Hapa - Do You Know What it Means?

Yesterday, April 9, 2008, at Chico State University I attended a viewing of the documentary “Hapa: One Step at a Time”.  The film was produced by the Takahashi Charitable Foundation.  The event was provided by Dr. Renee Lopez of the Chico State Psychological Counseling and Wellness Center.  In addition there were three students available to answer questions:  Spencer Blair, Crystal Perez and Oya Ross-Walcott. 

Hapa is a Hawaiian word that means half Japanese and half Caucasian.  In the film, we meet Midori Sperendeo, a long distance runner and television newscaster, who is also Hapa.  She and several others tell us what it was like growing up Hapa.  All of these people have chosen to embrace both cultures and in doing so have had some struggles with friends and family, alike. 

Midori Sperendeo’s mother had trouble with her aunts and uncles who did not want her bi-racial marriage to be allowed.  They strongly resisted, but her own father allowed the union.  He was strongly committed to his granddaughter and made sure Midori felt loved. 

Midori learned of her Japanese culture through Odon though she always felt like an outsider.  She was told by her fellow dancers that she was not Japanese enough, and was not allowed into any of the girls’ clicks.  She felt the reason she did not fit in was due to her not looking like the other Japanese girls. 

Midori’s own mother who is Japanese had grown up in a Caucasian culture.  She thought her daughter would not struggle as she had because she had the benefit of being from two cultures. 

The film offered other examples of struggle from individuals who are Hapa.  Toso Himel from the East Coast fully embraced his Japanese culture by changing is name from Harlan to Toso.  Sue Hida from Wisconsin tried to act and look white by making sure people called her Susan because Sue sounded too Asian.  Jessie Morris told a story about being served spicier food in an Indian restaurant because the owners thought him to be more ethnic. 

These individuals now feel they are coming from a place of strength and awareness.  Although bi-racial people have been around since the days of Thomas Jefferson, there are many more bi-racial and multi-racial people in the United States today.  This is more and more evident on college campuses today. 

The Association of Multi-Ethnic Americans lobbied to change the United States Census.  In 2000, for the first time, the Census allowed people to identify themselves as more than one race.  Multi-racial people are seizing the freedom to announce and be who they are. 

Today, there is support for multi-racial individuals on college campuses around the United States.  Many are now expressing themselves through art and literature.  There are benefits from high profile people such as Tiger Woods and Keanu Reeves.  In general the public is getting used to it but they still ask.  Some still seek to pigeon hole individuals into one category or another.