homeez group and our Watermelon Sushi fan page on Facebook. Both communities are growing daily, and we're excited to keep you updated with the latest info about multiracial folks as well as news about our film. Remember, we still have Hapa*Teez t-shirts for you, too. And, don't forget to follow us on Twitter where we post dialogue from the Watermelon Sushi script.

Until next week, when I'll feature another Hip Hapa Homee, remember that I will always be...

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi