Spanish, Filipino, Indonesian

Hi there! My name is Rieza Luthfi Alvarez and I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia.

My Dad is Spanish-Filipino and my Mom is Indonesian. Being Hapa is a great feeling and a blessing.

It’s funny to me when people can’t guess my background right. Even now that I’m older and have changed quite a bit, people still have no idea what ethnicity I am. When I was a kid people called me “bule” (caucasian foreigner). Some of them said I looked Japanese, others guessed Chinese, and a few thought I was Arabian. Continue reading →

Mexican, Filipina, German

Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth Harvey and am from the San Francisco Bay Area.

My grandma was German and Mexican, raised in Tampico, Mexico, and she migrated to the US in the late 60′s. My father is German and Mexican, and my mother is Filipino. My grandparents on my mother’s side originated from Mindanao, Philippines.

I am very grateful for being exposed to my culture at such an early age. One of the first conversations I can remember with my parents was about how my family comes from both Mexico and the Philippines and how they are similar historically (since both countries were at once colonized by Spain), and how Tagalog (the main language of the Philippines) has a lot of Spanish influence.

I enjoyed growing up in the Bay Area, because I was able to experience different ethnic foods and go to a lot of cultural events. At home my mom and dad cooked both traditional Filipino and Mexican dishes. My dad would play traditional Spanish love songs and show me how beautiful Spanish sounds. Continue reading →

American, Irish, Danish, Japanese

Hi everyone, my name is Barbara.

I am Irish and Danish through Dad, and pure Japanese through Mom. My parents met in Japan when my Dad was stationed there in the 50’s. My parents came to the US in the 60’s and my Mom became a part of that big American melting pot.

I was born in California but we moved on over to Hawaii when I was around 2, after Dad was transferred to Pearl Harbor. That’s where I grew up and lived the first half of my life. I was so lucky to end up there as Hawaii is Hapa paradise! Hawaii is the best place in the world to grow up.

Being raised in Hawaii gave me values from a young age. That is why my experience there was rarely negative. I never had people who made fun of or left me out because of my origins.

I was in my 20’s when I left the islands and moved to Europe. I’ve made a new life here and have been living in France for a long time.

Continue reading →

Australian, Filipino

My name is Alistair Rose. I’m half Australian, half Filipino.

I was born in Australia and have gone back and forth between living here and in America.

The first time I went to the Philippines for a vacation with my cousins, I got a lot of weird looks and honestly did not feel like I fit in.

Throughout my life I’ve been stuck wondering what side I’m closer to. I got bullied in school for being part Asian, especially during my younger years, and it made me hate my appearance and dream of just being “normal.” I remember crying and crying because it wasn’t my fault — I was born like this. Continue reading →

British, Japanese, German, Irish

My name is Sara. I am British, Irish, German, and Japanese. My mum is British and my dad is Japanese, German, and Irish. One of the most important people in my life is my grandmother, who I get my Asian side from.

Hideko Yoshino was a nurse in Japan during World War II, she was born and raised in Osaka and was also stationed there during the war. Because she was near Hiroshima she also helped nurse some of the victims back to health. She has told me some of her stories about how she was able to handle the depressing situation with composure and was able to save 12 lives.

The thing I admire most about her is her bravery and calmness she had during the war. During the American occupation of Japan my grandmother was able to get on a plane to America, and at the time the only English words she knew were “hello,” “Coca-Cola,” and “atomic bomb.” In America she met my grandfather and 8 years after they married and had my father. Continue reading →

Vietnamese, Laotian, Persian, Chinese, French, Thai

My name is Souvixada and I am Vietnamese, Laotian, Persian, Chinese, French, and Thai. My dad is Vietnamese and my mom is about everything else I am.

I was born in Laos, a small third-world country smack in the middle of Southeast Asia. Being from Southeast Asia leaves a lot of room for a person to wonder where they originated from — it’s located between India and China and is known to be a territory influenced by the former British and French rule.

I usually get mistaken for being South American or Filipina because I get really dark during the summer and I don’t have the distinctive Asian eyes (they’re rather big, though you can’t really tell in the picture — I was sleepy). Continue reading →

Afro-Puerto Rican, Japanese, Brazilian, Portuguese

Hello. My name is Gian-Luca and I’m 25. My mother is Afro-Puerto Rican. My father is from Brazil, and is Japanese, Indigenous Brazilian, and Portuguese. I was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, but moved to Puerto Rico and lived there until I was 13, then I moved to the states. I am currently a college student in Seattle.

When I was younger, a lot of people asked me all kinds of questions regarding my ethnicity. I usually got things such as Sri Lankan, Indian, Maori, or some Carribbean of some sort (although never actually Puerto Rican). People were especially confused when they looked my (incredibly long) name! Like most Latin-American people, I have two last names; one is Portuguese, and the other is a very common Japanese surname. I love and use both exactly as they are.
Continue reading →