Nothing HAPA-ning Here

Aloha Hip Hapa Homeez,

Well, it’s finally HAPA-ened. Here we are on the first Wednesday of the month, ready for publication, and there’s no interviewee to publish.

MGM Kahlil Crawford

Apologies to all our readers, and mahalo nui loa for liking our Facebook pages (Watermelon Sushi, Hapa*Teez, War Brides of Japan) and following our social media accounts (twitter). You guys rock!

If any of you have an interesting story to tell, drop us a line. Whether you’re of mixed ethnicity, a transracial adoptee, in an interracial relationship, or someone who crosses cultures, we want to talk to you!

Meanwhile, let’s revisit a Hip Hapa Homee from the past who was featured here earlier this year, multi-generationally mixed-race Kahlil Crawford.

Here’s a quick update. Since February, he's founded a startup called http://kinortec.com. When asked what he’d like us to know about it, Kahlil replied: “The new start-up was inspired by a bank executive who believed my approach to IT Consulting warranted a larger platform.”

Congratulations, Kahlil!

Rob Lee

Meanwhile, our producer at large, Rob Lee, has been busy campaigning on behalf of Hapa*Teez. Check him out in his BlacKorean tee.

Here’s the vid clip that features our t-shirts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBIMaJUljjI

Speaking of vids, if you’ve never been to Hawai’i--land of the cultural melting pot--here’s a little taste for you. We call it Hapa Luau. Hapa feasting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K04-gRSs29Y

Until we meet again, please visit our Watermelon Sushi website and join us at Hip Hapa Homeez on Facebook for some pretty darn interesting discussions.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

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

Anzu, FGM v. MGM, And Upcoming Watermelon Sushi Events

Hey Hip Hapa Homeez,

I'm so hapa to hear from so many of you! As promised, each week I'll be posting stories and photos about you and your mixed-race experiences.

This week, allow me to introduce Anzu (aka Anzu Kristina Lawson). A very talented Los Angeles-based musician, actress and comedienne, Anzu is half Japanese and half Caucasian. Check out her story and accompanying pix, below:

"This is my parents', John and Keiko Lawson's, wedding photo taken in Japan. I was born seven months after it was taken. My dad was a G.I. stationed in Japan after the Korean war. My parents are divorced now. There was definitely a language barrier between them, but they managed to make two pretty cool daughters. My father fought prejudice because my mother was Japanese and Pearl Harbor was still fresh in people's minds, especially in Oregon. I remember my mother really craving Japanese food and having boxes of seaweed, noodles, pickled radish and condiments shipped from Japan by her relatives. Back in those days, they didn't have very many ethnic food stores like they do today. The ONE thing my parents had in common was that they both loved music. That passion was something they gave me, from both of them, besides their wonderful genes. I have a single out on itunes that is available under ANZU called TWO WRONGS. It's a rock duet featuring Sonny, the lead singer from the band P.O.D. (Columbia Records)."

Now, back to that FGM (First Generation Multi-racials, or Mulattos) v. MGM (Multi Generation Multi-racials) debate. Here's a response from Chancellor Files:

"I read the Watermelon Sushi World blog, and what Yayoi wrote about the FGM and MGM world that you (Kahlil Crawford) introduced her to. There are serious tensions between the two camps. I feel from what I’m seeing and hearing is that some FGM's are frustrated because there are light-skinned MGM's who look just as mulatto, and sometimes even lighter in complexion, than many biracials. They feel this helps FGM's remain seen as black because people are so used to seeing light-skinned MGM's.

Some FGM's are sad because light-skinned MGM's are lighter than some of them and, therefore, seen as mixed when the darker biracials are just seen as black first and mixed second. This is something that needs to be talked about among mixed-race people who are FGM's and MGM's.

This is why there is a forum so people can discuss these issues. This topic will come up eventually again, and it should."

And, still on that subject, I received the following from AllPeople Gifts:

"Hi Yayoi,

After having read your great article found at your website via the following link

http://watermelonsushiworld.blogspot.com/2009/05/susans-story-fgm-v-mgm-rain-brown-girl.html

in which you discussed the matter of MGM-Mixed and FGM-Mixed lineages, I thought you might be interested in learning about and becoming familiar with, as well as possibly joining, any or all of three (3) Mixed-Lineage discussion groups listed below.

Thus, we would like you to view this memo as a very cordial invitation to take a look at and to perhaps also consider joining and becoming a member (via either ‘active posting’ and/or ‘quiet perusal’) of any or all of the three (3) groups --- as we would be very honored to have you join in with us and our online communities."

The groups are as follows:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MGM-Mixed

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FGM-Mixed

Hey, Hip Hapa Homeez, we're getting close to the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival taking place in Los Angeles in June. Don't forget to stop by to check out our Mixed-Race Relationships panel including Sam Cacas, Sachiko Jackson and Ann Carli. If you'd like a program schedule, drop me an email at hiphapa@comcast.net

That same weekend, Watermelon Sushi producers will be auditioning talent for our film. If you haven't already sent us your reels, headshots and resumes, it's too late. But if you'd like to be considered for a role without auditioning, go to the Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook for breakdowns. Remember, rapper Miwa Lyric will be in the house!

Oh, and my good friend Amina asked that I post the following:

"Share your experience as a person of mixed heritage with MixedChild.com, an online community celebrating the achievements of multiracial people. All are welcome - from childhood experiences to dating, beauty, family and inspiration for your art/career– tell us your story!

Contact:

info@mixedchild.com

Please include your name, contact details (email or phone number) and best time to reach you . We can either arrange a phone interview or you can send us an essay written in first-person."

Until next time, I am and will always be...

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Susan's Story, FGM v. MGM, Rain, Brown Girl, And Lily

One of the reasons I love being Your Hip Hapa is because of the caliber of connections I make. Every week, I receive wonderfully encouraging emails from other hip hapa homeez and from the friends and families of hip hapa homeez, too.

Since I've been mostly blogging about my own adventures here in my Watermelon Sushi World, I think it's time to showcase some of yours. So, meet Susan Stead-Carter. Here is a brief intro, in her words:

"I am also Japanese and black American. My parents were married in 1959, and my dad, Roland F. Stead, Jr., was a serviceman. My mother, the former Teruko Nishina, was from Fukuoka Japan. Although I was born in the U.S., I moved to Japan when I was nearly two when my dad was reassigned from Ft. Lewis to Korea. I lived in Japan for the next 10 years with my mother while dad served various assignments. To make sure I lived a stable life, we lived in various parts of Japan (sometimes with relatives, other times on base) until my dad got his orders in 1974. I was very Japanese then as far as culture was concerned (I was fluent), but my parents made me very aware that most Japanese would not consider me as such. Although I lived in a protected environment of an Army base when I first moved to the states, I was not prepared for the isolation I felt when, after dad retired, I moved to an area where there were very few black Americans. And, I was even more unprepared when I was not accepted by them."

Currently, Susan lives with her husband and three sons in Virginia. She has generously shared photos (here) of her parents taken in Beppu Fukuoka in 1953, as well as one of herself in grade school.

If you're interested in having your multiracial story told on this blog, please drop me a line along with some photos at hiphapa@comcast.net

A few days ago, I began reading Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home by Lise Funderburg. I can't believe my incredible good fortune in winning this book in a contest that Lise held on her website. If you're not familiar with this author, she wrote Black, White, Other--a book about mixed folks with black and white parents. In my opinion, it is the most definitive book about biracial people as it's told in their own words accompanied by their photos. I'll let you know what unfolds in Lise's latest--a memoir about her late father.

Speaking of black and white, Kahlil Crawford, a multiracial activist has been clueing me in on issues between FGM's and MGM's. FGM stands for First Generation Mulatto while MGM is for Multi-Generational Mulatto. From what I've gathered, there's resentment between the two camps as FGM's have one white parent and one black, and generally feel free to identify themselves as biracial, while MGM's tend to be considered light-skinned blacks no matter how multiracial they may be or feel. Examples I read about indicated that Halle Berry is considered an FGM while Vanessa Williams is an MGM. It's a new world to me, and I'm learning as I go. If any of you have anything to add to this topic, please drop me a line at hiphapa@comcast.net

Just today, I received an email from my delightful friend Rain Pryor, a talented writer and performer. Here's the link to her latest show titled Colorism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeoE9kX6s9A

Rain's mother is Jewish, and her father is the late comedian and actor Richard Pryor. You pour, Rain!

Hey, I'm so HAPA to see so many of us putting our multiracial agendas out there. A few days ago, my Oak-town friend, Jazmine Jackson, turned me on to http://www.OneBrownGirl.com

In a few weeks, a piece I've written will be posted there, but for now you can go to Tracey's website and participate in a poll about mixed-race people. Just click "Other Stuff" on the landing page to take the survey.

Wow! I cannot believe I spent four hours on the phone last night with Lily Anne Yumi Welty. This Japanese and Caucasian student is currently in Japan doing research for her Ph.d dissertation on mixed-race Japanese. Her interview with me was a blast as we yapped, joked and compared notes about our hapaness. Lily is looking for any half Japanese folks who were born between the 1940's-1960's. If that describes you, email her at lywelty@umail.ucsb.edu and tell Lily that Your Hip Hapa sent you.

Well, that's about all the news that's fit to print for now. I may be in need of a panelist for the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival in LA in June, so drop me a line at hiphapa@comcast.net if you're multiracial and would like to be considered.

We're also going to be auditioning talent in L.A. in June. If you're an actor, check out the group page for Hip Hapa Homeez on Facebook. You can see the breakdowns and audition information posted there. Rapper and Music Consultant Miwa Lyric will be assisting us, so come on out and meet Downey's down diva! http://www.miwalyric.com

Remember, for those of you fiending to be a part of our Watermelon Sushi film, we still have Hapa*Teez t-shirts available at http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez

Finally, here's to HAPA-ness for everyone, and a special shout-out to Brian Parker who remembered my birthday with a really cool card.

Peace out, ya'll.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Arf! When Will The One Drop Rule Cease?!?

Okay, hip hapa homeez, I'm still recovering from film festival festivities so I'll just leave you with this thought tonight.

After a friend alerted me to the link below (thanks, Kahlil!),

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081108/ap_on_el_pr/mutts_like_me

I read the story with a shake of my head. Evidently, our new hip hapa homee prez recently referred to himself as a "mutt". I know a lot of you do that, too. But my question to AP reporter Alan Fram is this: Dude, can you not do the math?

Here is a direct quote from his article:

"By now, almost everyone knows that Obama's mother was white and father was black, putting him on track to become the nation's first African-American president."

Besides hyphenating African American (does anyone still do that?), reporter Fram obviously struggles with elementary mathematics. In case you missed it, let me run that by you again:

"...mother was white and father was black...the nation's first African-American president."

If being half white and half black equals one African American then why doesn't half white and half black equal one Caucasian? 'nuff said. I'm off to Hapawood where hip hapa homeez rule!

Oh, yeah. Now that's a real mutt in the pix above.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Hapa*Teez Hollahs!

Important Announcement:

Hapa*Teez is searching for models who have purchased one of its t-shirts. If that describes you, hollah back at hiphapa@comcast.net. We'd like to post a photo of you wearing your t-shirt both on this blog and on the upcoming, updated version of the Watermelon Sushi website.

Now, on to some news about us blendies. This week, Essence magazine posted an online article about biracial actress Karyn Parsons. You may remember her from tv's The Fresh Prince playing the clueless and self-absorbed Hillary. However, Parsons comes across in the interview as the complete opposite of her spoiled character. Instead of being the airhead that Hillary was, Parsons appears to be quite intelligent as she discusses motherhood and what inspired her to write a book about black history. Although her second husband is white like her father, Parsons has a strong sense of her mother's African roots. Yet, the readers' comments that followed her story were incredible. Evidently, there are a lot of angry feelings in the community among mono-racial people who just don't get the biracial experience. While it's true that slavery of Africans by Europeans is to blame for the color-struck attitudes among some of us, we've reached a time in history when we should know that and move beyond it. Some readers even questioned Parsons' right, given her mixed-race heritage, to address black issues! Unbelievable. Yet, in a way, some of their attitudes are understandable given the horrific incidents that still occur to some blacks today.

For instance, several days later, I read about the murder of an African American woman by a hitman who was hired by her Indian husband's father. That's right, Indian as in India. Now, I know you've seen some Indians who are as African-looking as folks from the Continent. And, it's clear that the geographical locations of the subcontinent and Africa are close enough that it's plausible there were travelers bouncing from one locale to another mixing and mingling. Yet this lighter-skinned Indian man felt that his brown African American daughter-in-law was so beneath his son--even after she gave birth to his granddaughter--that he hired someone to kill her. How can hatred, fostered by differences in skin color, still exist in the year 2008? Why do we still have a caste system based on something that no one can help?

Was I on the receiving end of any good news this week? Sure, there were plenty of kind people out there who encouraged and supported my hip hapa agenda. Thanks to Anjulie and Jamilla, Kim of Tacoma, Jaz of the International Black Film Festival of Nashville, rapper Miwa Lyric, Michelle of the WWII War Brides Association, Ms. Lucy of Kailua, the Mixed Chicks, Kahlil Crawford (pictured above), and many more folks that I've probably inadvertently omitted (apologies!).

In spite of the tragedies and continued misunderstandings that abound about biracial, blended, hapa, mixed-race, multi-cultural and multiracial folks, we're moving forward, kids.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi