Marvelous Miwa Lyric, Again!

This week’s Hip Hapa Homee is a long-time acquaintance of Your Hip Hapa. I like to refer to her as The Marvelous Miwa Lyric because she really is something to marvel at. A clothing designer, music producer, performer, rapper, songwriter and more, Miwa is also immensely popular—especially in Los Angeles where she currently resides. We first met because of the proliferation of emails she sent me marketing herself. Surely, I thought, anyone believing so strongly in her own skills was well worth knowing. And, I was right. Friend the friendly Miwa Lyric on Facebook or MySpace. That’s her in the photo here taken by Suzisusana.

Q: What's a nice Nissei (second-generation Japanese American) girl like you doing rapping?

A: I don't really like to be categorized as nice, or categorized at all, cause I am not really "nice". I just love music and through my childhood struggles, music is the one thing that kept me alive, literally.

Q: When did you know for sure that you wanted a career in music?

A: At the age of five.

Q: How have black audiences responded to you compared to Asian or more racially mixed ones?

A: It's rather recent that I perform in front of Asian audiences. When I first started about 12 years ago, there were not many Asians in the audience or in hiphop in general. A lot of Asian women come up to me and tell me that I inspire them to chase after their dreams--knowing the odds of me being Asian and female in hiphop. A lot of black audiences usually give me a blank look when I approach the stage. Then, when I start, they just roar up with smiles and claps. It's always a good feeling! Overall, I get a lot of surprised reactions from everyone because most people think I'm gonna go up on stage to sing, then when I start rapping they just flip out.

Q: Lately, hiphop is everywhere. It may have started out with black gangs in New York, but now even Japanese Ainu (Indigenous) are rapping. Do you think the art form is played out because it’s no longer quote, unquote, pure?

A: I feel like hiphop that calls itself hiphop nowadays has lost its message of the struggle, the movement. It seems like the newer generations have forgotten the past and where hiphop and just history in general comes from. But then again, those who are passing it down need to educate the young ones as well. Me, being in between the new school and old school, I hope to connect that. I think the new music now is a new type of hiphop but it is definitely not the "real" or "original" hiphop that it used to be.

Q: You have such a huge following in L.A. Can you explain why your fans are so devoted to you?

A: Well first off, I am different--something new and, like I mentioned earlier, I was against all odds, which gives people hope that maybe they can go after what they always wanted to try (not just music, but everything in general) but were afraid to. But I think, overall, it’s because I speak from my heart. Everything I write about are things that I want to address because of my experiences and my own personal struggles. Many can relate and those who can't, see a new perspective. I feel that whether people love me or hate me, I bring words that people can ponder about.

Q: Recently, you've been appearing in Japan. How did it feel to perform for people who look like you, but who are so different at the same time?

A: It was an amazing and scary experience. Scary because I have always heard that they don't react like us Americans do, but I proved that wrong. They were bobbing their heads and had their hands up! They showed me that music definitely connects people worldwide!

Q: Your parents don't seem like typical Japanese parents because they allow you and your sister (a fashion designer) to fully express your art. Do you have any thoughts on that?

A: I guess since they are not typical I really wouldn't know what typical defines! But my folks are both artists, and they lived the times through the war. They’ve both seen different parts of the world (dad lived in New York, mom in England), and my dad struggled through poverty and losing his parents at a young age so he never got to go to high school. My mom was definitely a "new age woman", the type of lady that escapes the "norm" and how women shouldn’t be able to do what they want. My dad was always very supportive of my music, but my mom was not. She told me that I had to prove to her that I wanted it, and I proved it to her.

Indeed you have, Marvelous Miwa Lyric. For more info on Miwa, check out the sites below:

http://www.miwalyric.com

http://www.miwakayama.com

http:// www.soulawear.com

http://www.cdbaby.net/miwalyric

http://www.itunes.com

If you Hip Hapa Homeez haven’t already, you should check out the video below. Can you believe it? After all the information educating folks about the nonsense of being color struck, here comes this travesty. I feel like I was just transported back to the plantation or something.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/09/09/sidner.india.white.skin.cnn

Anyway, please keep your comments and emails coming. A special shout-out to my girl, Mary no-last-name-please, for continuing to stay so involved with this blog.

Remember to join our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook and our Watermelon Sushi fan page, too. We’re also trying to tweet on Twitter as much as we can (honestly, we forget with all the things we have to do). And, we still have those t-shirts.

Until next week, I am…

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Passing As Mixed?

Wazzup Hip Hapa Homeez!

Wow. It's been some week with the Michael Jackson memorial taking center stage for most folks. I have to admit, though, that I've never been a fan of pop music. In fact, I'm fond of saying that I went straight from P-funk to Public Enemy. For me, it all began with da beat, but when revolutionary rap emerged with its powerful lyrics I found myself jammin' to the likes of X-Clan and KRS-1.

But back to Michael Jackson. Believe it or not, there are lots of multiracial themes woven into the fabric of this man's life story. Besides the obvious, how MJ's music reached across color lines, there's the enigma of a soulful black boy turning into a white-looking man who often appealed to Caucasians more than his own.

Then, there are the children. Several days ago, TMZ reported that Jackson's two oldest were not his biologically, but rather had been created in-vitro with Jackson's dermatologist Arnie Klein's sperm and an undisclosed egg donor before being carried by surrogate Debbie Rowe who worked for Klein. TMZ also stated that Jackson's youngest, and third, child had unknown biological parents and an anonymous surrogate mother. Eventually, I suppose the truth will be revealed, but for now what shocks me most is how hotly debated the issue is by readers of various articles and blogs. People seem to be either absolutely positive those are MJ's kids while others are adamant that they're absolutely positively not.

Personally, I have a hard time believing that the photos of the children I've seen depict biracial kids with an African American father and Caucasian mother. Of course, it's not impossible for a mixed-race child to look more like one parent than the other. But most of us mixies have an intuitive sense about others like us. We just know. And, in this case, I just ain't feelin' it. Until we find out for sure (if we ever do, and if it's even our business to) that those are MJ's biological kids, I'd like to know what you Hip Hapa Homeez think. Is it possible for an African American man (the old Michael Jackson before cosmetic surgery and contracting vitiligo) to produce three children who all look Caucasian? Leave a comment or hollah at: hiphapa@comcast.net

Earlier today, I heard from another Winfrey--no not that one, silly--who sent me the link to a Japanese and African American singer who was set to tour with Michael Jackson in England. What rotten luck! The friend, Asani Winfrey, and I interestingly share many acquaintances yet I'd never heard of this artist Judith Hill that she turned me on to. Check her out:

http://www.judithhillmusic.com/

Although Judith Hill and Killah Chan are poles apart musically, it's interesting to note how both cross cultures--Japanese and African American. If you missed her the first time I posted it, here's rapper Christal Webb courtesy of YouTube:

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

Several weeks ago, I reviewed a couple of movies at the Seattle International Film Festival. One film, Apron Strings, directed by Samoan filmmaker Sima Urale is about a biracial South Asian and Caucasian man searching for the Indian side of his family. Somewhat similar in tone to Gurrinder Chadha's What's Cookin'?, Apron Strings is told around the theme of food. Here's the link to my review:

http://www.filmfestivaltoday.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143:seattle-international-film-festival-may-21-june-14-2009&catid=38:fft-festival-coverage&Itemid=55

The MixedChild.com website is up and Your Hip Hapa is featured in an interview with Amina S:

http://www.mixedchild.com/PROFILES/YayoiPictures/Yayoi_Lena_Winfrey.htm

Finally, if you haven't already seen this article I penned about the New Race Politics for OneBrownGirl, here it is:

http://www.onebrowngirl.com/page.php?pageno=bgw5

Remember to join our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook. And, don't forget about our film, Watermelon Sushi, and Hapa-Teez t-shirts. Oh, and that picture above? That's "The Thai Elvis Presley" (in red behind the statue) who recently entertained our dining party at a Hollywood Thai Restaurant. Talk about cross cultural! My fellow diners are in the two photos below: rapper Miwa Lyric with Kiyoshi Parker, and spoken-word artist Yun-Sook Kim Navarre.

Until next time, I am...

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

A Lonely Planet When You're A Fish Out Of Water

Today, while I was screening a Chinese-made film titled 24 City, it really hit me how homogenized that country's citizens are. I kept trying to put myself into the picture and wondering how I would fit in living somewhere where everyone looked like everyone else, except me. Certainly, I have felt that before in America, especially whenever I've attended a particular event that didn't draw other folks of color. But on a daily basis for the rest of my life? I'd be crazed.

I remember visiting Japan with my mother and sister years ago. We spent nearly a month traveling in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, etc. At first, it was absolutely fascinating to attempt deciphering the language that I heard all around me. Even with a Japanese mother from Japan, I only know mostly nouns so I was trying to pick up on entire phrases. But after awhile, to my shock, I began to miss the sound of English which I only heard whenever my sister and I were having a conversation. Most of the time, she and I were together. So, I did have someone to talk to without having to search for the correct Japanese words to communicate. Still, there was a deep sense of loneliness that enveloped me whenever we were out in public and I couldn't understand anyone else around me. That's a picture of my sister in Tokyo, above.

Being that one different person in any group can be an uncomfortable experience. But most monoracial people don't have to deal with that situation unless they travel outside of their communities. Not long ago, I asked a good friend of mine--who happens to be a monoracial Caucasian man--if he wanted to attend a black arts festival in Atlanta with me. Now, I've known this friend for years. We often talk politics and he considers himself extremely liberal and progressive. Besides visiting each other in our respective home states, we've also travelled to other distant locales to attend various events. So, I was totally unprepared when he answered my question with, "No. I don't think I'd be comfortable at a black festival." I was stunned and replied, "So how do you think I should feel? I have to be a person of color every day when I walk out my door, and where I live 75% of the population is white. Should I just stay in the house so I don't have to feel uncomfortable?" My friend didn't answer. I really don't believe he understood what I was getting at, and it really saddened me because if someone as bright and aware as he is doesn't get it, then there's no hope for the rest of humankind. Or, is there?

Hey, we're moving closer to making our Watermelon Sushi film. In June, we'll be auditioning talent for the principal roles. So, if you live in L.A., please be sure to send your reels, resumes and headshots according to the breakdowns on the Hip Hapa Homeez group page at Facebook. That way, we can schedule you for an audition. Most likely, auditions will be held in Hollywood and the fabulous nissei rapper Miwa Lyric will be on hand to assist (www.miwalyric.com).

Shout-outs to Lily Anne Welty for sending the DVD about Japanese/black kids in Japan. I'll report on it as soon as I watch it. btw, if you're in Asia and you're AfroAsian and you're interested in being interviewed by Lily Anne, let me know. She's on a search for biracial babies born between the 1940's through the 1960's.

Mahalo nui loa also to Paulette Thompson for remembering that The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai had "good" aliens that were all of color and "bad" aliens that were all monoracial Caucasians named John. Paulette also sent me two links that I'll try to post next time. One of her comments was that actress Meg Tilly was born Margaret Chan, but after her white mother divorced her Chinese American father, Meg was taught to keep her Asian ethnicity a secret. The other is about a woman in an interracial relationship.

Now, here's an interesting article that flips the script. It's about a black family who adopted a white child.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/194886/page/1

In honor of my transracial adoptee buddy, Anjulie, I have posted her beautiful-ness, above.

One Love!

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

Tissue, Toilet Paper, Miwa And Anjulie

Several days ago, my good friend Miwa Lyric presented me with a gift that she had brought all the way from Japan. Nestled inside a small, plastic, pink pouch was a package of thin tissue paper for removing oil from ladies' faces. Both cute and functional, the tissues sparked a conversation regarding various Japanese customs.

A third person sitting with us that day had never been to Japan, and was surprised to hear that Japanese public toilets offer no paper towels with which to dry one's hands. Instead, Japanese carry their own private handkerchiefs with which they pat their wet hands. When you think about it, using one's own hanky is much more sanitary considering that one avoids dispensing a paper towel from a machine that's dripping with the mixture of water and germs left by the previous person. Which brings me to this...what is up with Asians and toilet paper?

At first, I thought it was just our family. I mean, my mother literally walks around with a roll of toilet paper that she uses primarily to blow her nose. She's always had bad sinuses so she's always been stuffed up. But, what's wrong with using a box of tissues? Is she just being thrifty (in only the way that Asians can be) by not purchasing tissues because she already has toilet paper in the house?

One day as I was riding a bus, I happened to look down at the car next to us. There, through the back window I spotted a roll of toilet paper sitting on the rear dashboard. "Hmm," I said to myself silently. "I bet they're Asian." When the bus pulled up ahead of the car, I could see clearly that the family was Asian. Big surprise.

Speaking of surprises, I recently saw a thought-provoking indie film that posed many intelligent questions. Medicine for Melancholy is about two African Americans who find themselves facing each other following a drunken one-night stand. At one point, the male questions the female about relationships and wonders why blacks seem to always cling to whites when it comes to interracial pairings. Why, he asked, don't we ever see a black woman with an Asian man? I wonder that a lot myself. If you know, please drop me a comment.

And, thanks everyone for your support. If you bought a Hapa*Teez t-shirt, please let me know if you'd like to submit a photo of yourself wearing one for this blog as well as for the Watermelon Sushi website.

As for the photo above, that's my sweet buddy Anjulie, a transracial adoptee whom I met several years ago at Occidental College. She'll be visiting this week and filling me in on all her mad adventures. This pix was taken while she was touring Ghana.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Marvelous Miwa Lyric

Can you stand to read yet another hapa birthday blog? Among my many friends and acquaintances, it seems, I can count lots of spring babies.

One special child is the marvelous Miwa Lyric who shares my birthday--only she was born several decades after me. In spite of her tender age, Miwa is wise and filled with the kind of compassion that is available to others only as they grow older. But Miwa seems to have been born that way. She's a writer, a rapper, a social activist and, she even designs clothes. Wait! Am I talking about her or me? Actually, my social activism is limited to talking a lot about what should be done, and my rapping--well, let's not discuss. But when it comes to demonstrating concern for those who suffer from injustice, with Miwa, there's the walk and the talk, and the two of them go together.

I was first introduced to Miwa, several years ago, via email blasts sent to me about her performance dates. I later found out that Miwa, herself, was sending them. How she stumbled upon my email address I don't know, nor do I care, because I became so entranced by what she had to say about art and politics. Although I haven't been able to see as many of her shows as I would like to, what I have seen has impressed me as they have others. Miwa has a HUGE fan base, mostly in LA, but also internationally. Right now, she's in Japan.

A few weeks after Miwa began emailing me, I received another email from a young woman named Asani Winfrey who wondered if we were related. That's legit. Even Oprah's cousins have contacted me about that possibility. Asani, who is of duel heritage (Chickasaw and black), has a famous father, a musician named Toddy, who ended up living in Japan. As for Asani (here's the irony of all ironies)--her husband is a music producer who produced Miwa's first CD's when she was still with a group! None of the three of us knew any of these connections existed until we continued to communicate with each other and it all came out.

On top of it all, Asani's birthday is May 6 (two days after Miwa's and mine) so one year Miwa threw the mother of all parties at the Jazz Club in J-town, L.A. Hundreds of people turned up, Miwa performed along with some of her hiphop students, her sushi chef father made fresh sushi, and I shot video of the entire event. Someday, I'll post a clip on the Internet for everyone to see.

Meanwhile, I just wanted to shout out to my special little friend, the marvelous Miwa Lyric. Here's her site:

http://www.thesoulasystem.com

And, that's her in the pix above with me and Chuck D following a Culver City studio taping of Kool Mo Dee's TV show, I Am Hiphop, last year.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

P.S. Thank you again to Cassie and Doris for the wonderful gifts and that yoga card. You two are something else!

Celebrations, Commemorations And Birthdays

I was born between May Day and Cinco de Mayo--both holidays with rebellious significance.

Celebrated on May 1, May Day was originally a pagan commemoration of summer (back when February 1 was considered to be the first day of spring). Later, May 1 was chosen as the day to honor laborers internationally--although it originated in America in the 1880's when workers demanded an 8-hour work day. There's quite a history attached to May Day, and the deadly events that took place at Haymarket Square in Chicago resulting in anti-Communist hysteria, but I won't go into the details here--not on a blog that's supposed to focus on mixed-race issues.

As for Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May is celebrated as Mexican Independence Day, but is really in recognition of the Battle of Puebla which Mexicans won over the French in 1862.

Then, there's Boys Day in Japan which is also celebrated on May 5. Although there's not necessarily rebellious behavior connected with it, Boys Day is still about boys and you know how combative they can be. Called Tango no Sekku, Boys Day originated in China and was renamed Kodomo no Hi when it became a national holiday in Japan and incorporated Girls Day (Hinamatsuri, held March 3). On May 5, koinobori (carp windsocks) are flown for each child in a family. Considered to be a courageous fish because they swim upstream, the carp symbolizes strength that parents hope their children will inherit. Families also display samurai dolls, helmets and swords, and serve mochi in celebration of the fifth day of the fifth month.

Because those first few days of May are jam-packed with celebrations, commemorations and festivals, I'm honored that people still remember to send me birthday greetings. Thank you, my dear friends and family!

Oh, and HAPA birthdays to Miwa Lyric and Kimora Lee Simmons who share my May 4 day of birth. What are you ladies doing to celebrate this year?

That's a pix of me celebrating birthday number 25, I think.

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

P.S. Soon after my last post about Haruo McKinley, I googled his name and found an ex military man who is also looking for him. Evidently, they were stationed at a few Army posts together. Stay tuned, and maybe there'll be some interesting news up ahead.