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

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 Birthday, A Senior Loving Teen, A Faux Pas, And A Mall Cop

Congratulations are in order here, folks. Thank you. Hey, I made it through another birthday! But since my SanDisk memory card reader decided to malfunction (how timely--one year and an expired warranty later), I can't download my party pix. So, I won't waste any time writing about the festivities you weren't invited to. I don't want to rub your face in how much fun you missed and not be able to share with you the images of me partying with my senior parents and their spoiled brat dog.

Speaking of seniors, two weeks ago on NHK's Nodojiman (Japanese amateur singing contest), a teenage girl appeared on the show along with her grandmother. As the two held hands, they sang a song. But I forgot to ask my mother what the song was about. I was so awestruck that a teenager not only didn't mind being seen with her grandparent on international television, but was proudly holding her hand, too. I kept imagining the show being American Idol or something, and I couldn't. Are you kidding me? No American kid would be caught on TV performing with an elderly relative. What is it with our society that makes aging such a horrific event that women race to get face lifts and men stock up on Viagra as soon as the wrinkles and gray hair appear? Isn't aging a natural process in other societies where the elderly are actually looked up to as being wiser or something? In our culture, it seems like we want to hide our old folks. Yes, I am sensitive to this issue especially since I've acquired another birthday. Sob! Still, the image of that young girl and her grandmother singing together was so sweet that I just had to take a photo. But it's another one you won't be seeing tonight.

As I've mentioned many times, I just love receiving your emails and Facebook Friends requests. Keep them coming. This week, I got an interesting message from Mary who is also Japanese and African American. After reading my last week's post, Mary experienced her own "huh?" moment with a monoracial friend. Here's what Mary had to say:

"I thought about you last night and your experiences with the monoracial white man who told you that your name didn't sound Japanese. There is someone in my life who I'm trying to tolerate and be friends with. He's white--half German, half American. Even with a law degree and a Masters in psychology, my friend Eric said the stupidest thing to me. As we were watching television, we noticed a biracial boy on the show.

I told Eric, 'Aw, he's really cute!'

Eric responded, 'I hate biracial people.'

Stunned, I said, 'Thanks a lot, Eric!'

He replied, 'Well, you're not biracial because you're half black and half Japanese. That's all the same race. There are only two races--white people and everyone else.'

Mary went on to write, "How does one argue with an idiot without becoming one?"

I'm sorry, Mary, but as you know from reading this blog I have no answers--just lots of questions. It's truly amazing how misinformed people are, but even more amazing is their sense of entitlement to tell you--a mixed-race person--exactly what you are. I mean, who put these people in charge?

Somewhere during the existence of humans, someone decided that the word biracial means that you are half black and half white. Then, some others decided that the word hapa means that you are half Asian and half white. It's crazy, I know. In my dictionary, biracial means someone who is of two races period, while hapa is the Hawai'ian mispronunciation of the English word 'half'. But back to Eric's declaration that there are only two races--white and everyone else. I'm stunned myself, Mary. I mean, does Eric think he hailed from Whiteland? And, why does he hate biracial people anyway? If any of you readers have comments, please leave them here.

On another note, it seems that today's mainstream movies are casually introducing the idea of mixed-race families to the public. Recently, I saw Mall Cop (don't ask) and was surprised that the protagonist was a monoracial Caucasian who lived with his white mother and his Latina daughter. It turns out, ha ha, that the mother was an illegal alien who only wanted her green card. So, she married the mall cop, birthed a daughter, and split. Somehow, this was a big family joke and a picture of the mother on a burro, I believe, was supposed to make us hysterically roll around in the aisles whenever they showed it. I found it kind of sad, really. Couldn't the writer have created a Latina who was not the stereotyped alien lusting for a green card? Couldn't she have been a successful business entrepreneur who decided to dump her mall cop hubby because he was such a loser? Jeez. Think, people, think! You're writers. Write creatively!

Speaking of writing creatively and films, we're still accepting submissions for Watermelon Sushi. If you'd like to audition for our producers in Los Angeles in June, please get your reels, resumes and headshots to us ASAP. You can find all the details, including breakdowns, on the Hip Hapa Homeez group page at Facebook. While you're there, please join us. With mixed-race notables like Jasmine Guy, Lonette McGee and Rain Pryor as members, you'll be in good company. Not to mention Kool Mo Dee, Professor Griff, Biz Markie and Ghostface Killah!

The pix I've posted are all from birthdays long gone. At the very top QBwoy hosted my birthday party at his reggae club in Hollywood. Beneath that one, QBwoy hosted another one of my birthday parties in Santa Monica where Mikki joined us. The other three photos are all from the same birthday party at Siam Place restaurant in Santa Monica. From left to right: Lisa, me, Karen. Next pix: Cat, me, Kristina. And lastly, Chi, me, and Cat.

Until next week, I remain Your old...

Hip Hapa,

Yayoi