Japanese, Italian…

Hello my name is Gina and I am Japanese, Italian, and Spanish.

I was always proud to be Hapa but my mother who is also Hapa was never proud to admit she was anything but Italian.

I grew up always being told to just say that I’m Italian or Spanish; never Japanese. As I got older and started making friends who were full Asian or Hapa it became easier for me to admit that I was Japanese and I became so proud of who I am.

It was very hard to be Hapa because most of my friends were either 100% Spanish or 100% white… I felt like I didnt really fit in.

One day I came across kpop and jpop and got so into the Asian culture that I even got my friends who weren’t Hapa into it. Most people do not believe me when I say I am Japanese because they just don’t see it.

When people ask what part of my family do I look like it is hard to answer… I don’t look 100% Italian or 100% Japanese or Spanish, I look like me. I look Hapa and im proud to be this way.