Filipina, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Irish, Scottish, French

hapa294My parents met when my dad (Czech, Irish, Scottish, and French – born and raised in Ohio) served a Peace Corps mission in the Philippines where my mom lived with her family. He brought her back to the United States, where I was born.

When I was seven, my family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where most people were white and Mormon.

I remember getting teased a few times because my eyes were “like this” (as kids would pull the corners of their eyes up), but in general I got along with everyone. Continue reading

Korean, Chinese, Hawaiian, English, Scottish, French

hapa289I am the bouncing baby boy of two wonderful Hapa parents.

My mom is Korean and English and my dad is Chinese, Hawaiian, Scottish and French.

Despite my parents both having brown eyes and dark hair, I inherited genes that go back quite a few generations on both my parent’s sides. Isn’t that cool.

Being that my parents are both proud Hapas I know I will be raised to appreciate all the cultures that make up my wonderful ethnic background.

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Japanese, Irish, French, British

hapa279I’m half Japanese and the rest is a mix of Irish, French, and British of which I’m unsure.

Growing up, I never heard the word “Hapa” in the Northeast where there was a small Asian population, but I always identified as being mixed. I regret that I couldn’t really be exposed to much Japanese culture there, despite my mom’s efforts to immerse me as much as she could.

I guess my experience is even more different since I also grew up with an autistic brother. My family decided it would be best to use only English at home, so I lost my Japanese fluency by the time I entered first grade. It was always annoying to have to justify why I didn’t speak fluent Japanese. Right now I’m re-learning Japanese and I’m determined speak with enough fluency to visit by myself in a couple years.

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Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, German, English, Spanish

hapa266I am of Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, German, English and Spanish descent!

My Japanese grandma met a US merchant marine while stationed in Yokohama and the rest was history! My European mixed grandpa’s nickname was “chico” because he was a 6 foot 5 giant!

My Chinese mother initially met my dad while she was waitressing at her dad’s restaurant in Portland, and they started dating 5 years later when they both ran into each other at a sushi bar.

My Chinese grandpa was a Japanese POW, so it was difficult for him to accept my Hapa-Japanese dad but he eventually grew to accept him as part of the family.

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Indian, Irish, French, German, English, Welsh

My mother is South Indian with a trace of English blood, and my father is 1/4 Irish with the rest being a mixture of French, German, English and Welsh.

I’ve grown up in a very, very liberal city in the Bay Area. Even so, when my mother would walk me in my stroller as an infant, passers by would assume she was my nanny simply because I had such fair skin as a child.

No one can even come close to guessing my ethnicity — I’ve heard Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, and Middle Eastern, although my liberal sprinkling of freckles most likely plays a large role in throwing people off track. I inherited frizzy, capricious hair and most of my facial features from my dad and my dark hair and eyes from my mom, but the rest is a strange amalgam that cannot be traced to either parent or their lineage.

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Japanese, Hawaiian, English, French

I am Japanese-Hawaiian (mom’s side) and English-French (dad’s side).

I never knew the term Hapa until recently, but it has liberated me from trying to fit into the box that others have tried to cram me into.

It wasn’t easy being Hapa when I was younger. Kids can be cruel when you look/speak/act differently. All I wanted to do was to fit in and look like all the other white kids in my school. I hated my appearance for many years because it was a constant reminder of what I was not.

But over the years I have come to embrace my unique attributes and I’ve been able to shed my self-loathing and replace it with pride in my Hapa-Kepani-Haole identity!

French, Vietnamese, Indian

Hi! My name is Miranda and I’m French, Vietnamese and Indian descent.

I was born in Vietnam and moved to Canada when I was 5. My mom is a Hapa too, but somehow she denies her French side and only says she’s Vietnamese when someone asks her about her ethnicity.

I love being Hapa, although I look more Asian than Caucasian. Some people see me as a halfie, but most of the time people think I’m full Asian and doubt when I tell them that I’m mixed.
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Chinese, German, French, Portugese

I’m Casey Quon. Half Chinese, half Caucasian (German, French, Portugese).

I’ve gone in different directions throughout my life in terms of pride for my genetic make-up.

It used to be hard for me to associate myself with any one group, but at 20 I now realize that that’s just another part of who I am. Cross-cultured and cross-cliqued I guess.

I am a product of a reverse-geisha complex, so to speak. My mother is white and my father Asian.
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Japanese, Brazilian, Mexican, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Otomi

My name is Ana Silvia de Siqueira.

My mother is Tulia Orta and my father is Ivan de Siqueira.

My mom is mixed with with French, Spanish, Mexican, and Otomi.

My father is mixed with Brazilian, Japanese, and Portuguese. I love the fact that I’m mixed.

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