One Brown Girl: One Diverse World

Hey, Hip Hapa Homeez! If you’ve been reading Watermelon Sushi World for any length of time, then you must know that enka singer Jero is a hero of mine. If you’re not familiar, Jero’s mother is Japanese and African American, and her mother (Jero’s grandmother) taught her grandson to speak Japanese and sing enka--a traditional Japanese style of blues that originated as agitprop during the Meiji period in Japan. As time would have it, enka lyrics later transitioned into love songs. What Jero has done as a young, mostly black man from Philly is to turn attention back onto a form of music most Japanese youth, unfortunately, have no interest in. Very few new Japanese artists these days sing enka and it is seriously in danger of dying. Koukai!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enka

Jero on Kohaku Uta Gassen, NHK

Anyway, Jero will be performing at UC Berkeley next month at the Hapa Japan Conference, which will focus on mixed Japanese. Open to the public, the event will be held April 8 and 9 and is organized by Professor Duncan Ryuken Williams. For more information, email dunryu@gmail.com and be sure to stay tuned for my report following the conference.

Tracey Friley

With people like Jero on the planet, our world is becoming more diverse all the time. It’s always exciting to connect with those who advocate cross-cultural exchanges and Tracey Friley is one such person. 

Check out her One Brown Girl website here:

www.OneBrownGirl.com then, read about her below.

Q: Tracey, you connect with people all over the planet. Where do you get your incredible sense of worldliness? Did you grow up with parents who encouraged travel or crossing cultures?

A: Wow. I like being called worldly! I don’t remember a time when I didn’t travel, really. As a child, it was with my family, but I don’t remember specifically being encouraged to cross cultures. It has always been a way of life to get to know people from anywhere and everywhere no matter what their cultural background is. In fact, the less like me people are, the more I want to know about them. It’s just a way of life.

One Brown Girl travels the globe...

Q: What's the most interesting cultural tidbit you've discovered in your travels?

A: I don’t know how interesting it is, but I’ve come to realize that people are the same wherever you go. Some are good, some are bad. It doesn’t matter what culture they’re from. The only difference is the location.

Q: One of your website’s surveys shows that 54% of your readers would marry someone from a different religion. Do you think we're becoming more tolerant, overall? 

A: I would like to think so. Of course, you can hear the intolerant a lot louder than you hear the tolerant, so it’s hard to tell sometimes. I do think that most young people are more culturally tolerant and accepting than the previous generation.

Q: However, by the same token, another poll indicates that 32% versus 29% of your readers feel that racism will never end. Comments? 

A: That’s a hard question to answer and very thought-provoking. Racism is so prevalent on a global scale that it’s hard to imagine that it’ll ever end sometimes. 

Q: Your One Brown Girl products are incredibly relevant and popular. Do you design them yourself?

A: Thanks! Yes, the designs are all original. I'm a creative with no graphic artist abilities, so I take what’s in my brain and work with a brilliant (and patient) graphic artist who makes One Brown Girl come to life.  She is a caricature modeled after me…and you…and all of the other Brown Girls out there in the world.  

beautiful Brown Girls make a pyramid

Q: Tell us about some of your activities for Brown Girls. 

A: Right now, I own and operate a two-year old travel and learning adventure camp program for girls 11-16 nationwide, that is very important to me: 

http://obgadventurecamps.com/ 

In fact, the idea for my program can be found on Oprah’s Angel Network. I also operate a niche concierge service for adults that travel to Paris every November. I just love Paris! I have tons of ideas for the OBG brand, but I have more ideas than I have the (wo)manpower or time to implement right now, so I’m staying committed to activities that directly give women and girls a world view…for now.

Brown Girls chillin'...playin' it by ear...

Q: What’s next? 

A: I just want the cross-cultural dialogue to continue. I want to keep blogging and celebrating culture and inspire others to learn about others. I want to empower and inspire Brown Girls to feel good about the skin they’re in by reiterating interesting cultural facts and sharing travel and culture stories. I’ve got a unique thing going on in that I’m not just celebrating one cultural or ethnic group. It takes a lot of time to get people to buy into something they don’t typically do; so, most of the time, I’m just playing it by ear anyway.

Thank you, Tracey!

Well, Hip Hapa Homeez there’s a lot of excitement on the horizon. Our internet show, Sexy Voices of Hollywood, was created to financially support the production of our Watermelon Sushi film, and S.V.O.H. just launched its 10^th show with distribution by Sony! You can support the film by supporting the show at www.youtube.com/sexyvoiceshollywood or by joining the S.V.O.H. event and/or fan pages. Meanwhile, there are some funky things going on at Facebook. The Hip Hapa Homeez group can’t seem to invite new members, so if you’re on Facebook, please go to the page and sign up. This is where we post news about multiracial communities, transracial adoptees and those who cross cultures. Of course, if you join the Watermelon Sushi Fan page (can that still even be done, Mr. Z.?), we will love you to death. And, by making a Hapa*Teez t-shirt purchase you'll get your name in the rear crawl credits of the film. Btw, if you’ve bought a t-shirt in the past, please get in touch with us so we can have the correct spelling of your name. Just drop us an email: hapateez@me.com Apologies for our scarce and anemic tweets, but we do promise to follow you if you follow us: http://twitter.com/watermelonsushi or http://twitter.com/sexyvoices

cutie Cassie in her Hapa*Teez t-shirt

Until we meet again, I am now and forever…

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Passing As Mixed?

Wazzup Hip Hapa Homeez!

Wow. It's been some week with the Michael Jackson memorial taking center stage for most folks. I have to admit, though, that I've never been a fan of pop music. In fact, I'm fond of saying that I went straight from P-funk to Public Enemy. For me, it all began with da beat, but when revolutionary rap emerged with its powerful lyrics I found myself jammin' to the likes of X-Clan and KRS-1.

But back to Michael Jackson. Believe it or not, there are lots of multiracial themes woven into the fabric of this man's life story. Besides the obvious, how MJ's music reached across color lines, there's the enigma of a soulful black boy turning into a white-looking man who often appealed to Caucasians more than his own.

Then, there are the children. Several days ago, TMZ reported that Jackson's two oldest were not his biologically, but rather had been created in-vitro with Jackson's dermatologist Arnie Klein's sperm and an undisclosed egg donor before being carried by surrogate Debbie Rowe who worked for Klein. TMZ also stated that Jackson's youngest, and third, child had unknown biological parents and an anonymous surrogate mother. Eventually, I suppose the truth will be revealed, but for now what shocks me most is how hotly debated the issue is by readers of various articles and blogs. People seem to be either absolutely positive those are MJ's kids while others are adamant that they're absolutely positively not.

Personally, I have a hard time believing that the photos of the children I've seen depict biracial kids with an African American father and Caucasian mother. Of course, it's not impossible for a mixed-race child to look more like one parent than the other. But most of us mixies have an intuitive sense about others like us. We just know. And, in this case, I just ain't feelin' it. Until we find out for sure (if we ever do, and if it's even our business to) that those are MJ's biological kids, I'd like to know what you Hip Hapa Homeez think. Is it possible for an African American man (the old Michael Jackson before cosmetic surgery and contracting vitiligo) to produce three children who all look Caucasian? Leave a comment or hollah at: hiphapa@comcast.net

Earlier today, I heard from another Winfrey--no not that one, silly--who sent me the link to a Japanese and African American singer who was set to tour with Michael Jackson in England. What rotten luck! The friend, Asani Winfrey, and I interestingly share many acquaintances yet I'd never heard of this artist Judith Hill that she turned me on to. Check her out:

http://www.judithhillmusic.com/

Although Judith Hill and Killah Chan are poles apart musically, it's interesting to note how both cross cultures--Japanese and African American. If you missed her the first time I posted it, here's rapper Christal Webb courtesy of YouTube:

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

Several weeks ago, I reviewed a couple of movies at the Seattle International Film Festival. One film, Apron Strings, directed by Samoan filmmaker Sima Urale is about a biracial South Asian and Caucasian man searching for the Indian side of his family. Somewhat similar in tone to Gurrinder Chadha's What's Cookin'?, Apron Strings is told around the theme of food. Here's the link to my review:

http://www.filmfestivaltoday.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143:seattle-international-film-festival-may-21-june-14-2009&catid=38:fft-festival-coverage&Itemid=55

The MixedChild.com website is up and Your Hip Hapa is featured in an interview with Amina S:

http://www.mixedchild.com/PROFILES/YayoiPictures/Yayoi_Lena_Winfrey.htm

Finally, if you haven't already seen this article I penned about the New Race Politics for OneBrownGirl, here it is:

http://www.onebrowngirl.com/page.php?pageno=bgw5

Remember to join our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook. And, don't forget about our film, Watermelon Sushi, and Hapa-Teez t-shirts. Oh, and that picture above? That's "The Thai Elvis Presley" (in red behind the statue) who recently entertained our dining party at a Hollywood Thai Restaurant. Talk about cross cultural! My fellow diners are in the two photos below: rapper Miwa Lyric with Kiyoshi Parker, and spoken-word artist Yun-Sook Kim Navarre.

Until next time, I am...

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Shout-outs, Offenses And More MRFLF Interviews

My dear Hip Hapa Homeez,

In my excitement to write last week's post, I neglected to send this shout-out to Cassie: HAPA birthday, girl! Cassie's special day was June 24, and she is one Hip Hapa Homee, let me tell ya.

I was also in such a hurry to relaunch this blog that I totally forgot about two recent incidents that still cause me to shake my head.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in line at the supermarket when the mono-racial Caucasian woman in front of me turned around, gestured at her four six-packs of beer on the conveyer belt and said, "You know it's bad when beer costs less than water."

She then looked intently at my chest and asked, "Are you fluent?"

I had forgotten that I was wearing my Cherry Blossom Festival t-shirt decorated with kanji so I mumbled incoherently before following the woman's gaze and finally getting that she was asking if I spoke Japanese fluently.

"Oh, no," I interjected, about to explain that I spoke some Japanese, but didn't read it, when she interrupted me in a voice of absolute authority.

"Well," she instructed me, "all their words end with a vowel or the letter 'n'."

I was like, okay, and you're telling me this because a. I don't look Japanese to you so what would I know or, b. I do look somewhat Asian, but you still don't think that I would know anything about a language that (half) my own people speak because obviously you, the mono-racial European, is the expert on the subject. By the time I had decided that I was sufficiently insulted, the woman had collected her 24 cans of beer and gone.

Lest you think that it's only "white folks" who don't get it when they're offending us blendies, let me tell you about what I heard on a bus ride a few weeks prior. The bus driver, either a light-skinned African American woman or MGM (multi-generational multi-racial) and I were chatting about several topics. Towards the end of the route, an African American man moved forward from the rear to inquire about the stop where he should get off. Suddenly, he looked at the driver closely.

"So, what are you?" he asked. "A mixed breed?"

To her credit, the bus driver simply chuckled.

"No," she responded. "I'm the same as you."

But the idiot passenger wouldn't let it go. He kept harping about how light she was, how she didn't look purebred, how she must be something else, etc., but I had already checked out without hearing the rest of their conversation. I was still stuck back at the 'mixed-breed' part, and I was seething.

I wanted to ask the moron, "Do you think our driver is a puppy or something?"

You know, I keep thinking that we've progressed as a people. A few months ago, I clipped an ad from Essence magazine for Moen, a faucet manufacturer. The photo showed a white man and presumably his wife or girlfriend--an Asian woman--preparing a meal. I was like, wow, even if it's somewhat of a stereotype to some (white male/cherry blossom female), it's still progress over showing only mono-racial couples. That same week, the local health food market featured an obviously biracial (black and white) girl as part of their sales ads. More progress, I thought at the time. But evidently, it was just a little too much progression as the following month backslid into the "I'm going to tell you what I know that you don't know about your own people's language" and/or putting us mixies in the same category as animals.

On to better things. This week's featured Hip Hapa Homee is Dora Love, the wife of author Sam Cacas who was a participant on the Mixed-Race Relationships panel at the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival. A photo of the couple taken at the MRFLF is below.

Q: How did you participate in this year's Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival?

A: Of course, I sat in on the Mixed-Race Relationships panel on Friday. I also went to several other sessions on Friday and Saturday.

Q: What was the most exciting aspect of the festival?

A: The most exciting aspect of the festival was seeing how the issues that mixed-race people have also occur with me. I've always been told since childhood that I sound different than other black people, and I should be an English teacher because "you're not like the others". These types of comments are not used exclusively with mixed-race people or black people that grew up in rural areas. We share some of the same experiences. The festival only made me realize that people of color need to gather more often to express their shared experiences in this strange and sometimes cruel world.

Q: What did you learn from your experience there?

A: I learned that this is one of probably several organizations or groups that deal with the issues of people of color. Mixed Roots and other organizations should collaborate more on ideas. These collaborations could end in some educational materials to disperse throughout different communities via film, more festivals, etc.

Q: How do you think this festival helps mixed-race people? Non mixed-race people?

A: The participants of this festival were able to express their feelings through spoken word, panels and films about the issue of being mixed-race in America. I can't say that I'm not mixed-race because American Indian, Caucasian and Dutch blood runs in my veins. However, being as dark as I am, I felt a kinship with the mixed-race people at the festival. I think it brought all human beings closer together. We are all mixed in some way. Unfortunately, not all Americans feel this way. People need to be educated through film and well-publicized films. There will always be ignorant people who just won't believe they need to know anything other than their own views. But now is the time for festivals like this to be more visible to everyone. Let's bombard the airwaves with the message of unity.

Q: Will you return next year and, if so, in what capacity?

A: I would love to return to the festival next year. I hope I have something to contribute. I've written a book with a brief mention about interracial dating. I'm presently working on my second book that talks exclusively about interracial dating. I'm presently editing the first book, "A Change is Gonna Come". The second book is still in the writing stage. So, I hope that I could be on a panel next year talking about interracial dating.

Thank you, Dora.

Finally, guess who was on Nodojiman this past Sunday? Evidently, Jero has a new record although it didn't rock quite like his other enka tunes. Here's a peek at him as he appeared on the show. Apologies for the image taken with my cell phone camera.

And, here's another shout-out; this one to One Brown Girl for posting an article I wrote about race. You can read it here:

http://www.onebrowngirl.com/page.php?pageno=bgw5

Hey, I love hearing from you HHH's so please keep your emails coming to me at hiphapa@comcast.net

You can also join our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook.

And, don't forget our Hapa*Teez t-shirts! Very soon, I'll have some updates about the film, Watermelon Sushi.

Until we meet again, I will always be

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi