Anime, Hip Hop, Japan And Joe

With that famous Hip Hapa Homee, Tiger Woods, making the hot-marriage-mess news lately, it’s been a field day for the anti-miscegenation folks. Yet, as Your Hip Hapa read through some readers’ comments left at several websites this week, she was pleasantly surprised that vicious verbal attacks on the Thai African American golfer and his Swedish wife were minimal. Instead, she discovered that the majority of remarks neglected to address the issue of race altogether—whether it was Tiger’s, his wife’s, or the other women’s. Could it be that we’re coming closer to a color-blind world?

Or, is Your Hip Hapa just overly optimistic? Some of the week’s bad news contained stories like the continuing attacks on albinos in Tanzania and how South Korea is dealing with mixies, particularly those of partial Chinese ethnicity.

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of those articles, join our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook. While you’re there, become a member of the Watermelon Sushi Fan page and Networked Blogs for Watermelon Sushi World, too. And, don't forget the t-shirts!

Here at Watermelon Sushi World, we strive to stay on top of topics that are of interest to not only those who consider themselves biracial, blended, first-generation or multi-generation multiracial, hapa, mixed, mulatto or trans-racial adoptees, but also to those of our supporters and those in interracial relationships. U is a part of us!

This week’s featured Hip Hapa Homee is award-winning filmmaker Joe Doughrity whose film, Akira’s Hip Hop Shop, is getting some serious play. If you missed its November 22 airing on BET (which was hosted by the sensational Sanaa Lathan), you can catch a repeat showing on December 5, at 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. Or, consult your BET schedule. Above is a pix of the movie poster and, below, a shot of Joe (former assistant to Boyz n the Hood's John Singleton) at our fab confab in Santa Monica. Check out the links for the film here:

http://www.randomactsofmedia.com

http://www.akirashiphopshop.com

Then, read the Q&A here:

Q: What's a nice African American guy like you doing making films about Japanese folks?

A: Hmmm... Well, I grew up consuming, better yet devouring, Japanese pop-culture as a kid in the Midwest. My favorite TV shows as a kid were Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets (Gatchaman). I was also a huge fan of Godzilla. My mother said I used to draw pictures of the big lizard everyday from when I was a young child. By third or fourth grade, these pictures grew more elaborate and came to include other giant monsters such as Mothra and Gamera. I had a group of friends and we'd stage these crazy battle scenes.

When I got older and became a teenager, my obsession only grew. I got even more into Japanese animation and had pen pals who would send me VHS tapes of shows and collected and contributed to fanzines focusing on anime. Eventually, when I started thinking of what I wanted to do with my life, filmmaking became the focus. So naturally, my films reflect my obsessions; which include Japan, comics and how this stuff relates to me as a black man.

Q: How did you get the idea for Akira's Hip Hop Shop?

A: The idea for Akira came to me when I first visited Japan back in 2004. I went on a tour with a bunch of other American anime fans. It seemed wherever we went, there was rap music playing! In cafes, restaurants, clothing boutiques.... Sometimes, there wouldn't be any Americans or gaijin present, but this was the soundtrack/background music for daily Japanese life in Tokyo. I'm sure a lot of Japanese didn't even understand the slang and profanity.

Since I'd dated outside my race a few times and dealt with all that comes with that including scrutiny from family and friends, I started wondering why you didn't see more Asian men who did the same. This led me to do a lot of research in books, online and among my Japanese male friends on the subject. Out of this and flipping through Japanese hip hop magazines like WOOFIN', came the character of Akira Kubota, an expat Japanese guy with a love for old school rap music who had come to America to be involved with the scene.

Q: The characters speak Japanese very well. Were they coached? Do you speak Japanese?

A: No, I don't speak Japanese. Not anywhere fluently anyway! I do know quite a few words and phrases, but that's it.

The characters were coached by my Associate Producer Hitoshi Yoshikawa who's a native Japanese speaker. And, also since James (Kyson Lee) speaks Japanese a lot on the TV show Heroes, he's become quite proficient with the language. But Hitoshi gets the credit for both supervising the native Japanese speakers as well as coaching the non-Japanese characters like Daphne (Emayatzy Corinealdi) who utilize the language in the film.

Q: But James Kyson Lee is not of Japanese ethnicity. Why did you feel he was right in the role of a Japanese man?

A: Actually James is of Korean ancestry. There were many factors that led me to believe he was the right actor for the job. First, he'd actually come to America as an immigrant from Korea as a kid, and I thought that was important that he had that experience. Also, he used to be part of a rap group growing up in Boston so he knew something about the music and being part of a culture as an outsider.

I saw a lot of actors for the role of Akira and, initially, I was adamant about casting a native Japanese or Japanese American actor for the role. I kept saying I didn't want any of that Lou Diamond Phillips stuff where he played Ritchie Valens in La Bamba! But here again, Hitoshi was a great help. I showed him the pilot for Heroes while we were casting without telling him James wasn't Japanese and afterwards he said, "His Japanese.... There's something funny about it." I told him about James' background and after comparing him against the 100% Japanese actors we'd seen, he told me to go with James because (in his words), "Americans don't know the difference anyway."

Q: Akira's Hip Hop Shop does such a nice job of shattering stereotypes. Do you have any idea why people continue to support films that don't?

A: Because it's easy and we're conditioned to accept the status quo. It's easy to eat junk food and not be challenged. I'm convinced a lot of people, especially black moviegoers, unfortunately don't WANT to be challenged when they go to the movies. They want what they're used too.... gangsta rap and 'why can't I find a good man' movies. Certainly those do well at the box office, and something like AHHS or movies like A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy or Medicine for Melancholy are relegated to the art house or (if they're lucky) find a home on DVD.

Q: What other film projects do you have lined up?

A: Well I've got a bunch of stuff I'm working on. There's the feature version of Akira, which I still would like to get made. Also, I've optioned a comic book that I'm really excited about. I can't say much about it, but it does have a black/Asian element, which is very cool. And I've got treatments for a couple of documentaries that I'm excited about, but I need funding. It's a common dilemma--the life of an independent filmmaker.

Q: What's your favorite uniquely Japanese thing?

A: Hmmm, that's a tough one! I love so many things about Nippon! Food, culture, entertainment…can I pick one of each?

I love the custom of exchanging business cards in Japan. I haven't quite learned how to do it Japanese style, but I love watching it!

Food-wise, my favorite Japanese food is okonomiyaki…Japanese pancake stuffed with bacon, onions and all kinds of stuff. I really love how they prepare it in Osaka, which is my favorite place to visit in Japan.

Finally, entertainment-wise I'm a big fan of animator Yoshihiro Tomino, the creator of Mobile Suit Gundam. I love Gundam robots and mythology, especially the 1985 series Zeta Gundam. Tomino is never afraid to kill off his characters and makes some of the darkest space opera ever written. Whenever I watch his stuff, I feel like a 15 year-old kid again.

Arigato gozaimashite, Joe-san. We Hip Hapa Homeez are looking forward to the feature-length version of Akira’s Hip Hop Shop!

Until next week, ja mata ne, from

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Aloha Actress/Hawai'ian Healing

Aloha no, Hip Hapa Homeez. Pehea ‘oe? Maika, I hope.

One of the most gracious and graceful hip hapas ever, Traion C. Le is also beautiful—both inside and out. Besides being a model, actress, screenplay writer and graphic designer, she also promotes aloha ‘aina spirituality by offering healing via massage therapy in Hawai’i.

As a Honolulu resident, Traion reps so much of what being multiracial is all about. Claiming all of her heritages, she’s equally proud of them all. For sure, her aumakua are pleased.

Check out our island girl in the photo spread here, and the links to her sites below. Our Q&A follows:

www.youtube.com/traion

http://www.myspace.com/traika

www.facebook.com

http://www.modelmayhem.com/491285

Q: What's a nice multiracial girl like you doing in the movies?

A: Aloha! Well, acting found me. I received my first major film and TV feature by word-of-mouth. My first role ever was as a background actor (flash wedding scene) in the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The second largest production was for the primetime TV show Lost where I play a camp soldier from 1952. I have been in a couple of Hawai'ian short films also.

Q: What was it like working on Lost?

A: I was pleasantly impressed by the organization, direction and dedication of the production company and crew. Long hours, yet everyone was friendly and we were treated well.

Q: What are you parents’ ethnic backgrounds?

A: My parents’ ethnicities are varied. There's the mutual base culture, African-American, then Irish and East Indian on my father's side.

Q: How did you end up living in Hawai’i?

A: It was a slow progression to the islands. I lived on the east coast all my life of 36 years and sought an exotic adventure based on faith, spiritual healing and a location to set up my massage therapy practice.

Q: You do a lot of spiritual healing work. How does that fit in with what you do as an actor?

A: I believe you can fuse healing throughout any profession because it's all an innate sense of being. I'd hope to share that healing in the entertainment business through presence, touch, prayer and sharing of the healing arts.

Q: You have a lot of love for Japanese culture. Can you explain where that came from?

A: I'd have to say, it stems from living in a multi-cultural, melting-pot locale of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of Arlington, Virginia. Earlier on, in my teens, I loved martial arts movies and learned of the Japanese and other Asian cultures through this medium. Lastly, through college, alternative health vocational school, living in Hawai'i and business, I developed a few close Japanese friendships.

Q: You’re also a musician and dancer. Can you tell us about your music?

A: Currently, I enjoy learning to play the Australian aboriginal wind instrument, the didgeridoo. I would like to learn how to play the Japanese koto! It sounds lovely.

Mahalo nui loa, Traion, for giving us Hip Hapa Homeez a little taste of the islands. For those of you who want to support our Watermelon Sushi film, your purchase of a t-shirt will do just that. Go to http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez. Join our Watermelon Sushi Fan club on Facebook, too. And, you can join our Hip Hapa Homeez group page on Facebook to stay informed about issues affecting all of us in the blendie and mixie world. Follow us on Twitter, too!

A hui hou, I am,

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Family Matters

Wazzup Hip Hapa Homeez?!?!?!?

With the holidays almost here, now is a good time to think about gifts that would appeal to the multi-culti folks in your life (including yourself, ha ha). By purchasing a Hapa*Teez t-shirt, not only are you supporting our agenda by wearing words proclaiming so, but you’ll also get a rear crawl credit on Watermelon Sushi, the film. Go to http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez and check it out.

Now, if you’re less the fashion-y type and more the reading type, this week’s featured Hip Hapa Homee has a book you might enjoy.

Thomas Brooks is the author of A Wealth of Family: An Adopted Son's International Quest for Heritage, Reunion and Enrichment

[ISBN: 978-0977462933]

Besides winning the National Indie Excellence Book Award for Multicultural Non-Fiction and the USA Book News “Best Books” Award Winner for African-American Studies, his book is also the #1 Amazon Bestseller for Adoption.

To learn more about Thomas, visit the links below and read the Q&A following. And, yeah, that’s Thomas in the pix posted here (I know you didn’t think it was me).

www.AlphaMultimedia.com/PressRoom.htm

www.AlphaMultimedia.com/Speaking.htm

Q: What’s a nice adopted biracial guy like you doing exposing his personal life by writing a book about it?

A: A Wealth of Family is a book that I knew could help people dealing with being multi-ethnic (I don't say biracial since we are all One Human Race) and/or being adopted. The book details how I grew up as the only child of a struggling single mother in inner city Pittsburgh. I was battling ethnic stereotypes at school and searching for a place among my peers. Then, I was told at age eleven that I had been adopted as an infant. I did not know it at the time, but I had actually been born to a white biological mother who had descended from Lithuanian Jews and--like President Barack Obama--a black Kenyan father. Years after that stunning revelation, I escaped the ghetto and traveled to search for my heritage. I found my biological mother in London with my previously unknown British siblings. I then located my biological father and extended family in Nairobi. My international search and the resulting reunions have profoundly affected three families in the United States, England and Kenya.

Q: Now, that you’ve found your entire family, how much of a difference does it make in your daily life?

A: I grew up as an only child in my adopted family, and now I have seven siblings (four that grew up in Europe, and three that grew up in Kenya). I am in touch with my siblings all of the time. I connect with my European siblings in person about once per year. I have enabled one of my Kenyan siblings to get her bachelor’s and master’s degrees here in America. I am now working on enabling another Kenyan sibling to do the same. I am so happy to be the "big brother" for seven people, now grown up and scattered all over the world.

Q: What was it like meeting your birth mother?

A: The first night we met in person, Dorothy and I stayed up until 4 a.m. in an all-night diner, drinking tea and talking, even though she suffered from jet lag and I had to go to work the next day. As I expected, the reunion meant a great deal to me in terms of my journey to discover more about my identity and heritage. But I am convinced the reunion meant even more to Dorothy. For her, the process was exciting, healing and, at times, painful and disturbing. She had to relive all of the memories of family and societal pressures associated with giving birth to a black baby in the 1960’s. She had to deal with the memories of letting me go. That first week together stirred in her a lot of memories, doubts and feelings, many of which were not altogether comfortable for her. The reunion greatly accelerated her healing process.

Q: What was it like meeting your birth father?

A: It was wonderful to meet my birth father in Nairobi Kenya and to finally have a tangible connection to my African heritage. Eventually, I was able to travel with him to my family's home village in rural western Kenya. Upon my arrival, the entire village seemed to be waiting for me, about five hundred people. There was singing and dancing. Everyone was touching my face, skin, beard, and hair since they viewed me as being an mzungu, the Kiswahili word for a European or white person. Light-skinned, wavy-haired Westerners did not come through this remote village every day. In spite of my difference in skin color, I was accepted fully by everyone in the village. Kenyan Africans seem to have almost no notion of ethnic discrimination, despite a history that includes British colonialism. It felt wonderful, and it was truly a grand scene. It was similar to Alex Haley's experience at his African family’s village in Roots.

Q: Transracial adoptees haven’t always been encouraged to own their racial heritages, e.g., Koreans adopted by Americans. Are you resentful about not having access to your Lithuanian Jewish and Kenyan cultures for so long?

A: No, life is too short for resentment and regrets. I believe in making things happen, which is why I searched for my ethnic heritage starting when I was 25 years old. My quest was rewarded when I found the rich history of my families. Just to give one example, my great-grandfather, a Lithuanian Jew named David Rittenburg, barely survived religious persecution in 1886. While he and two other brothers were gone on a supply run, their parents and the trio’s ten other siblings who stayed behind were murdered by Orthodox Russians. It was a religiously motivated pogrom, an organized and officially encouraged massacre and violent persecution, against Jews. For much of the century, young Orthodox Russians were taught to hate the Jews because they viewed Jews to be Jesus Christ’s killers. The Orthodox Russians were inflamed against the Jews living in the area, feeling that these Jews had no true loving ties with Mother Russia. When the three brothers returned home to the scene of the carnage that engulfed their home, they knew they were alone. The three brothers managed to survive thanks only to some Gentile families who acted as kind of an “Underground Railroad”. For many years, my great-grandfather bounced from family to family all over Europe. By the time he reached America as an immigrant, he knew 13 different languages. He eventually graduated with an engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and later used his language skills on Ellis Island as an employee of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Q: Having gone through such a tumultuous time to bring together all your family members, how do you raise your own children?

A: My children value the heritage from all three of my families. As a result of my adoption and the reunion, they actually have five grandparents, so it is really cool for my kids. My children visit with and regularly interact with members of all three of my extended families.

Q: Do you have any other books in the works?

A: Since launching A Wealth of Family, I have started doing a number of paid speaking engagements with large companies and also with high schools and universities. The Q&A sessions that follow these engagements give me a great opportunity to interact with people on issues related to families and to cultural diversity. The topic of diversity is extremely timely. So, I am already gathering data and working on my next two books. I have plans for a book tentatively titled The Joy of Search. It will be about the happy adoption and reunion stories of others. I also am working on a book on successful parenting that I should have out in a little over a year. My books will continue to be non-fiction, and deal with strengthening families and multiculturalism.

Thank you, Thomas, for sharing with us how much your family matters. If any of you Hip Hapa Homeez out there have a tale to tell, hollah at hiphapa@comcast.net

Remember to join our Hip Hapa Homeez group, Watermelon Sushi fan page and Watermelon Sushi World Networked Blogs on Facebook. And, watermelonsushi is on Twitter, too.

Until next time, like Maurice Bishop said: “Forward ever, backward never.”

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

A Free And Open Sky

Have you ever felt like the people who cycle into your life come predestined? I feel that way often, and I love it. I'm always amazed when someone casually checks out my blog, drops a comment, and then ends up becoming my friend.

This week’s Hip Hapa Homee is such a person. Sky Obercam is a prolific Bay Area writer who’s written for The Source, Bossip, Format Mag and Clutch. She first sent me a link to a blog she wrote about “bumblebees”—a term she uses to describe black women and Asian men relationships. Curious, I contacted her and discovered that she had a wealth of information to share about her own interracial marriage. Besides, we’re both working on erotic fiction featuring multiracial characters. And, Sky happens to be the name of one of my characters. Predestined, I say.

That’s Sky in the pix above, right, and below, left.

Q: What’s a nice African American girl like you doing in an interracial marriage with a Caucasian guy?

A: Well, simply put, I met my Mr. Right at the tender age of 22. We actually met at this excellent bar/lounge in Philly (which is no longer in existence) called Wilhelmina’s via two mutual friends. I was immediately smitten. There was just something about his energy. The fact that he was a bona fide hottie didn’t hurt either! Long story shortened (which is no easy feat for me--ha!), I downed my drink, and probably everyone else’s sitting at the table (memory is naturally a little fuzzy), and cornered him as he ordered another drink at the bar. I was always such an aggressive chica--but when it was time to ask him to pony up the digits, I realized I had nothing to write with, so I had to remember his number. The fact that I was able to do so despite having damaged so many brain cells was a pretty good sign that it was meant to be.

David and I were an item for seven years before we actually married. We faced many obstacles along the way, too. Some were characteristic of young adulthood. Some were typical of the usual challenges interracial couples face. We grew up, basically, and learned how to cope with the racial limitations of those around us. The best part is that our families have finally grown close, moving beyond the tension of the past and forward with love and respect. I feel blessed that our son is surrounded by such a loving family.

Q: What do you hope for your biracial son as he grows up?

A: I’ve spent a brief amount of time living abroad, and one of the things I noticed was that biracialism (of the black and white kind) is not viewed as a guaranteed life of torment or some sh*t. Nothing good comes from estranged cultural identities. I get why it’s so prevalent here, and other places that have apartheid-like roots, but we’ve got to evolve. That does not mean putting one on a pedestal above the other, but openly accepting one’s entire self, free of guilt. You can’t embrace one hand and deny the existence of other, you know? David is German and Italian, and I’m what some refer to as an MGM (multi-generation multi-racial) African American, so our son is truly a citizen of the Earth. What I hope for Raffi is that he grows up feeling secure, resisting imposed fragmentation and embracing his total self.

Q: You have an interesting family. Please discuss.

A: My parents had me later in life, which wasn’t common back in the 70’s, particularly since I was their only child. My mom was born in 1940, my dad in ’36, and I often felt they instilled a lot of values reflective of an earlier time. My aunt and grandfather were an integral part of my early childhood as well.

In terms of my background, I think of it as a patchwork of oppositional forces in some ways. I was raised in West Philly, not far from 52^nd Street; so, in other words, the ‘hood. I never knew if it was my family’s influence over me, or my stubborn free spirit, that always put me at odds with my surroundings.

My mother’s family is pretty homogenous, but my father’s is reflective of that portion of West Virginia African Americans who have significant Native American and Scots Irish lineage. My husband thinks my dad looks like Lou Diamond Phillips--hee hee. Anyway, despite his appearance, he’s the most conscious black person I know. He was affiliated with the Black Panthers at some point in his life. He spoke jive and lived the life--so to speak. Conversely, his parents came from an era where brown skin was looked down on.

I’ve always been a bit eccentric--never really feeling at home in any of my surroundings. I got a lot of heat for “talking white”, “listening to white music", not concerning myself too much with urban fashion trends of the day, and being light-skinned. You know, kids find every excuse in the book to vilify each other. Anyway, after getting raked over the coals in public schools, my folks decided to put me into a private Quaker school. So, I went from being the white girl, to THE black girl--the brunt of thinly veiled hostility from the teachers and getting ignored by all the boys.

So, I guess you could say I was this sushi eating, Tears for Fears loving girl from the ‘hood who viewed the world from a quasi Black Nationalist perspective. There was a loneliness to the disparities, but there was beauty, too. I sometimes see my childhood as fertilizer for the garden that is now my life (cheesey but true!).

Q: You’re such an accomplished writer. Tell us about your work.

A: I’ve been writing creatively since I was a kid really. I never thought I could make a living out of it—o.k., I was really always just afraid to try. That all changed when I got pregnant with my son Raffi. My husband and I agreed that I’d stay home with the baby until he was old enough for preschool. It was then that I decided that I would dedicate myself to the craft, and make a living out of it no matter what. So, I just started writing, and sending out pitches to various mags and stuff. When Raffi was about five months old, I got a gig writing with a high profile gossip blog. It was then that I realized I loved comedy writing.

Eventually, I moved on to focus on freelance writing. I really wanted to challenge myself. I was able to write some travel pieces for The Source, as well as features and news for Format Magazine. Most notably, I joined the team at Clutch Magazine, which has been a dream come true for me. There’s really nothing out there quite like Clutch, and I love the opportunity to help create a space where folks who are totally underrepresented have a chance to connect, share, and grow.

I also co-founded Visual Culture with my husband David, but he is the true inspiration behind it. He’s a graphic designer, but more than that. He’s a true artist with a passionately progressive outlook. It started out just being an artful design blog that explored various aspects of graphic design. Since its launch though, it’s become a resource that encompasses not only design, but strives to raise awareness of social and environmental issues and, as we say, cultivate discussion, inspire, and inform.

In terms of fiction, I’m in the process of completing a short story. I’m resistant to labels, but I guess it could fall under “Multicultural Erotica”. I think of it, however, as “Life with Details”--hee hee hee.

Q: You recently interviewed actress Sophie Okonedo who has Nigerian and white English heritage. What did you learn about her mixed-race life?

A: It was great speaking with her, but I was at a disadvantage because our conference call connection sucked and she could barely hear me. I was actually told ahead of time that she was not open to speaking of her private life, so my attempts to really explore that subject was a bit thwarted. She was really sweet and fascinating to speak with though.

Q: You used to write for The Source. Are you a hip-hop aficionado?

A: I probably have one of the most eclectic music tastes of anyone I know. I have to admit that I’m not a fan of modern mainstream hip-hop. The industry has robbed it of its soul--for real. I don’t listen to any hip-hop prior to 1997, or so.

Thank you, Sky! Your name suits someone as free and open as you.

Here are links to some of Sky’s work:

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/

http://www.oberholtzer-creative.com/visualculture/

Hey, Hip Hapa Homeez, we now number over 1,100 on our Facebook Group page! The support you’ve shown is phenomenal, but don’t forget to join our Watermelon Sushi Fan page so you can stay up-to-date on our film. Every t-shirt purchase helps move the film forward and gets you a rear crawl credit, too. What better gift to give for the holidays? Check it out here:

http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez

Until next week when the next Hip Hapa Homee cycles through my life, I bid you a fond farewell.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi