Mele Kalikimaka And Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Aloha!

No matter how you celebrate (or don't) the hollah-daze, I send you wishes of enjoyment for yourself, your family and your friends. For metaphysicians like myself, this season is really about the Winter Solstice when we've reached the end of ever-darkening days and begin to see a return to longer light-infused ones as the Sun increases its face time. As an Astrologer, I view the Capricorn Sun as effecting a serious influence on folks assessing their year about to pass and proclaiming resolutions of change for the new one coming.

Personally, what I hope to accomplish this next year is a serious presence for all multiracial people everywhere. (Please see the Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook). The insistence of major media in continuing to label Barack Obama as "the first black or African American" man to ascend the presidential throne is an affront to anyone who can count. One-half white and one-half black adds up to one mixed-race person. If Obama doesn't care to confront the issues of One Drop Rule and create an understanding of how and why this weird math is still practiced today, I swear, we mixies must unite and send him a petition to address this. Ya feel me?!?

Here's a recent article about the very subject:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081213/ap_on_re_us/obama_s_not_black

And, here's a comment in reply from Michael Shenton of London:

"Obama should thank 'former African Americans' for making his journey possible and not forget this. In actual fact, without the removal of the anti-miscegenation pact, Obama would not have been born. So, his very existence owes to this fact. As a 'mixy', I'm very proud of him. He is our first recognized pres (some argue that 5 or 6 other former pressies really were mixed). Love, Mikester."

On to other rants. Last month, I had the opportunity to screen the film Skin starring Sophie Okonedo. Based on the true story of Sandra Laing, this movie has the potential of being a great learning experience and so needs a wide release. Sandra was born to two white parents during apartheid South Africa when people were separated into categories of black, white, colored and Indian. Due to some strange genetic development, Sandra became darker-skinned and more curly-haired as she got older. Can you imagine having a white racist father as you look more Negro-ish every day? The funny thing is that Sandra's father loved his daughter and insisted that she was white and be treated as if she were. You understand, he looked down on blacks and other racial minorities while doing so. But all the same, he went to court and had his daughter officially classified as white. When Sandra ran away to be with a black man (and his people whom she felt more comfortable with), her father threatened to kill her and her lover. Here's a YouTube clip of the real Sandra Laing (keep your tissues close):

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

Last week, I wrote about Jesse B., who was upset over the casting of the new M. Night Shyamalan film based on a TV series called The Last Airbender. The story features Asian characters, but Shyamalan cast only Caucasian actors. I'm still not all that hip to what's hapa'nin' with the project, but I do have to say--lawdamercy! I had no idea how talented Ms. B. is. Check her out here:

http://burnthefatoffyoursoul.blogspot.com/

http://jbramx2.deviantart.com/

I know you're all probably anxious to return to your hapa hollah-daze, so I'll let you go. btw, new Hapa*Teez t-shirt designs will be posted over the next few days.

And, all the Xmas decos you see here are courtesy of my mother. Actually, they're from last year as I couldn't locate pix of this year's.

Mele Kalikimaka!

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

More Multi-Culti Statues, "Blackwomanface", "Yellowface", And More

Having written about the Hollywood/LaBrea statues last week, I feel like I'm on a roll. So, allow me to introduce a few more of my favorite likenesses in bronze--or whatever they're made of.

This summer, I was hanging out at my old stompin' grounds of Waikiki where one of the world's most intriguing Hip Hapa Homeez once lived. When I first moved to Honolulu in 1994, I found an apartment on Ka'iulani Avenue. Stupidly, I had no clue about the wonderful woman for whom the street was named. But that changed fast as I studied Hawai'ian language at Iolani Palace, and read everything I could find about the history of the royal family.

Today, Princess Ka'iulani claims ownership of her own triangular-shaped park on Kuhio Boulevard. Since all the shots I took of her statue remain on my vid cam, I've posted someone else's rendition of her that I saw displayed in a shop window, below.

Born to Princess Likelike, Ka'iulani was an intelligent child filled with grace. Her father, a Scotch businessman named Archibald Cleghorn, sent her abroad to be educated after her mother died when she was just 12. While Ka'iulani was gone, her aunt Lilio'kalani was deposed as Queen and Hawai'i was annexed by the U.S. Next in line for the throne, Ka'iulani travelled to America to beseech President Cleveland to restore her Kingdom, but her words were lost on Congress. Back home, Ka'iulani suffered greatly from the loss of her country and her crown, and fell ill. A beautiful woman who loved beauty, she kept peacocks as pets. It's said that at the exact moment when she died (at age 23), her peacocks screamed ceaselessly.

Another, more popular, figure in Hawai'ian culture is Duke Kahanamoku. Still, not a lot of people know that he was responsible for introducing surfing outside of Hawai'i in the 1920's. Contrary to popular belief, surfing did not start in Malibu, but was a sport many Native Hawai'ians enjoyed until, in 1821, European missionaries banned it--in Hawai'i!

A statue of Duke--the "original beach boy"--stands today on Waikiki Beach where tourists and locals alike often adorn it with long leis. A gold-medal Olympic swimming champion, the brown-skinned Duke often encountered racism on his many travels around the globe. Yet, he always remained stoically dignified even when he was shoved into stereotyped roles in Hollywood movies. A restaurant bearing Duke's name is located near his statue and, not surprisingly--at least up until 2003--I never saw anyone not Caucasian working there.

This week, I received an email from Jesse B who read my article about "yellowface" that was published many moons ago. Upset that a TV animation series, The Last Airbender, based on mostly Asian characters was being made with only Caucasian actors, she contacted me for my opinion.

Coincidentally, over the weekend, I watched the movie Norbit with my mom and her husband. While I was aware that a lot of BBB's (big, black, beautiful) sistahs were upset with the film because of Eddie Murphy's portrayal of a stereotyped overweight, angry, black woman--"blackwomanface", if you will--I was also astounded by his nerve to perform in "yellowface". If you've never seen this flick, don't. But if for some unfathomable reason you have, you must've felt like I did. First of all, Eddie don't ever try to do an "Asian" accent again. I don't know why your character had to be Chinese, but trust me, no one hailing from any existing East Asian country speaks like your Mr. Wong. If for no other reason than because of how African Americans suffered in the past by white actors playing "blackface", you should've displayed some sensitivity towards "yellowface". For shame, Eddie! But, then again, $159 million worldwide box office probably expunged you of any such feelings of disgrace.

Back to Jesse B and her distress over the upcoming film directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Since I'm not familiar with the TV show's characters, writers, or the soon-to-be-made movie, all I can say is that the only South Asian I've ever seen in a Shyamalan studio release has been him. Why is that, I wonder? I know Shyamalan probably thinks he's doing a Hitchcock number by walking onto his set and even giving himself some speaking lines. But aren't there any other actors of color who could play roles in his movies? It's the same question I want to ask another Indian American filmmaker who recently made a short with an all-white cast. Is this the film you wanted to make, or did you feel you had to make it like that because of how Hollywood continues to perpetuate racist stereotypes? Does the term self-hating come into play here, or is it all about the benjamins? Any comments, folks?

Meanwhile, things are cookin' over at Facebook. If you're there, please join our group, Hip Hapa Homeez. And, remember our Hapa*Teez t-shirts and Watermelon Sushi film, too.

http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez

http://www.watermelonsushi.com

Until next time, I promise to always be...

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi