Hapa

A hapa is a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander heritage.[1][2]

Etymology

The term hapa comes from a Hawaiian Pidgin word that denotes a part or fragment of something, itself a loan from the English word half. When applied to people, this denotes that such people are of mixed descent. Mary Pukui and Samuel Ebert's Hawaiian Dictionary define hapa as: "of mixed blood, person of mixed blood as in hapa Hawaiʻi, part Hawaiian."[3] The word hapa has increasingly entered the local languages and jargons of a variety of Asian ethnic groups both in Hawaii and on the mainland.[4]

Used without qualification, hapa is often taken to mean "part White," and is shorthand for hapa haole. The term can be used in conjunction with other Hawaiian racial and ethnic descriptors to specify a particular racial or ethnic mixture. Examples of this include:

Pukui states that the original meaning of the word haole was "foreigner". Therefore, all non-Hawaiians can be called haole.[5] In practical terms, however, the term is used as a racial description with the specific exclusion of Portuguese. Portuguese were traditionally considered to be a separate race in Hawaii.[6]

Hapa-haole also is the name of a type of Hawaiian music in which the tune and styling are typically Hawaiian, but the lyrics are in English or mostly in English.[7]

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Media

Celebrities

Hapa celebrities include:


Books

Part Asian, 100% Hapa (Chronicle Books, 2006)

In 2001, artist Kip Fulbeck began traveling the United States to find and interview hapa participants for The Hapa Project. The accompanying book consists of hundreds Americans who are of varying ages and genders and mixed races, presumably of Asian/Pacific Islander descent. The participants have similar mugshot or passport type pictures which are expressionless, without make-up, and showing only the face from the shoulders up. Under each photograph is a hand-written response which uniquely answers the question, “What are you?” [10][11]

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See also

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References

  1. ^ Grant Barrett. "Dictionary definition of hapa". Double Tongued Dictionary. Retrieved 2010-04-03. 
  2. ^ "What’s a "Hapa"...?". IMDiversity web site. Retrieved 2010-04-03. 
  3. ^ Mary Kawena Pukui and Elbert (2003). "lookup of hapa". on Hawaiian dictionary. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library, University of Hawaii. Retrieved 2010-04-03. 
  4. ^ http://imdiversity.com/villages/asian/whats-a-hapa/
  5. ^ Mary Kawena Pukui and Elbert (2003). "lookup of haole". on Hawaiian dictionary. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library, University of Hawaii. Retrieved 2010-04-03. 
  6. ^ Gerrit Parmele Judd IV (1961). Hawaii: an informal history. Collier Books. p. 136. 
  7. ^ Kanahele, George S.; Berger, John, eds. (2012) [1979]. Hawaiian Music & Musicians (2nd ed.). Honolulu, HI, USA: Mutual Publishing, LLC. ISBN 9781566479677. OCLC 808415079. 
  8. ^ http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/olivia-munn
  9. ^ Allen, Percy (1996-03-15). "Fed. Way Speedskater Decides To Take His Time". The Seattle Times. 
  10. ^ http://www.union.edu/Resources/Campus/mandeville/exhibits/past/Hapa-Project-08/index.php
  11. ^ http://www.janm.org/exhibits/kipfulbeck/home/
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Last modified on 27 April 2013, at 06:36