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 In fact, the young man in the video referenced above struck me as being outdated.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

Mixed Messages

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez! 

 

Sarah with her son Malcolm

Lucky us, we’re back to interviewing intriguing Hip Hapa Homeez. In this blog post, we’re featuring the fabulous Sarah Doneghy who hosts her own shows discussing the plight of us multi-cultis. 

You can watch her “Mixed Messages Show” at: https://youtu.be/pbQwx_I-WX8

Sarah also has her “Mixed Nut One Person Show” at: https://youtu.be/AhZBMyMxLKo 

Q: Sarah, please discuss your parents’ backgrounds and how they met. 

A: My Dad is black, my Mom is white. My Dad is American, my Mom is English. My Dad is Muslim, my Mom is Catholic. They met when my Dad was traveling around the world on his bicycle. The people he was staying with in Germany knew a place he could stay in England. One of the people living at that place in England was my Mom. That’s how they met.   

Sarah's mum

Sarah's dad

Q: What was it like growing up in West Virginia? 

A: A few months ago I looked up, “Most racist state in America”. The answer was, “West Virginia”. Growing up, there weren’t very many black families, and we were the only mixed-race family. There was a lot of racism. 

The first time I was called the n-word I was seven. I got bullied in school a lot. I remember when I was a teenager being kicked out of people’s houses because I was black or, “colored” or, of course, the n-word. Then there were friends who would ask me to lie to their parents and tell them I was Native American or “anything but black”. 

My first One Person Show, “Mixed Nut” was a coming-of-identity story. I talked a lot about what growing up in West Virginia was like in that.   

Q: Do you think mixed-race issues are any different now, 54 years after Loving v. Virginia? 

A: That’s what I’m trying to discover. My Dad grew up in segregation in West Virginia. He was the first black student to attend a desegregated school there. The stories he’s told me about the racism he’s received are absolutely horrible and heartbreaking. I don’t know how he survived it. 

The racism I experienced growing up is definitely different than what he did. I think one of the issues that has changed is that people have more freedom in how they choose to identify. There’s more language now for people who are more than one race. They don’t have to choose one race and they also can.   

It’s hard to know what is meant by “mixed-race issues”. There are so many mixes of so many different races. I’m not sure if there are mixed-race issues as a whole. I think racism, at least in America, is a big commonality when it comes to what we’ve experienced. But again, that’s what I want to find out.   

I don’t know how this issue has changed, but I think every mixed-race person has a coming-of-identity story. They see that their families look different from them and different from each other depending on the situation. There’s always the “Where do I fit in” journey. I think we all have had to ask, “What are you?” of ourselves.   

Q: Since you’re both black and white, but ethnically ambiguous, what are the most shocking things you’ve heard either race group say about the opposite? 

A: I dealt with so much racism early in life that I’ve never really been shocked by what people have said not knowing that I’m mixed-race. I’ve been more shocked by what people have said around me even though they do know I’m black mixed. 

Something happened a few years ago that I am still angry about and hurt over. It was the day of the eclipse and I was hanging out with two white friends—a guy and a girl. These are people I had known for a while. The girl was complaining about a kid she worked with and then called him a “n*gger”. “What?!” I was stunned. I really couldn’t believe what I had heard and then she doubled down. Yeah. That was indeed what she said. I went off on her. “How could you say that? What is wrong with you? You know I’m black!” 

Meanwhile, the guy didn’t say anything. He stayed completely silent. When I confronted him about his silence he said, “She made a mistake. That’s all.” That right there shocked the hell out of me. He got mad at me when I called her a racist. I was the one that was overreacting. I had offended him. And these are people saying, “Black Lives Matter” and “F*ck Trump”. They don’t even see their hypocrisy—their racism—and don’t want to. I haven’t spoken to either of them since.   

Q: Why did you create your show, Mixed Messages, and what do you hope to accomplish with it?   

A: I made this show first and foremost for us. I wanted to create a space for us to have these discussions. These are conversations that need to be had and stories that need to be told. I think it’s important for people to know about mixed-race experiences. People need to hear from us and we need to hear from each other. There are so many similarities as well as so many differences. I am really interested in people’s stories. I’ve learned so much already. 

Sarah with her sister

Sarah with her brother

In the first episode, Marcus talks about how his mom is racist. I didn’t know how common that was in mixed-race families until people wrote me saying how much they related to that. I’m privileged in that I never had to deal with that in my family. Marcus facing racism in his home was one of the things a lot of viewers couldn’t believe and, sadly, so many could. 

Sarah with her brother

I’m really excited to meet new people and hear different narratives. There’s something about getting together with someone and knowing that you don’t have to explain things. We already know. We’ve all been on a racial identity journey. And it’s often one we continue to travel. That’s unique to us. Every mixed-race person has the racial identity discovery story. I think it’s fascinating and fantastic. I want to hear as many of these as possible.   

If you are interested in being a guest on Mixed Messages, or have a topic you’d like to see discussed, please email Sarah at: mixedmessagestheshow@gmail.com 

And, don’t forget to watch: 

Mixed Messages Show: https://youtu.be/pbQwx_I-WX8 

Mixed Nut One Person Show: https://youtu.be/AhZBMyMxLKo 

Meanwhile, Hip Hapa Homeez, we’ve been struggling to keep our websites updated. As you may know, our “War Brides of Japan, a docu*memory” 5-part series is currently on hiatus. But there are numerous trailers and interviews you can watch on Vimeo and Youtube. 

Here are our top performing websites: 

War Brides of Japan  

Watermelon Sushi  

Lena Starwheels A Free-Spirited Filmmaker 

Until June 30, I am very much 

Your Hip Hapa, 

Yayoi

Bad Ass Brides: Keep On Keepin’ On!

Konnichi-wa, Hip Hapa Homeez!

beautiful brides: Mrs.Wright, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Winfrey

Until our War Brides of Japan feature documentary is on the screen, we’re going to be blogging about it a lot.

If you’re interested in discussing being biracial or a transracial adoptee, or being in an interracial relationship or just crossing cultures, please go to our Hip Hapa Homeez group page on Facebook where we do just that.

Otherwise, we’re all about War Brides of Japan right now.

First off, a BIG UP! to all our donors. You know who you are, and we’ll mention you by name in another post. That is, if you haven’t chosen to remain anonymous. We’ll have to get your permission first, so let us know.

For the rest of you who haven’t yet made a 100% tax-deductible donation to the War Brides of Japan documentary, you can do so by clicking here: PLEASE DONATE!

best friends: Yuriko-san and Emiko-san,
who loved wearing Chinese dresses

Next, here’s a correction about our last blog post that indicated all Japanese war brides entered into interracial marriages with either black or white American military men. We have since learned that there were some Japanese American Intelligence Officers stationed in Japan during the Occupation. Some of them also married Japanese war brides. However, since those men did work that was highly classified, few people know of their stories. If you have such a story, please let us know.

Further, we recently located a Japanese war bride married to a Mexican American GI, another rare exception. If you know of a Japanese war bride who married someone other than a black or white American, please drop us a line. In fact, if you know any Japanese war brides at all, tell us about them, too.

in the kitchen with Yuriko-san
mover over, Julia Child!

Even though we have scheduled interviews with about a dozen war brides and or their adult children, it’s good to be aware of any others out there—especially on the West Coast where we’re going to begin our filming. We will keep you posted, Hip Hapa Homeez!

To know more about the War Brides of Japan documentary film project, please check out the links below:

Vimeo Pre-Production Trailer

YouTube Pre-Production Trailer

YouTube Version 2 Trailer

YouTube Original 30-Second Trailer

War Brides of Japan website

War Brides of Japan website on Weebly

War Brides of Japan website on Jimdo

War Brides of Japan fan page on Facebook

International Examiner article

Discover Nikkei reprint

LinkedIn Essay

We have also created a closed group page on Facebook called Japanese War Brides and Their Children. Please request membership if you’re interested in joining us.

Yuriko-san, back in the day with her ocha and ciggies

And, of course, we still have our Watermelon Sushi narrative film project although it’s understandably on hold right now:

Watermelon Sushi film 

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook 

Watermelon Sushi World Networked Blogs on Facebook 

Hapa*Teez on YouTube 

Hapa*Teez on Facebook 

Hapa*Teez on Café Press 

Yayoi Lena Winfrey fan page on Facebook (sorry, but Your Hip Hapa can’t add any more friends to her regular profile page) 

Twitter

There, that should hold you for awhile! See you in a bi-month, Hip Hapa Homeez. And, don't forget: PLEASE DONATE!

ja, mata ne!

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Hip-A-Teez Hapa-Teez

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

This bi-month, Your Hip Hapa is giving you the silent treatment. That is, there is no interview with any multiethnic, transracially adopted, interracially involved or culture crossing person. Instead, enjoy the photo gallery below, all about our line of Hapa-Teez t-shirts. 

welcome to Hapawood

and, enjoy the Hapa Life!

one Hapa Nation...

a Watermelon Sushi kind of girl...

for Blasians and others...

Buy a shirt and support a film. Find out how by reading these links:

Watermelon Sushi film

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook

Watermelon Sushi World Networked Blogs on Facebook

Hapa*Teez on YouTube

Hapa*Teez on Facebook

Hapa*Teez on Café Press

War Brides of Japan v.2 on YouTube

War Brides of Japan on YouTube

War Brides of Japan on Facebook

Yayoi Lena Winfrey fan page on Facebook (sorry, but Your Hip Hapa can’t add any more friends to her regular profile page)

Twitter

And, remember you can get interactive by joining our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook.

Until December, when we return with an exclusive interview with erotic mixed-race author Libra Libre,

I Am Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi

Meet Mexipina Mentor, Christina Torres

Aloha, Hip Hapa Homeez!

As always, Your Hip Hapa thanks you for your loving support. Since Facebook deleted all inactive accounts, the numbers for our Watermelon Sushi fans has plunged. Please “like” our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/watermelonsushi and help build us up again.

Christina Torres

Your Hip Hapa is so grateful for your continued views of our links at the bottom of this post. And, please tell your family, friends and multicultural community organizations to join us here every other month to read about our featured Hip Hapa Homee.

This bi-month, we’d like to introduce you to educator Christina Torres. Here’s her story:

Q: Who are you parents and how did they meet?

A: My Mexican father and Filipina mother met at the University of Southern California.

mother, father, daughter

Q: What was it like growing up?

A: Growing up was tough. 

I’ve written about it here: http://www.tolerance.org/blog/why-teaching-about-social-justice-matters 

and here: https://teachrunwrite.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/the-paradox-of-high-expectations/. 

I was at a mostly white school, so that was hard.

in Hawai'i

Q: Now that you live in Hawai’i, how different is it from your former residence in Southern California?

A: I'm way more accepted here than in SoCal. In L.A., there was also lot of racial profiling that affected me. Here in Hawai'i, everyone is mixed and in interracial relationships, which helps a lot. Still it's hard.

Q: What inspired you to become an educator?

A: I wrote about that here:

http://rance.org/blog/why-teaching-about-social-justice-matters 

But some of it was also the realization that kids who shared my racial background, but grew up a half an hour away, had received an education that lacked a number of opportunities that mine had. I realized I had to do something about it. 

Q: How do you guide your students when it comes to developing multicultural awareness?

A: I make it a point to consistently bring up conversations around race with my students. I've actually already written a paper on facing stereotypes and biases with my students to discuss race issues.

Q: As an educator, how do you see things changing for multiracial people? Or, do you? 

A: I think that as interracial relationships become more common and race issues become more prevalent, we'll move towards a world where these issues are discussed more, and multiracial people will have more representation. I think we have a LONG way to go, however.

Q: What other ways are you active with the multicultural movement?

A: I'm part of the #educolor collective:

bit.ly/EduColorTwitter 

and talk about mixed-race issues.

Mahalo nui loa, Christina! 

Hey, Hip Hapa Homeez, until we meet again on June 3, we wish you a HAPA Spring. Remember to check us out at these sites:

Watermelon Sushi film

http://www.watermelonsushi.com

Watermelon Sushi on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/watermelonsushi

Watermelon Sushi World Networked Blogs on Facebook

http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/watermelon_sushi_world

  

Hapa*Teez on YouTube

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

Hapa*Teez on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/hapateez

Hapa*Teez on Café Press

http://www.cafepress.com/hapateez

War Brides of Japan v.2 on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNSEUkT2N4E&feature=plcp

War Brides of Japan on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnJkujn1iek&feature=colike

War Brides of Japan on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/WarBridesOfJapan

Yayoi Lena Winfrey fan page on Facebook (sorry, but Your Hip Hapa can’t add any more friends to her regular profile page)

https://www.facebook.com/yayoilenawinfreyfanpage

Twitter

https://twitter.com/watermelonsushi

And, remember to join our Hip Hapa Homeez group on Facebook to read the most intriguing articles and comments about the multicultural community.

buy a HapaTeez t-shirt like this one!

Your Hip Hapa,

Yayoi