Tag Archives: Russian

Filipina, Russian, Lithuanian

My name is Ariana Rose.

My mom is Filipina and my dad is an American Jew with green eyes, red hair, and very light skin. He has a mixture of Russian and Lithuanian blood.

I used to shy away from telling people what nationality I was in preschool and elementary school, because I thought looking different made me unattractive, but once I got older I realized that it’s a very special thing to be Hapa, someone who gets to claim more than one background and have their own unique look. Continue reading →

Malaysian, Indian, Russian, Jewish, Spanish, Portugese

Hi I’m Sylvia and I’m a 3rd generation Malaysian Indian.

My dad is Malaysian Indian and my mother’s family (I thought) was ethnic Indian from Canada.

Growing up I always imagined myself as being Hapa but brushed them aside as thoughts of a disillusioned teenager.

To my surprise, shock and amazement my mum’s sister who lives in Canada did a DNA test a couple of months ago and guess what the results were??
Continue reading →

Korean, Russian, Romanian, British

My mom is fully and entirely Korean. She was born in Korea and raised in Korea. My dad on the other hand is Russian, Romanian, and British. He was born in New York.

While I was growing up almost everyone identified me as Asian. No one ever had any doubts. I had the eyes, the face, and the straight hair. Growing older the lines blurred though.

My hair became more curly and my face became more of the structure of a white person. If people ask I’ll tell them all the things I am, but usually I mostly go by Korean since it’s the most obvious in my features.

Continue reading →

Taiwanese, Manchurian, Russian, German

Hello fellow Hapas :) I’m 17 years old and I live in Shanghai, China.

I’d usually be reluctant to write my full name on the internet, but I think it says a lot about who I am and where I am from.  I love watching peoples’ expressions turn to confusion after they ask for my entire name: Melissa Dai-Li Leah Krassenstein.

Dai-Li is the Chinese name I was given by my grandfather from my maternal side at birth.  Leah is my Hebrew name chosen by my Jewish father at birth (my brother and I were also raised Jewish).  Krassenstein is my Russian-German combo surname, representing my Euro-mix half.

In a nutshell, my parents met in Taipei once upon a time, got married, had two Hapa babies, and have been traveling the world ever since.  After I was born in Hong Kong, my family moved from Jakarta, Indonesia to Shanghai, China to Panama to Mexico to New Jersey and now back to Shanghai.   Continue reading →

Japanese, English, Scottish, Russian, German

My name is Jeff Chiba Stearns and I live in Vancouver, British Columbia.  First and foremost, I am a filmmaker, animator, documentarian and artist.

I am also 100% Canadian, 100% Nikkei, 100% Japanese Canadian, 100% German Canadian, 100% Russian Canadian, 100% English Canadian, 100% Scottish Canadian.

What I am not is half – nor am I a fraction or stuck in between a hyphen.  Personally, I don’t like fractions because I’ve learned that when I break myself down into halves or eights others perceive my multiethnic identity as weak or diluted.  I’m neither this nor that but if you squint really hard I probably could be.

And even if some people see me as being mixed, or mixed race, or double, or bi-racial, or multiracial or multiethnic – I consider myself pretty complete.  For me, being mixed does not mean I am mixed up…and if I do refer to myself or others as being mixed, I’m usually referring to being beautifully blended both on the inside and out. Continue reading →

Taiwanese, Italian, Russian

My name is Scott and I reside in one of the most beautiful cities west of the Mississippi. San Diego of course!

I am an engineer by day and property manager slash business investor by night. I grew up in a military family and traveled around the world.

I ended up settling in Orange County where I mostly identified with my Asian side due to the many Vietnamese friends I made.

I always wished I knew more Hapas growing up so we could identify with each other. I’m glad I have that opportunity now =)

Japanese, German, Russian, Chinese

I’m Simonne Shodahl and I’m an eighteen year old hapa living in California. I’m Japanese, German, Russian and Chinese.

My dad is Japanese and German. His mom (my grandma) was born in Okinawa, Japan and relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii where she met his dad (my grandpa) who was already living in Hawaii as a full bred German. My dad grew up in Honolulu and was around many hapas and was once married to a hapa (his first wife). He always fit in because that was the normal thing there.

Continue reading →

Korean, Russian, German, Irish

My name is Yuri Doolan and I am 1/2 Korean, 1/4 Russian, 1/8 German, and 1/8 Irish. I was raised by my mother, a Korean immigrant – my parents have been divorced since I was three. And so, whenever I am seen in public with a parent it is with one or the other, never both.

My father has blonde hair and blue eyes so when I am with him I am perpetually perceived as adopted. And with my mother, to other Koreans, no one recognizes me as her son. They ask her “Who is this standing next to you?” When my mother responds that it’s her youngest son they gasp in disbelief. Continue reading →