Monday, June 30, 2025

Oops! Upside Our Heads




boy, are we red-faced

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

While not publishing our quarterly blog in March was inadvertent (we were traveling), we also recognize that our film work is overtaking our time. Therefore, we’re adapting a new schedule for awhile—at least until our movie is completed.

As of now, we’ll only be publishing a December and June blog post each year. 

This spring in Japan, we visited dozens of shrines and temples to view memorials that honored victims of tragedy. Many Japanese died during WWII, and the memorials reminded us that we are here because our ancestors survived.

Yokoamicho Park

Yokoamicho Park houses a memorial that honors both victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake that killed 100,000 citizens, as we all as the Tokyo firebombing of 1945 that killed over 100,000 civilians.

Although we experienced some somber moments, our travels also encompassed some joyful times. For one, we were able to visit with many good friends; and, one tomodachi even drove us to his Kyoto mountain village home where we fed his goats.

Meanwhile, we’re still diligently editing our Watermelon Sushi narrative, and currently have a short trailer that will post soon on Youtube. 

Please check out our website for the link as we will upload it soon: Watermelon Sushi




And, we have t-shirts!


 

Please join us on Facebook:

Watermelon Sushi
Hip Hapa Homeez
Hapa Teez T-shirts

Until December 31, we remain

Your Hip Hapa

Yayoi



Tuesday, December 31, 2024

HAPA New Year

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

your hip hapa

A serious question: Do you think that the mixed-race agenda has become obsolete?


Recently, a Moderator posted an article on Hip Hapa Homeez, a Facebook group that is for “…anyone who is biracial, blended, mestizo, mixed-race, multiethnic, transracially adopted, or who crosses cultures…” 


The posted video featured a young mixed Asian-white man complaining about not being accepted by both sides of his family.


Yawn. 


Seriously. I wondered how long this particular complaint has been around because about 25 years ago, I began writing for a plethora of publications that featured stories about the so-called “mixed-race experience”.


You might remember some of them—the pioneering Mavin magazine started by a young Korean-Irish American man in Seattle. 


There was also a fabulous internet website out of New York called SWIRL.


Additionally, there were group get togethers galore on campuses, museums and other venues. 


I believe the first mixed-race conference I attended was Hapa Issues Forum in Northridge. What an eye opener!


Later, I organized a panel for one of the annual Mixed Chicks Film and Literary Festivals in Los Angeles. That event featured numerous books and movies by and about mixed-race folks. 


One year, I traveled to Berkeley for the Hapa Japan Conference festivities where nearly every participant was half Japanese.


There seemed to be so much electricity in the air back in those days. We were all exploring our newly discovered mixed-race identities, and we were excited to share them with the world.


But over the years, it seems that we have moved on. Perhaps most mixed-race people no longer feel the need to search for validation of their identity. In fact, the young man in the video referenced above struck me as being outdated. It’s as if being mixed-race now is so common that it’s no longer a "thing".


Soon this blog, which was started in 2007, will also go the way of the dinosaur—which is not a bad thing. It just shows that we’ve progressed to no longer needing to proclaim our mixed-race heritages now that there are so many of us.


If you check out previous blog posts, you will note that there were many interviews with mixed-race actors, artists, authors, chefs, dancers, filmmakers, musicians and more. But these days, not many are promoting products exclusively for the mixed-race community.


Yayoi Clan Art banner


However, we at Watermelon Sushi World are still promoting ours. You can check us out on Redbubble and TeePublic where we offer buttons, mouse pads, phone covers posters, stickers and t-shirts.


Redbubble


Teepublic



Most of our current artwork is based on two of our films—"Tokyo Lily" and "Watermelon Sushi".


Tokyo Lily website

donor page



Watermelon Sushi website

Watermelon Sushi on Youtube

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook



Meanwhile, our “War Brides of Japan, a docu*memory” films are still available on Gumroad:


https://watermelonsushi.gumroad.com/

War Brides of Japan website
War Brides of Japan on Youtube

War Brides of Japan on Facebook


And, recently, we learned that two of our photos will participate in the Smithsonian Japanese war brides traveling exhibit:


https://www.sites.si.edu/s/topic/0TO4z000000nTALGA2/japanese-war-brides-across-a-wide-divide


Additionally, we are the lucky recipients of a “spark” grant to complete a film about veganism called “What’s on your Palate?”


What's on Your Palate?


Stay with us, kids, and have a very HAPA new year!


Your Hip Hapa,


Yayoi



Monday, September 30, 2024

Fall N2 Hapa Holidays

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

At last, we're in the process of setting up several online ‘stores’ where you can purchase our merch—like buttons, posters, stickers and t-shirts for your ‘hapa holiday’, hapas!



Under the banner of ‘YayoiClanArt’, there will be several designs for our films:
‘Tokyo Lily’, ‘War Brides of Japan’, and ‘Watermelon Sushi’; ‘hapa*teez’ for mixed-race folks, ’T_zing’ for the metaphysically inclined, ‘Vegan*Jin’ for those embracing the eating of plants and not animals; and finally, ‘Palm Island Tropical Tease’ which showcases island culture.

‘Tokyo Lily’…war bride. wife. mother. artist. poet. dancer. seamstress. home chef. …


‘War Brides of Japan’…Japanese women who married American military men after WWII endured many hardships including raising mixed-race children while navigating a new language and culture…


Watermelon Sushi’…a film about two biracial sisters that explores identity, family, love, birth and death against the backdrop of 1980’s African American hiphop and Japanese traditions…


‘hapa*teez’…for the mixed-race community, no matter how you choose to identify… 


’T_zing’…designs for spiritual folks include both Asian and Western Astrological symbols, as well as other metaphysical signs from world cultures…


‘Vegan*Jin’…art that embraces vegans and animal rights activists. the word  ‘jin’ is often used in Japanese language to denote benevolence…


‘Palm Island Tropical Tease’…a gentle ocean wave, a cooling breeze, a swaying palm; welcome to the peace & zen of caribbean & pacific islands in Tropical Tease…

YayoiClanArt is reflective of Yayoi Jidai, a period of artistic achievement in Japan. It’s believed that the Yayoi Clan crossed the Korean peninsula 2,000 years ago to settle on Honshu. Not only were they the first to cultivate rice in Japan, they were also fantastic artisans and created bronze works, especially temple bells.

Our store links below will be made clickable as soon as they become functional over the next few weeks:


RedBubble

Teepublic

Zazzle


If you made a purchase at our former Cafe Press store, then rest assured we have your donation for ‘Watermelon Sushi’ noted in our records and you will be credited on the movie. Here just a few of our generous supporters:


Andye

Teri

Cassie

Ro Lee

Carol

Eva

Julia

Ejiro

Meanwhile, in other news:


‘WAR BRIDES OF JAPAN, A DOCU*MEMORY’ can still be viewed on Gumroad. The five part series includes interviews with Japanese war brides, their husbands (and former enemies), their adult children, and their grandchildren. There’s an intro and trailer for each segment explaining the stories before you watch it.


https://watermelonsushi.gumroad.com/

War Brides of Japan website
War Brides of Japan on Youtube

War Brides of Japan on Facebook


'TOKYO LILY, A WAR BRIDE DOCU*MEMORY’ is still fundraising and still in its research stage. The story of Tokyo Lily (or Yuriko), a war bride who eventually became an artist, should be completed in 2025. Arrigatou! to all of our past donors whose names can be viewed here:


Tokyo Lily website

donor page


Tokyo Lily (left) in front of one of her paintings

‘WATERMELON SUSHI’ is in the editing stages thanks to our Executive Producer Lowell Douglas Ing. We are so proud of how the footage has held up all these years and the stellar performances of our amazing actors. The narrative will feature a vintage look with hiphop music from the mid-1980’s.

Watermelon Sushi website

Watermelon Sushi on Youtube

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook


                             selling copies of 'Watermelon Sushi' chapbook with Tokyo Lily (left) and her husband


We’re now preparing for 2025 interviews. Are you a mixie with something to say? We’re always looking for folks exploring their ethnic identity. If that describes you, drop us a note.


Have a hapa fall!


Your Hip Hapa,


Yayoi