what are you?

vkm's picture
Submitted by vkm on Thu, 06/01/2006 - 20:11.

In the upcoming exhibition kip fulbeck: part asian, 100% hapa opening at the Japanese American National Museum on June 8, the artist photographed hapa individuals of various backgrounds and then posed the question..."What are you?"

Even though I'm not hapa myself, I still identify with the issues that particular loaded question raises. All throughout my life, I've been asked that same question. My usual response is a question back..."What do you think I am?" The responses vary...Chinese, Philippina, Korean,... Strangely though, it usually takes quite a while if at all for them to arrive at Japanese.

I'd be interested to know what your usual response is...

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My mother is
Submitted by NorCalHapaMama on Mon, 07/31/2006 - 00:04.

My mother is Japanese-American (one nisei parent, one immigrant parent) and my dad is Anglo-French-Dutch-American. That's my usual response.

I most often get mistaken for Hispanic or Caucasian, particularly when I'm with my husband and kids. My husband is JA (yonsei).

seems like a common mistake
vkm's picture
Submitted by vkm on Tue, 08/01/2006 - 17:08.
I have several hapa cousins, as well as cousins' kids who are hapa. I think it depends on what the other mix is that determines what the person looks like. I notice that some of my hapa cousins look Hispanic while others look more Caucasian or Asian.
Do people ever identify you as Asian?

nope
Submitted by NorCalHapaMama on Mon, 08/07/2006 - 11:40.

Not that I remember. I know what you mean though. I went to high school with about a half dozen unrelated Hapa kids, and a few of them looked very Asian compared to me.

What are you?
Submitted by Patricia on Sat, 08/19/2006 - 21:32.

I agree; I'm half Japanese /half Irish and it usually takes a long time for people to arrive at Japanese. They usually guess every other asian under the sun. Frequently people will ask me where I'm from and when I say "NY", they'll say, "No, no, originally. Where are you from originally." To which I answer again, "NY". It confuses people for some reason.

what i am
Submitted by vkraus on Sat, 08/26/2006 - 17:48.

My mom is Japanese, my dad is white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed and (formerly) Jewish - I came out a fair-skinned brunette with moderate dark freckles.
Interestingly, I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and because of my ethnic makeup, I "passed" as Hispanic. There were many times, however, that I'd be "caught" for not being able to speak Spanish and for sounding "white" when I'd read aloud in class.
I was never confused or underwent an identity crisis about my multicultural upbringing. I enjoyed it without thinking about it. It's only been since college that I've been thinking about it so critically and analytically.