I was born in San Jose, California in 1987. Luckily for me the Bay Area was a melting pot of all different nationalities. Raised by a Filipina mom and Swiss German dad, I was faced with a lot of confusion growing up.
To this day in appearance, I don’t look anything anything like my mother or father and at one point was asked by a stranger if I was adopted. Mostly I get mistaken for being Mexican and often have people walk up to me starting conversations in Spanish.
Being Hapa does have its benefits. While visiting the Philippines I’ve often felt like a celebrity walking through the provinces despite not having any notable special talents. Living in the United States my whole life I mostly identified myself with more of my European decent but every time I see my tan skin I feel like I’m trying to be something I’m not.
Having mixed nationalities has given me my personality of which I am very proud of. You can best describe me as having a big heart and capable of being very understanding. To see how some families live in the Philippines has opened my eyes to the world and helped me realize that not everyone has it made like us.
I do like being the center of attention among my friends and I think that comes more from my Filipino side, and my caring and sympathetic feelings come from my European side. Being mixed I used to feel isolated but after finding this site I finally feel like a part of something big and can finally be happy of who I am.
Hapa Voice 