Hello there, I’m Rachelle (:
I’ll be completely honest, I haven’t identified myself as Hapa until recently.
Ever since I was a child I’ve always identified myself as Swedish since that’s all I really knew.
The few times I’ve seen my mother, she’s never given me a good reason to be proud of being Filipino, and to be honest I was rather ashamed and resented my Filipino culture. Read More
I am Danish and Swedish, my wife is Saami and Palestinian, so our son is wild as an auroch.
Hi, my name is Amanda and I’m a proud Hapa.
My dad is Indian and Syrian and identifies a Middle Eastern and my mom is Japanese and Swedish.
I was born in Canada, but after my mom lost her job we moved to my grandma’s house in Sweden.
I was 12 when we moved and my dad had to homeschool me because I couldn’t speak Swedish. Read More
Racial ambiguity is a beautiful thing. Not just on the surface, but in the sense of love and peace.
Being Hapa never really occured to me. I knew I was different, especially during family gatherings. I always felt out of place, even in a family as loving as my own. Read More
My name is Valerie Neiman-Yu and I was born and raised in San Diego, CA!
Living in California, it is not uncommon to see other people of mixed race. Plus, having my sister and two brothers growing up, I never really felt out of place.
My mother was born in the Philippines but moved and was raised in Monterey, CA since she was five years old. My father was born in San Luis Obispo to a Mexican mother and a white father. They met when they were both at school at UCSD in the late 70s and early 80s. A few years later, they had my brother and rest is history.
I like being mixed-race and kind of like it that I can keep people guessing abotu my ethnicity. I’m proud to be FULL HAPA!! :>
I am a 31-year-old whose mother is a Filipina through-and-through, and whose father is of European-American descent (Swedish, Austrian, Hungarian).
I don’t want to share too many personal instances from my childhood but after my first 18 years of life, I identified myself as being more Filipino. However, it wasn’t until I started college, having been involved in multicultural student organizations, that I really gained awareness of my cultural identity. When I met peers and made friends who grew up with the same cultural background as mine, I slowly but surely began to embrace my biculturalism.
Because of this, I now never feel awkward when people ask what my ethnic origins are. I would rather have people straightforwardly ask me than just look at me and assume.
In any case, I am proud of being biracial, and proud of having been raised bilingually and biculturally because it all has added a dimension to my life which I can continually explore, and from which I can always learn something new.
I was born Analina Marea Stewart to a British, French, Japanese, Filipina mother and a father of Swedish and Scottish descent.
I grew up in Buffalo, New York, where there were not that many people of mixed descent. Growing up, I had no other Hapas to identify with except for my sister, Rachael. People always mistook me for being full Caucasian or ‘something they just can’t put their finger on.’ It’s usually the blue eyes that get them.
It delights me when people are surprised to learn that I am part Asian or when they start speaking Japanese to me, a language that I hope to become fluent in. (:
Up until recently, when I moved to Southern California for school, I did not identify as a Hapa and had not even heard of the term. But now, knowing what it is, I proudly identify as a not parts or bits of anything, but as a whole Hapa.
Growing up, I always felt different because of being mixed. Now, as a young adult, I’m very proud of my mixed heritage.
My father is Swedish, while my mother is black. My dad has taught me some Swedish and has educated my brother and I about the interesting culture. I feel like I’m a good mix between my parents, looking neither completely white nor black.
My brother inherited most of the black features however. It’s always been a struggle for me growing up, unsure of which side to identify as — white or black? Then I realized after awhile, I didn’t have to conform to one side simply because everyone else was trying to label me. Read More
My name is Anne Tsuyako Funayama. My father is Japanese and my mother is Swedish. I feel more Swedish than Japanese. I don’t speak Japanese — I can say a few words but more like a tourist visiting Japan.
I didn’t have any problems growing up here in Stockholm, Sweden. I don’t think I ever heard anything about my looks. Where I grew up, a lot of my friends were half Swedish and half something so it was never an issue to anyone. Not even when I was among only Swedish people did I hear anything improper. Some are curious and ask where I’m from and when I tell them they just find it very fascinating.
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