Short And Sweet

Aloha Hip Hapa Homeez,

the poet ponders

HAPA Black History Month, Valentine’s Day and, of course, Presidents’ Day (George and Lincoln). February is a terribly busy month for being so short. In keeping with things quick and fast, please enjoy the following interview with Kahlil Crawford (Fontaine).

Seriously, Your Hip Hapa has been acquainted with Mr. Crawford, an artist and poet who heads Latin Music Booking, since about 1999, when he first contacted me about Watermelon Sushi. Since then, we’ve both grown along with the mixed-race movement. Please indulge yourself and enjoy this sweet treat.

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

A: I have three parents--my father remarried--who all met in Chicago (my hometown). My birth parents were high school sweethearts. I identify my Father as Afro-Créole; my birth Mother as Huguenot; and, my other Mother as Afro-Irish/Celtic. 

Q: Were you aware of your mixed-race heritage as you were growing up?

A: I grew up upper-middle class in Chicago. I was always aware of my mixed heritage, more so on my Father's side, yet never beyond the context of family history awareness. I was not politicized as a mixed-race person. It was always more of a historical or conversational footnote, something to discuss privately around family heirlooms or at reunions.

When my family began attending Carnavale, we became Créolized. New Orleans/Mardi Gras culture became predominate in our home. Créolité Louisiane is my cultural essence.

mixed-race neighborhood?

Q: What kinds of neighborhoods did you live in?

A: I grew up in Hyde Park-Kenwood, undoubtedly one of the more integrated and academically oriented neighborhoods in Chicago. Mixed-race families were, and are, a common sight and normal to the neighborhood dynamic.

Q: You said you were not politicized as a mixed-race person growing up. How did you eventually become politicized?

A: The Boricua instilled in me “Mulatto Pride, Loyalty & Self-Defense”.

in solidarity, alone

Q: What do you consider the biggest issue for people who are multigenerational mixed-race?

A: I have always believed the greatest issue facing the mixed-race community is solidarity. Advancing solidarity has been the backbone of my activism from day one...much easier spoken than achieved. 

Q: As a poet and artist, how do you convey your mixed-race messages through art?

A: Right now I'm repping my Native side. I belong to the Métis Nation. Check us out. Mitakuye Oyasin.

Q: What significant contributions have you made to the mixed-race movement, if any?

A: I am proud of having written for the now-defunct mgmix.com (MyGeneMix) with Chance Kelsey. I am now a member of sblendedblend.com.

Keepin’ it on the real, Hip Hapa Homeez, thank you for your short attention span this month. And, please check out our Watermelon Sushi website and like our Facebook fan page. You can also watch a video of our Hapa*Teez t-shirts on YouTube and like our fan page. And, while you’re on YouTube, look for our War Brides of Japan version 1 and version 2 videos with its own fan page. And, remember to join our Hip Hapa Homeez group page to add your voice to the mix, so to speak.

HAPA February!

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Valentine's Day Hearts To Midnight Velvet

Aloha!

I don't know if you celebrate Valentine's Day, but if you do I hope the day will be all you want it to be, with the one you want it to be with--regardless of race.

Last week, a catalogue called Midnight Velvet arrived at my home. Now, I'm not one to order stuff through the mail, but after thumbing through it I took a closer look because I noticed its pages contained mostly upscale clothing for sale. (I did once aspire to a fashion career, after all.) Imagine my surprise when I discovered on page 14 (how significant is that number?) a photo of an interracial couple modeling formal outfits. She, clearly a bright-skinned sistah, is dressed in a gold two-piece dress while her white male companion is wearing a beige linen suit. Hold up! I hear you saying, what makes you think they're a couple just because they're on the same page together? Well, besides flipping it by presenting the male as the white partner, the art director of the photo layout is clearly letting us know this couple is romantically linked because they are holding hands. Wow. I almost felt like buying something from Midnight Velvet just because they had the courage to display such a pairing. Alas, their merchandise isn't really my style. But here's their website if you'd like to compliment them about forwarding the mixed-race agenda on our behalf: http://www.MidnightVelvet.com

Speaking of love, the taiga series Atsuhime just gets sadder and sadder. The week before last, Shogun Iemochi died leaving Kazunomiya a young widow and Atsuhime a young grieving step-mother. But the saddest part is that it appears we've arrived at the end of the series. Of all the taiga I've watched, Atsuhime has been my favorite. Obviously, because she's a girl. But what a girl! Did she invent feminism, or what?

I don't know if you caught the controversy around teen star Miley Cyrus recently, but it seems so yesterday that any kid her age would make fun of Asian folks by pulling their eyes up in a slant with their fingers. I mean, come on, now. I remember all that "Chinese, Japanese, American Knees" b.s. from way back in the day. But what excuse do people Miley's age have? They are the most educated in terms of having access to instant information. They have been exposed to other cultures and ethnicities in ways nobody of any other generation has. Further, with her fortune and fame, one would assume Miley has the best tutors and teachers money can buy. Are they not teaching her awareness, manners, or what?

Well, things just keep moving on with the movie, Watermelon Sushi. While reels and headshots from talented actors continue to tumble in, we've also been reorganizing our production staff. Besides our producers in Tokyo and Nashville, it looks as if we may soon add another in New York. Stay tuned for more info.

btw, my interview with Janice Malone last Saturday, February 7, was a lot of fun. You can listen to it here: http://www.filmfestivalradio.com

And, I'll let you know as soon as my interview with AAPEX is posted.

Please don't forget about the Hapa*Teez t-shirts and your rear crawl credit. See http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez for more info.

And, remember to check us out at the Hip Hapa Homeez group page on Facebook. Sign up to join us. After all, what other organization can you belong to that has the famous old school rapper Kool Mo Dee as its Veep of Music Production?

Hollah!

Here's to a HAPA Val's Day if you do that sort of thing. My dad and my friend Brian Parker obviously do. I'm holding cards they sent me last year in the photo above.

Until next time, I send love from...

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Back To Biracial Bizness

After five straight hours of talking, I'm exhausted. What was supposed to have been a 20-minute videotaping of a young Japanese-Caucasian American teenager turned into an all afternoon gab fest with his cool white mother. Now in her 40's, Mary (not her real name) told me about growing up in the Northwest with relatively no racial awareness. Her Danish grandfather, she said, taught her that all people were the same, and that America was a place where everyone should mix together. Taking his words to heart, she married a Japanese man, produced two gorgeous children, and now hosts foreign students of all ethnicities in her comfortable home. Determined to do her part in making the world an accepting place for all races, Mary told me that being bussed in high school was the best education she ever had. Imagine that. Then contrast Mary's experience with those Southern white kids who spat at, and called degrading names out to, black children attempting to integrate their schools. We've come a long way, baby.

And, it's been a long day, so I bid you adieu.

P.S. A happy belated Valentine's Day to Brian P. Thanks for the card (pix above), sweetie!

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi