Expat Super Moms Of Mixies

Yuriko

It is with deep heartache that I dedicate this month’s blog post to a late, great War Bride of Japan (and my Mom) Yuriko. She came into this world many moons ago and left it over the weekend. Besides being a Super Mom eons before that term was even coined, she was also an accomplished artist (oil painter), woodcarver, writer of haiku, seamstress, quilter, traditional Japanese dancer and judo practitioner who was obsessed with sumo and other types of wrestling. But above all, her favorite hobby was cooking and she made all our family meals from scratch. She even made tofu from soybeans, whole wheat bread filled with flaxseeds, and her fresh apple and berry pies were legend. No ethnic dish escaped her skilled hands either. Whether it was Japanese sushi or Indian naan or Chinese eggrolls, that girl could throw down in the kitchen. Repatriating from Japan to the U.S. during a time when Japanese were loathed in America, she endured a lot. Please send a tender kiss to the brave and beautiful Yuriko and wish her well on the other side of Watermelon Sushi World.

Here’s another mother who also deserves our recognition. Maria Tumolo aka MsXpat writes a blog called Tiger Tales:

http://tigertales-msxpat.blogspot.com/

The mother of a Blasian boy, MsXpat takes her mommy role seriously, but with wry humor. Read all about this Hip Hapa Homeez below:

MsXpat's parents

Q: Who are your parents and how did they meet?

A: The details are a bit hazy as the elders in my family don't talk too much about their past. However, the bit that I know is my mom migrated to Trinidad as a young girl from St. Vincent. She lived with her mum and siblings in a working-class area named Laventille, which is in the capital Port-of-Spain. Her mum was of white and black mixed-race heritage and her father was a black Carib (descendant of a mix between an AmerIndian race called Carib and West African). My mum would classify herself as being black. My dad moved into the area as a young man and spotted my mum, or her legs as he would say, on one of her errands to the local shop. The rest is history. My dad's mother is of Native Venezuela Indian origin, but I don't know the official name of the tribe and his father was Portuguese Creole from Dutch Guyana, also known as Suriname.

MsXpat at 4

Q: How did you grow up?

A: My mother was 19 years-old when I was born. At the time, she was not married to my father. They married several years later when I was 10. In between that time, my mother and I lived with her mother and her siblings and their kids. So, I grew up in an extended family unit. The community had many mixed people as is reflective of the Trinidadian community as a whole--although I believe most people would consider themselves black, unless they have a totally Indo-Trinidadian background or are of Chinese or Syrian heritage. When my parents married, I continued to live with my maternal grandmother as it was the home I was used to. I continued to live with her until I emigrated to England at the age of 28.

Q: You write extensively about your family--who's your husband and how did you meet?

Angelo at 7 months

A: My husband is of Mauritian Chinese and Italian heritage. However, his Chinese heritage is dominant as he was raised by his Chinese mother. We were introduced to each other via a mutual friend whom he worked with and who I knew from back in Trinidad.

Q: What's it like being an expatriate in England?

A: I've always enjoyed my expat experience. I like the invisibility and feeling of a fresh start that it gives. Coming from a small island, it can be a bit stifling and limiting. Additionally, as I grew up in a relatively rough working-class part of the island, opportunities were limited because people judged you based on where you lived. I had to find creative ways to achieve the things I wanted to achieve. I'm not saying that the same limitations don't exist in England--as it's an island, too. However, there is a greater chance to obtain opportunities based on merit. However, now that I'm a mother I find being an expat a bit isolating.

Angelo at 22 months

Q:  What is Tiger Tales about, and what motivated you to begin writing it? (btw, I like the play on the words Tiger Tails.)

A: My son was born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger, so, his Chinese Horoscope is that of a Tiger. I was having a rough time adjusting to motherhood and then via a friend on Facebook I came across the blog Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare.com/ I thought that their family story was so beautiful, it got me wondering if there were any blogs that reflected my family. Then I discovered Blasian Baby Notes http://blasianbabynotes.blogspot.co.uk/ As it’s an American blog, I thought it would be interesting to explore the English experience and so Tiger Tales was born. In short, my blog chronicles my parenting experiences as a first-time older expat mum in a mixed-race family. However, I also post product reviews, recipes and activities I do with my son.

Angelo at 20 months

Q: What do you feel is the most important thing for mothers of mixed-race children to know?

A: To be honest, I don’t feel that I have a full picture for myself yet on what it means to mother mixed-race children. However, the one thing that jumped out at me, even though my son is still quite young at 23 months, is that you have to learn to manage your own insecurities. Whether you are insecure because your child doesn’t look anything like you, or that fact that all your children have different features, or people mistake you for the nanny, or wonder if you adopted the child(ren), whatever it is

that might make you self-conscious you have to manage those feelings in order to protect your child(ren) in the hopes that they will grow up to be happy and confident individuals.

MsXpat at 35 weeks pregnant

Q:  With your second child, a girl, on the way, how do you think raising her will compare to raising your first, a son?

A: Here again, it’s a bit blurry, as I don’t consider myself to be a ‘girlie girl’.  Theoretically, I envisioned it would be easier mothering a boy and, by and large so far, it has been. However, I didn’t realize that boys can be more demanding. From most accounts, girls mature faster and are more self-reliant. So, I guess you can say that I hope my daughter will be much calmer than her older brother. Additionally, it’s anyone’s guess which of her parents she’ll take after which will have an obvious impact on everything from her day-to-day care (i.e., hair type and skin sensitivity, size) to how she is ‘received’ and ‘perceived’ by the extended family and the world at large. 

Angelo on left, Daddy on right, both at 3 months

Thank you, MsXpat, for sharing your insights about rearing mixed-race children while living overseas away from your original home just like my Mom, Yuriko, once did.

Here are links where you can connect with Tiger Tales Mom:

http://tigertales-msxpat.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/T1gerTa1es

https://twitter.com/#!/MsXpat

http://pinterest.com/msxpat/

And, here are some of ours:

Watermelon Sushi Film website

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook

War Brides of Japan II on YouTube

War Brides of Japan on YouTube

War Brides of Japan on OneTrueMedia

War Brides of Japan on Facebook

Hapa*Teez on YouTube

Hapa*Teez on Facebook

Remember to join our Hip Hapa Homeez group page on Facebook for more discussions about being mixed-race, multicultural, interracially involved, transracially adopted or a culture crosser.

Until we meet again, I am and will always be

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Q

Q

A

H

A

Some Of This Race, Some Of That Race

Greetings, Hip Hapa Homeez.

A big up! to Tiffany Rae Reid for featuring Your Hip Hapa on her Mixed Race Radio show of September 26. A good time was had by all. Tiffany is such a great supporter of all mixies and was HAPA to promote our Watermelon Sushi film and Hapa*Teez t-shirts that supports the making of it. To listen to the show, go to this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mixed-race-radio/2012/09/26/yayoi-winfrey-invites-you-to-watermelonsushi

For those of you who are in constant contact, you know how much we—our Watermelon Sushi movement team—appreciate your support. Honestly, we couldn’t do it without you. If you've ever purchased a Hapa*Teez t-shirt, please send us a photo so we can feature you in our next YouTube video. Or, if you’re the shy type, just drop us a line at hapateez@comcast.net so we can personally thank you. As you may know, every supporter earns a rear crawl credit. Here's our current YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBIMaJUljjI

Kris Packer

Speaking of t-shirts, there’s been more than a few out there that proclaim pride in being multiracial. But some, like SommaBaby, are really special. This month we’re featuring Kris Packer, Founder and Director of SommaBaby Clothing Company, and her line of t-shirts.

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

A: My mother is of both African-American and Native American descent. My father is Mulatto (a person of mixed white and black ethnicity).

Q: How did you grow up?

A: I had a very interesting experience, growing up. I did not grow up in a mixed-race neighborhood at all. I’ve said many times in many interviews, that my upbringing was very normal until I was old enough for people to feel comfortable questioning me about my racial background. I mean, coming from a multiracial family, a lot of the women in my family looked like me. All of my siblings looked like me. I have multiracial cousins as well, so I experienced early emergence into the multiracial community. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a very heterogeneous environment at home. Unfortunately, school and my community was a different story. That is where I experienced my discomfort. School, particularly, is where I had to answer the most racial questions and fight my racial battles. School was where I had to choose one race and choose one crowd to fit in with. School is where I had to do all of my explaining.

Q: How did you come up with the idea and the name for Somma Baby?

Team SommaBaby

A: SommaBaby is the manifestation of YEARS of me looking for that perfect t-shirt that said what I wanted a tee to say. I NEVER sat down and said, "Let me design a clothing line”! I’m extremely visual. I know exactly what I want in clothing because I “see” it in my mind before I even begin shopping. I always “saw” these tees. I was just never able to find them in the stores!  After years of waiting on other designers to create my perfect tee, I finally just took the reins and did it myself. But, I soon realized that I did it more for the multiracial community than myself. I saw how the world was changing its feelings towards the multiracial community and I wanted to support that change. I thought these tees would be good “conversation starters”. I thought they would help build confidence in our youth. I truly saw their potential to promote unity in our society, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of something so big.

The name, SommaBaby, is what we call a person who is “some of this race and some of that race”. It’s actually the term I used to use for myself when people would ask me that million-dollar question that most mixed-race people know too well, “What are you?” It was my way of

diverting the awkward inquisition into light humor to avoid having to explain my racial background to everyone who asked me. Times have changed so much now. Now, the questions don’t bother me at all. I used this term as the name for my brand as a way of paying homage to my past experiences. After all, those experiences are what shaped me into the person who was able to see the tees and create them.

Q: Your line of t-shirts is more than about clothing; you have teams of young mixed-race women promoting them. Talk a little about your team concept. And is Rain Pryor, Richard Pryor's mixed-race daughter, a part of your team?

more of Team SommaBaby

A: I realized, early, that this clothing line was bigger than me. As I said earlier, after sketching the first design, I realized that I had to do this for the multiracial community more than for myself. After our very first photo shoot, it became clear to me that our mission to truly unite the multiracial community and greatly impact society would begin in my target market. I saw strength in the youth early in the process and I didn’t want to lose that strength and authenticity. So, we formed a group, called Team SommaBaby. Most of these girls are the original girls who modeled our clothing. However, over time, others have joined the group just to support the cause. Some model and others find their perfect place within the group. They help promote the brand through social networks, word of mouth, public appearances, marketing campaigns, etc. THEY are the brand. Through them, I am able to see how SommaBaby Clothing Co. will make an impact on the world. In my eyes, these twenty-five girls represent twenty-five million girls just like them all over the world.

Rain Pryor, on left

People who follow us on Twitter and Facebook ask me a lot about Rain Pryor’s involvement with SommaBaby. She is a beautiful spirit and a hilarious lady!  We love her because she supported us the moment she heard about us. She has been a huge blessing to the company and we will always consider her to be part of our team. In our conversations regarding the multiracial movement, she once told me, “it takes a village…”, and we are so thankful for all she has done to help us in our growth.

Q: What about the men?

A: Before we began producing a single garment, we tested the market with our samples to find our main buyer base. It was young girls and women, mainly, who showed interest in the brand. So, we decided to target the demographic that presented the highest demand. However, we are definitely working on men’s designs for next year’s collections. Part of our mission was to create a brand that supported our belief in non-exclusion in the multiracial community. We want to stand on that same principle as it relates to gender. So, our team is busy creating designs for the SommaBaby men as well.

and more of Team SommaBaby

Q: How have your t shirts impacted the mixed race community in terms of feedback and support?

A: SommaBaby tees are like walking billboards for the mixed-race community.  That’s what tees are nowadays--an outward expression of who we are, what we think, and an outward expression of our freedom of speech. So, they “speak” on behalf of each person who wears one of our t-shirts. I knew this brand was special to me, but it really became clear to me that it was special to the world when the e-mails began to come in. Girls all over the world tell us that we are “speaking their life stories” through our t-shirts. They pull me aside and say, “This tee is exactly what I have said to people all my life.” Some tell me that they had become so comfortable with just falling into a single “box” because it was easier to live in society as just one race, until they found our brand. Can you imagine how it feels to know that you are part of the reason why a person changes how he or she views himself for the rest of his or her life? It’s amazing. Our supporters say, “Please don’t stop.” They say, “Keep pushing so

that life will be easier for my children or grandchildren.”

yet more of Team SommaBaby

Q: Any future projects besides the t shirts? 

A: Yes. I am in meetings as we speak, discussing our next moves for the upcoming quarter. Right now, we are keeping our focus on the t-shirts but we definitely have

plans to move into some other arenas in the future. We will also be focusing on imparting some more into our community because we always want to fulfill our mission to help nurture and edify the community we serve.

Okay, Hip Hapa Homeez, here’s the 411 on where to get your SommaBaby t-shirts. Just click the links:

website: www.sommababy.com

Etsy: SommaBabyClothingCo (one word)

Facebook: e-commerce link

wholesale orders, email: sommababyclothingco@gmail.com

Good news, HHH! We recently passed the 1000th viewing of our War Brides of Japan video on YouTube. We thank you for sharing the link to our documentary project. Don't forget, we have a version two. You can also check out our Facebook page to stay updated. In fact, if you’re on Facebook, you can check out Watermelon Sushi and Hapa*Teez, too. And, you can send a request for membership in our Hip Hapa Homeez group where we share discussions about mixed-race, multiethnic, transracial adoptee, interracial relationship, and culture-crossing communities. Here’s a list of all our links.

Watermelon Sushi

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook

Hapa*Teez t-shirts

Hapa*Teez on Facebook

War Brides of Japan v.2

War Brides of Japan

War Brides of Japan on Facebook

Twitter: watermelonsushi

Until next time, I will always be

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

A Celtic Samurai, A Hapa Haole, A MexiCali, An Afro Asian, And Hapa*Teez on YouTube

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

Have you checked out our Hapa*Teez video on YouTube? Remember to send us a photo of yourself wearing one of our t-shirts (which supports our Watermelon Sushi film) to be included in the new video we’re currently producing. Here's the old one:

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

Your Hip Hapa continues to be amazed by the many halfies, hapas, mixies and multi-cultis among us these days. Recently, while traveling long distance, I met an authentic ‘hapa haole’ named Meilani. ‘Hapa’ is Hawai’ian pidgin for ‘half’. ‘Ha-ole’ means literally ‘without sacred breath’—‘ha’ for breath expelled in front of Hawai’ian kings and ‘ole’ for nothing. The first visitors to Hawai’i were unaware of the custom so were thought to have no breath to expel. Children born to them and Native Hawai’ians were then called ‘hapa haole’—half ‘without sacred breath’.

Your Hip Hapa with Meilani

Besides being a writer and publisher, my new friend Meilani has a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawai’ian) mother and Irish American father. Although she’d been living in the Northwest, she was headed back to her kama’aina (child of the land) roots and her mother. Another woman I met on my travels was MexiCali, half Mexican and half white growing up in California. Admittedly, she lived a more ‘white life’ due to lack of exposure to her other culture, which she’s now actively exploring. On this same trip, I also met with the intriguing Grace Etsuko Lee. An AfroAsian with a Japanese mother and a father from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Grace has published a book about her life and is now involved in our War Brides of Japan documentary. More about Grace below.

More and more, we are living on a multi-culti planet filled with hapa haoles, MexiCalis, AfroAsians and Celtic Samurais like Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu, a consulting professor and published writer, who is this month’s featured Hip Hapa Homee. I first met Stephen at the Hapa Japan Conference 2011 in Berkeley where he was ‘talking story’.

Stephen's Mom and Dad

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

A: My parents met in Tokyo after the war. So, I was born in Occupied Japan, as were my two older sisters. My father was a reluctant, former American soldier who had luckily never engaged in combat and had left the military as soon as he could. He remained in Japan and was working at GHQ, where MacArthur’s office was, when he met my mother. Somehow, my mother had managed to learn enough English during the war years as a college student to get a job as an interpreter. They shared a love of literature and music, and started dating and considered marriage. However, they encountered numerous roadblocks that delayed the legal aspects of marriage and, by the time I was born, they’d had two girls who, by the nationality laws, were born as Shigematsu, and Japanese. My parents were legally married when I was born so I became a Murphy, and an American. My grandparents were open-minded about all of this, and we lived with them in Tokyo from the time before my sisters were born. All they cared about, they told me, was that my dad respected them and my mother, and he did, so that was enough.

Q: How did you grow up?

The Shigematsu-Murphy's

A: My dad stayed in Japan eight years, but eventually wanted to return to the States. His parents, who had emigrated from Ireland, had died but he had sisters and brothers in Massachusetts so that’s where we went and settled. My Japanese grandparents were devastated to lose us, as my mother was an only child and we were their only grandchildren, but it seems that everyone thought that it was better to raise mixed-race kids in the U.S. Where we lived in Western Massachusetts was a hostile environment, but tolerable because we were only one Japanese family and no threat to anyone. I endured vicious treatment, but survived through my own resilience, my pride in being Japanese, and the support of friends.

While I never met any other Japanese or other Asians, my association with blacks in high school was crucial in helping me to get over the desire to be white. I became empowered as they were during the “Black Power” days and left the U.S. to re-embrace my roots on what became an extended journey of twenty years in which I became Japanese in every way, including naturalizing as a Japanese citizen and working for the Japanese government. In my own mind, I had always been Japanese and was simply rediscovering a “surrendered identity” and realizing my wholeness.

Q: How has teaching on two continents helped you to realize your own ethnic identity?

A: Becoming a counselor and teacher in both countries of my heritage has enriched my life beyond belief. I have been immersed in both cultures at the deepest and most intimate levels, nourishing me with “soul food”. I find myself in both places and embrace each for its contribution to my wholeness. Of course, in each I also find myself displaced and a stranger, and I must also deal with this, accepting a sense of homelessness and my position as a marginal person who brings something of value to each by virtue of who I am in relation to that culture.

Q: What about your involvement in teaching medicine?

A: My role in medicine is trying to bring together the areas of health humanities and cultural sensitivity. This means using cultural awareness as a means of keeping alive the human side of health care. To me, the focus on cultural differences can be a pathway to the realization that we need to remain open to the uniqueness of the person before us, whether this is in a clinical encounter or just on the street. We need to be cognizant of our limited ways of seeing others, in stereotypes, in quick judgments based on physical cues, and be mindful of overcoming these views so that we can empathize and engage with the individuals we encounter.

The Celtic Samurai

Q: Talk about your oral storytelling and The Celtic Samurai.

A: A few years ago I started to tell stories to a live audience. I called it The Celtic Samurai: A Boy's Transcultural Journey. Writing is a lonely job and I desired to get together with people in a more interactive way by connecting through telling our stories. I tell stories that are deeply personal, but also connect to the political so that they are not just my stories in a self-indulgent way, but are the stories of others as well. To me this is the challenge, to make it less ego-driven and more service-driven by offering a story that resonates with the stories of others. Storytelling is perhaps a mid-life transition from a pattern of reserved, self-deprecating behavior exacerbated by the inhibiting forces of racist treatment to a desire to take the stage, to present myself openly and authentically.

Q: What about your writing career?

Stephen today

A: Much of my work is still writing, which I find deeply rewarding in the sense that I believe we find meaning in life by discovering what we do well simply by virtue of who we are and then working hard at it. I can listen well and I can write so I listen to people’s stories and I write them down, asking myself what they meant to me in hopes that they mean something to someone else, too. I wrote a book of "clinical ethnographies" called Multicultural Encounters which were case narratives from my counseling practice with clients of diverse cultural backgrounds.

I also published it in Japanese and that is something I have valued doing. I published another book in Japanese, which translates as Amerasian Children: An Unknown Minority Problem.  I felt it was important to reach Japanese readers so I published with a trade press, which made the book available to the general public. It also led to a portion of the book being reprinted in a nationally used middle school social studies textbook introducing minorities and human rights.

I just completed a book called When Half is Whole. The image on the cover is a half moon. So the metaphor is rich and open to interpretation, but to me it shows the ways in which we are fragmented by society and lose touch with our wholeness. People see only part of who we are and assume that is all there is. In reality, there is much more than can be seen by the naked eye. Our own limitations prevent us from seeing all that exists, in ourselves and in others. So healing is a journey toward wholeness, connecting to, finding meaning in, realizing and embracing all of our parts and our inherent wholeness. I interviewed some extraordinary people and wrote their stories of how their ethnic identity plays a role in wellness.

I have another book coming out at the same time called Synergy, Healing and Empowerment. It applies the concept of synergy to education and health, integrating knowledge from traditional and modern sources to creative developments in which seemingly disparate parts come together in a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The book shows how synergy is expressed in identities and communities. Besides books, I write essays for academic journals about health and illness. I also have a blog I call Multicultural Family that is fun to write.

Q: And, you’re a consultant, too.

A: Yes, in a strange development that shows that life is stranger than fiction I have become a cultural trainer for the U.S Military. The still numerous and vast military bases in Japan employ thousands of Japanese and there are predictable problems between them and their American bosses. A few years back, the Marines identified me, because of my Japanese and American backgrounds and knowledge of cultural psychology, as an ideal person to work in bringing the two groups together. So that is what I do, basically teaching mutual respect and treating each other with dignity by modeling those value and behaviors. This is another meaningful way to use my background as Japanese and American.

Domo arrigatou gozaimasu, Stephen. 

Here are links to the Celtic Samurai’s website and blog:

http://www.murphyshigematsu.com

His books:

http://www.amazon.com/When-Half-Whole-Multiethnic-Identities/dp/0804775184

http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=6620

http://www.amazon.com/Multicultural-Encounters-Narratives-Counseling-Foundations/dp/0807742589/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1

His creds:

http://bioethics.stanford.edu/people/resumes/Murphy-Shigematsu.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murphyshigematsu

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smshige

Your Hip Hapa with Grace Etsuko Lee

As for Grace, we’ll be interviewing her in the near future. In the interim, here are links to her website:

www.GraceLeeInternational.com

www.LittleCaterpillar.com

Finally, a shout-out to Pat S. for hosting, and for her Japanese Hawai’ian aloha. Mahalo nui loa, watashi-wa tomodachi.

Remember to join us at our Facebook Hip Hapa Homeez group page to discuss being mixed-race, multiethnic, interracially involved, transracially adopted and more. You can also join the Watermelon Sushi movement by “liking” our pages and checking out our various websites:

Watermelon Sushi

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook

Hapa*Teez t-shirts

Hapa*Teez on Facebook

War Brides of Japan v.2

War Brides of Japan

War Brides of Japan on Facebook

Twitter: watermelonsushi

Aloha nui loa until next month.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

HAPA Summer Reading With Lise Funderburg

HAPA Summer, Hip Hapa Homeez! Whether you’re beaching, picnicking or sunning and funning, Your Hip Hapa wishes you good times beyond your wildest dreams. And, while you’re basking in the season’s pleasures, check out our ‘hot fun in the summer time’ suggestions.

One idea is to watch the latest slideshow promo of our documentary War Brides of Japan that we’re busy working on now. With award-winning filmmaker Jessica Chen Drammeh (http://anomalythefilm.com/) as our Consulting Producer, we’re destined to succeed.

To stay updated with our project, just 'like' the War Brides of Japan fan page on Facebook. And, in case you missed it, here’s the original 30-second spot, one of three finalists in the Snipler Competition sponsored by FilmBreak.

Or, for better resolution, watch it on OneNewMedia:

author Lise Funderburg

If your preference is for summertime reading, one of my favorite books about the mixed race experience is Black, White, Other: Biracial Americans Talk About Race and Identity by Lise Funderburg. Coincidentally, Lise is our featured Hip Hapa Homee this month. Here’s her website: http://www.lisefunderburg.com

Q: Lise, how did your parents meet?

A: My parents, Marjorie Lievense Funderburg (white) and George Funderburg (black), met in a Quaker Housing cooperative in Philadelphia in the 1950s. She was there for the cheap rent and the ideology. He was there for the cheap rent.

Q: How did you grow up?

A: My two sisters and I were raised a few blocks from that housing co-op, in an unusually mixed neighborhood called Powelton Village. I think it was a perverse experience to grow up there, in the sense that it didn't represent the majority of communities I found when I went out into the world as an adult. The best kind of perverse, that is.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

A: I have to say it happened to me rather than me planning and plotting it from an early age, like so many of the writers I admire have done. It was simply something I was good at, and over the years and through various types of jobs, I just kept inclining in that direction. Finally, I found myself at age 30 wanting to commit more firmly to a worklife direction, and this was it. My commitment was a serious one, and I work hard at the craft, trying vigilantly to better my skills every time I put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard).

Q: In my opinion, Black, White, Other...is the definitive book about being mixed in America. No one before had captured the mixed person's story the way you did for me. What motivated you to tackle this subject?

A: Thanks (blushing)! The book started out as a radio documentary, a master's thesis for Columbia Journalism School. It was a reaction against the historical pathologizing and stereotyping of the mixed race experience. Basically, I wanted to complicate the national discussion about race by giving voice to the many ways in which this (seemingly monolithic) group of people experienced it...on both the personal and public levels. 

Q: On the other hand, your book Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home--A Memoir is a very personal account of your family. How difficult was it writing that book compared to collecting stories for Black, White, Other...?

A: Black, White, Other...was a collection of oral histories, so that work was dominated by listening and interviewing, then careful, careful editing. Oral histories are no joke, which is to say, it's no small thing to be entrusted with someone's personal stories, and even in the editing of a single word or punctuation mark, you have to act out of great respect and with tremendous sensitivity for preserving his/her voice and point of view. My own writing was limited to the essays that opened each chapter, and the task of each essay was to set the context for the subject at hand. I tried putting more personal material into those essays, but I kept finding they overwhelmed the oral histories. I believe that had something to do with their being associated with the authority of the book's narrator versus being in any way more spectacular. So I cut them out.

Pig Candy, on the other hand, was both harder and easier for the fact that I didn't have to listen to anyone but myself in choosing its content. You're freer, but you're also limitless.

I did much more reporting for Pig Candy, whether it was interviewing my dad and his contemporaries, stone fruit experts, maritime historians, farmers, old school chums, etc. I also had to choose, constantly, what I was willing to share versus what experiences or emotions were too private or too undigested. The writer Phillip Lopate says that when we're writing first-person nonfiction, we are creating our narrative selves through a process of subtraction, and indeed, the Lise in Pig Candy is the Lise “I” think the reader needs to know in order to understand what's going on. That said, it's about economy versus subterfuge, and the parts of me that seemed important were fully and honestly disclosed to the absolute best of my ability. I also worked hard to be as honest about my father as possible.

young Lise with her dad

One thing that's interesting to me about feedback on the book is that while most people seem to get the multilayered personality of my father and our relationship, some have super-strong and fairly two-dimensional takes on him. What pleasantly surprises me is that I don't feel offended or hurt by that, partly because I recognized with Black, White, Other...that once you put your book out in the world, it becomes many books, the property of each of its readers, and your take is only one, no more or less authoritative than theirs. I also feel like I did my absolute best to render the truths that I know, and my faith in that is deeply satisfying.

Q: Please explain why you're an advocate for the humane treatment of Thai elephants.

A: Most humans find these giant land mammals intriguing, and I had the opportunity to learn about them years ago when I was asked to write about a Tennessee refuge for (the now defunct) Hallmark Magazine. Fast forward to last year, when I had the opportunity to pitch an adventure travel story for MORE magazine. I suggested going to a highly unusual elephant park in Thailand, where I'd be allowed to interact with the animals in ways that were strictly forbidden in Tennessee. I have to admit that in addition to my curiosity and desire to be in physical proximity to the elephants, I also wanted to be in physical proximity to a 95% Buddhist culture, Thai textiles and Thai food. All of it was fantastic; none of it disappointed.

Q: Any plans for future books?

A: I'm finishing up an eBook version of Black, White, Other...with some updated content and a celebrity guest foreword, due to come out in fall 2012. Also, I'm looking for ways to write more about my dad's hometown in rural Georgia, which I came to love after working on Pig Candy. Stay tuned!

Well, Hip Hapa Homeez. Summers are sweet, but short, and all too soon we’ll be back to gloomy, doomy winter days. Until then, get yourself a Hapa Teez t-shirt to remind yourself of HAPA-ier times in the sun. And, you can support the Watermelon Sushi film while earning a rear crawl credit on it. You can also 'like' our Hapa Teez Facebook page and join our Hip Hapa Homeez group where we discuss being multiethnic, interracially involved, transracially adopted or crossing cultures—no matter what the season.

Carol

Cassie

Ejiro

Eva

Julia

Rob

Teri

HAPA Summer!

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi