Mon, 17 February 2020
Our last (?) episode of Hapa Happy Hour. We discuss how we began this podcast, what we're doing now, and what we hope for. Rena has accomplished a new degree, Lisa has continued success with "Alien Citizen" on DVD, and Hiwa tells of her travel to Scotland- "cold Hawaii". We sure do appreciate you, our audience, and always welcome your comments: hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Aloha. |
Wed, 19 December 2018
Hello, dear Listeners! We are back with a new episode! As we head into what this new year has in store for us and our country, we felt it apropos to revisit our experiences in the first historic Women's March in 2017. It was profound for me listening to this episode again, and it filled me with a new hope for 2019. I hope it does the same for you. We wish you a beautiful holiday filled with joy and peace for you and the ones you hold dear. All good things, always, Rena with Hiwa and Lisa xo |
Wed, 13 June 2018
Recorded in December 2016, we are finally publishing June 2018 (mea culpa, says Hiwa). We have also been: writing a new show (Lisa), touring the world with Alien Citizen and making the DVD (Lisa), getting a doctorate (Rena), raising children (Rena and Hiwa). We apologize for the absence. And we look forward to any comments or questions you may have! Please write us at hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Mahalo, Hapa Happy Hour
Direct download: You_are_not_alonePresident_still_sucks_episode_35.mp3
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Thu, 19 January 2017
The Hapas reflect on the outcome of the 2016 presidential election and share their thoughts about President-elect Trump, the electoral college, and family members who may disagree. Thoughts or questions? Email us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com. |
Wed, 16 November 2016
Join us for a discussion among 3 hapa women. Chicago, theatre, hula, adoption, solo show, and diverse casting are all discussed in this episode. We love hearing from you, please contact us with comments or questions at: HapaHappyHour@gmail.com. Aloha! |
Wed, 12 October 2016
Tune in with Lisa, Hiwa, and Rena as we talk about Rena's dissertation on mixed-race, the history of hapas in theater, and our experiences auditioning for characters of color. We also dive into representations during the Olympics! We'd love to hear from you! Write to us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com. |
Sat, 11 June 2016
Tune in with Lisa and Hiwa as they discover technology and talk about race, Loving Day, films, and politics! And feel free to contact us through hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Happy Loving Day! |
Fri, 26 June 2015
The happy Hapas are back! Hello, dear listeners! We hope to bring you more content and new episodes this year! We have lots to talk about including Lisa's upcoming keynote performance in Cape Town, South Africa! Here's the continuation of our last episode, where we discuss being in college on the Mainland, Hiwa's performance in Steel Magnolias, and the our heartfelt connections between Alaska and Hawaii. Enjoy! (Recorded in August 2013.) Feel free to drop us a line at hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Thank you for being a part of the Ohana! -Rena, Lisa, and Hiwa |
Tue, 31 March 2015
Rena's grad school is teaching Lisa's essay! Lisa's show is going abroad (?) and to southwestern US!
Dear readers/listeners, I hope you're having a great 2015! Just wanted to share the exciting news that my essay, "Transforming Three Sisters: A Hapa Family in Chekhov's Modern Classic" is going to be taught in a graduate seminar on Rena's campus, UC Santa Barbara! Also, my solo show, Alien Citizen: an earth odyssey, has been invited to two major international conferences: the SIETAR-Europa congress in Valencia, Spain (in May), and the Women Playwrights International conference in Cape Town, South Africa (in June-July)! I've launched my very last campaign for this show on IndieGoGo, to try to fund travel/lodging/etc. expenses, in the hopes that the conferences will lead to a self-sustaining world tour: The show is also going to San Diego State University on April 16 and University of Arizona on April 22! Thank you for following our podcast/blog--we do intend to publish another episode soon! Warmly, Lisa
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Mon, 10 November 2014
Dear readers & listeners, Lisa will be performing an excerpt of her solo show, Alien Citizen: an earth odyssey, this Saturday, November 15 at 5pm at the Critical Mixed Race Studies conference at DePaul University in Chicago. Lisa will also be in the Mixed Roots Stories Roundtable "Creating and Performing a Performance Piece" on Thursday at 2:15pm at CMRS. For more info: http://criticalmixedracestudies.org/wordpress/cmrs-2014/ Thanks as always for tuning in to our podcast!
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Mon, 4 August 2014
The ladies talk about Lisa's succesful one woman show: ALIEN CITIZEN: An Earth Odyssey! Recorded last year (July 2013). Please contact us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com, we'd love to hear from you ;-) Thank you for your support! (Photo by Jen May Photography) |
Wed, 15 January 2014
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2014 will be your best year yet. Quick update on my creative projects of late: I've been invited to perform my solo show, ALIEN CITIZEN: An Earth Odyssey, at Princeton University and M.I.T. next month. It has also been chosen as the closing keynote address at the Families in Global Transition (FIGT) conference in Virginia in March. These are all wonderful honors and I am thrilled to be taking the show on the road! It had its world premiere in Hollywood in May 2013--I'm happy to say that the 5-week run was a success. It then opened the 8th Annual Women at Work Festival Off Off Broadway in September. So I'm very happy and grateful that it continues to have a life. I also wanted to belatedly announce the publication of my essay, "Transforming Three Sisters: A Hapa Family in Chekhov's Modern Classic," in the peer-reviewed scholarly journal Asian American Literature: Discourses & Pedagogies. You can download it here: http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/aaldp/vol3/iss1/13/ Thank you as always for your continued support of Hapa Happy Hour and its co-hosts! Cheers, Lisa
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Thu, 19 December 2013
Season's Greetings!! In this episode, the ladies of Hapa Happy Hour recount various events of 2013 and weigh in on some items of note, including the responses to this year's multiethnic Cheerios commercial! Feel free to email us your thoughts at hapahappyhour@gmail.com. As always, wishing you the happiest of holidays! See you in 2014! Love, Lisa, Hiwa, & Rena |
Sat, 6 April 2013
Dear listeners and readers, I've been meaning to post this correction for months! My apologies for the delay--it's been a very busy time. Back in August on episode 27, "Re:Connecting," I mistakenly stated that Jonathan Pryce had played a Eurasian role in the play M. BUTTERFLY. I meant to say that he had played it in the musical MISS SAIGON. I am a huge fan of David Henry Hwang's beautiful play M. BUTTERFLY (saw it twice on Broadway starring BD Wong) and am deeply embarrassed by my error! I spoke before thinking. I also want to clarify something I said about film director Ang Lee. At one point it sounded like I was saying that he had only worked in Taiwan before directing SENSE AND SENSIBILITY in the UK. In fact, I knew he had worked in New York when he made THE WEDDING BANQUET (one of my favorite films!) and PUSHING HANDS. But I said "he had just been working in Taiwan." What I meant was that he had most recently worked there (vs. only worked there). Thank you for your patience with my impulsive speeches, and for listening to our podcast and reading the blog, and for your continued support over the years! Warmly, Lisa
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Sun, 19 August 2012
Published, graduated and Mom'd. The three ladies of Hapa Happy Hour return to discuss the micros in their lives in the hopes of connecting with yours. As always questions and comments are welcome: hapahappyhour@gmail.com |
Mon, 13 February 2012
The ladies of Hapa Happy Hour discuss an article that talks about what box you would check to get in to college, since race matters in admissions in America today. Please listen and join in by sending us your comments to hapahappyhour@gmail.com. We value our listeners and would love to hear from you. Kung hee fat choy! |
Sat, 4 February 2012
Dear listeners and readers, I'm excited to announce that an essay I wrote, "Checked Baggage: Writing Unpacked," has been published in a terrific anthology! The essay is about the process of writing my one-woman-show-in-progress, which in turn is about growing up in Central America, North Africa, the Middle East, and Connecticut as a child and adolescent. The book should be available at the largest branch of your public library as well as in academic libraries all over the USA, the UK, and Canada. This is what the book's introduction says about my essay: "Elizabeth Liang, who grew up in six countries, draws commonalities between that multiple-identity existence and her chosen profession as an actress, and tells us of her one-woman play-in-progress that aims to give dramatic shape to her childhood peregrinations and confusions. Her childhood moves between Panama and Guatemala, her first exposure to Moroccan Arabic, the shock of winter cold in Connecticut, the woes of a street cyclist in Cairo or Philadelphia—these and other roaming experiences form the fabric of a vivid stage monologue." – Gene H. Bell-Villada and Nina Sichel, Editors If you know any global nomads, TCKs, or anyone studying or teaching anything "global" or "intercultural," the book might interest them. A TCK is anyone who spent a significant part of their developmental years outside their passport country/ies or in a culture(s) other than that of their parents. (Children of immigrants can be TCKs, and the multi-ethnic experience has a lot in common with the TCK experience.) Below is the info on the book, and thank you so much for your support for "Hapa Happy Hour" over the years!Cheers, Lisa
Writing Out of Limbo: International Childhoods, Global Nomads and Third Culture Kids Crossing borders and boundaries, countries and cultures, they are the children of the military, diplomatic corps, international business, education and missions communities. They are called Third Culture Kids or Global Nomads, and the many benefits of their lifestyle – expanded worldview, multiplicity of languages, tolerance for difference – are often mitigated by recurring losses – of relationships, of stability, of permanent roots. They are part of an accelerating demographic that is only recently coming into visibility.
In this groundbreaking collection, writers from around the world address issues of language acquisition and identity formation, childhood mobility and adaptation, memory and grief, and the artist’s struggle to articulate the experience of growing up global. And, woven like a thread through the entire collection, runs the individual’s search for belonging and a place called “home.”
This book provides a major leap in understanding what it’s like to grow up among worlds. It is invaluable reading for the new global age.
Writing Out of Limbo: International Childhoods, Global Nomads and Third Culture Kids
Editor: Gene H. Bell-Villada and Nina Sichel with Faith Eidse and Elaine Neil Orr
Date Of Publication: Dec 2011
Isbn13: 978-1-4438-3360-8 Isbn: 1-4438-3360-6 For more information and/or to buy, go to http://www.cambridgescholars.com/writing-out-of-limbo-19 For the author discount code, email Lisa at hapahappyhour@gmail.com.
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Tue, 13 December 2011
Happy December! We close out the year, looking ahead and divulging what's next for the Happy Hapas in 2012! First, a discussion on Quinceanera and coming of age traditions. Rena is directing a play about Quinceanera in 2012! Then, Lisa discusses her new one-woman show about being a Third Culture Kid! We're "coming of age" in 2012! Did you have a "coming of age" ritual or custom in your family? Share it with us at hapahappyhour@gmail.com! Wishing you and yours and wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! With love, Rena, Lisa, and Hiwa |
Tue, 22 November 2011
The Hapa Happy Hour ladies are giddy to return to podcasting. This episode begins with many apologies and ends with happy holidays. Welcome to the holiday season! As always, we welcome your feedback: hapahappyhour@gmail.com. |
Sat, 23 July 2011
Hello dear listeners and readers, I must apologize for having made an incorrect statement in Episode 23, "Theatre Arts Hapa." I said that Alexander Pushkin's mother was Nigerian. I was wrong. In fact, she was Russian, and her grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal (aka Abraham Hannibal), was black African--possibly from what is now Cameroon, possibly from Ethiopia, it's not certain where. But he was a page and then a general and friend to Peter the Great. Pushkin was a person of mixed heritage who was proud of his black African ancestry. To listen to a fantastic podcast by two women with black and white heritage, go to http://www.mixedchickschat.com. Thank you all for listening to our podcast and reading the blog! Lisa
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Fri, 22 July 2011
Acting is one of the oldest and most difficult professions - add being a hapa and the interesting stuff compounds! Lisa, Rena and Hiwa met doing a production of Chekhovʻs "Three Sisters" and as actresses their experiences have varied from the sublime to the horrifying. Join in the discussion by posting your comments at hapahappyhour@gmail.com, and thank you for listening! |
Fri, 22 July 2011
The ladies discuss standards of beauty and "white" privilege. For questions and comments, please email us at hapahappyhour@gmail.com. |
Thu, 23 June 2011
Happy June! The ladies discuss a Hapa's rejection of her "Asian" side from Dr. E. J. R. David's Colonial Mentality Project and consider the ways they keep the connections to their mixed heritage alive. For questions and comments, email us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com. We love hearing from you!! For more information on The Colonial Mentality Project, go to: www.colonialmentality.com. |
Fri, 29 April 2011
Join the Hapa Happy Hour ladies again as we welcome (haha) 2011! |
Tue, 15 December 2009
We're back! Hapa Happy Hour returns with its first sibling interview!
Recorded in December 2008, Lisa's brother John describes growing up a
global nomad, furthering his multilingual studies in college, and how
being blended has been just one part of a bigger package. For questions or
comments, email us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com.
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Tue, 15 September 2009
...And we're back yet again! Hapa Happy Hour returns with another great parent interview! Recorded in December 2008, Lisa's mother reflects on growing up all over the USA; learning to love languages; moving to Guatemala and meeting Lisa's father; marrying into a large Latino family of partially Chinese descent; and more. For questions or comments, email us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com.
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Tue, 30 June 2009
...And we're back again! After taking another break, Hapa Happy Hour returns with our latest from the parent interview series! Recorded over the winter holidays, Lisa's father reflects on family, ethnicity, and class in Guatemala; Chinese traditions that he learned from reading James Michener's novel Hawaii; embracing American customs; and more. For questions or comments, email us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com.
Direct download: American_Hapa_from_Guatemala_episode_17.mp3
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Fri, 19 June 2009
Our dear Renaʻs mom shares her story and life lessons and laughter...
Direct download: Lessons_from_Lands_Far_Away_Part_III_episode_16.mp3
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Wed, 29 April 2009
In the second half of Maria's interview, she not only recounts how she met Rena's dad, but also shares her philosophy about being an American and the strength of having "a hundred worldviews." A must-listen episode! For questions and comments, email us at: www.hapahappyhour.libsyn.com.
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Mon, 6 April 2009
...And we're back! After taking a little spring break, the ladies of Hapa Happy Hour are back with their latest from the parent interview series! Recorded on New Year's Day, Rena's mom reflects on Filipino family ties, a war-torn Saigon, and life in rural America. She shares candid stories about being a young teacher in a foreign country and explains how culture, circumstance, and environment work together to create one whole identity.
For questions or comments, email us at: hapahappyhour@gmail.com! |
Mon, 16 February 2009
Our brilliant friends continue the conversation on being a multi-ethnic person. And we are looking for your submissions! Help us discover a new word to create new language in order to "name ourselves" - "minority" no longer applies :-) Send to hapahappyhour@gmail.com.
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Thu, 22 January 2009
Happy New Year! The ladies kick off 2009 and welcome friends, Michelle and Karen, to the podcast. Together, they explore their journeys as fellow Hapas, giggle as only girlfriends can, and share some lessons about standing tall in their own shoes. Email at hapahappyhour@gmail.com!
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Thu, 18 December 2008
In this episode the women of Hapa Happy Hour discuss the 2008 presidential election, and President-Elect Barack Obama. Please send any comments or questions to hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Thanks for listening! Happy Holidays! (Recorded in November 2008.)
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Mon, 1 December 2008
The second part of our interview with Hiwa's mom. Donna discusses her ongoing love affair with Hawaii and asks the ladies personal questions about growing up. Questions or comments about this episode? Feel free to email the Hapas at hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Mahalo! (Recorded in September 2008.)
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Sat, 15 November 2008
We proudly present Hiwa's mom, Donna, who shares her travels of the world and her journeys of the heart. This is part one in a two-part episode. Please share your thoughts with us at hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Mahalo! (Recorded in September 2008.)
Direct download: Hapa_Happy_Hour_episode_9_1-2-MP3_for_Audio_Podcasting.mp3
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Thu, 6 November 2008
WE MADE IT!!! Welcome to the 44th President of the United States of America, President Barack Hussein Obama. Welcome to the first president from the Aloha State, the great state of Hawai'i. (Happy Hiwa.) My heart is filled with gladness. Thank you, America. We're ready. We're ready for this new chapter in the history of our presidency. This is truly a happy hour. With joy, Rena
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Sun, 2 November 2008
Hello blog readers and Hapa Happy Hour supporters! First a note: we normally publish new episodes twice each month… but this October 2008 we didn’t quite have our technical abilities at the ready… and, Lisa is celebrating her honeymoon, congratulations Lisa! So we have two blogs to offer, one from Rena and one from myself. We do have some really incredible podcasat episodes coming up so I hope you stay tuned.
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Sun, 19 October 2008
Hello All!
A big thank you to Heidi W. Durrow, whose blogpost, "Obama's Biracial Background Makes Him Mysterious (Read Risky) to Southern White Voters," prompted this entry. Heidi, the co-host of the mixedchickschat podcast (along with the lovely Fanshen Cox), blogs regularly at www.lightskinnededgirl.typepad.com. Check it out!
In the New York Times article,"For Some, Uncertainty Starts at Racial Identity," (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/politics/15biracial.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin)
James Halsey of Mobile, Alabama said of Barack Obama, “He’s going to tear up the rose bushes and plant a watermelon patch...I just don’t think we’ll ever have a black president.” Still another interviewee, a pipe-fitter who works north of Mobile, said, "“He’s neither-nor...He’s other. It’s in the Bible. Come as one. Don’t create other breeds.”
Other breeds.
Then, two of my students came to me this week and wanted to share with me a video they had found on youtube. The video, allegedly produced by a man registered as "independent" (He made a point of telling viewers this), claimed that Barack Obama was not a natural-born citizen, and therefore, should not be allowed to run for president. So convinced were my students that everything else on the yard fell away from me as they talked. I stood on the blacktop, utterly crushed, staring at these two intelligent, impressionable boys, and my mind was racing. Was this the culture they had inherited? How was I going to pry them from these political briars? How was I going to undo this abuse? In my mind, I was thinking, "That's absurd, you know. Barack Obama was born in Hawai'i. It's a state, you guys. A STATE," but I couldn't say that. I couldn't deliver the information with the sarcastic tone with which it was playing in my head.
He is that much of a threat to our national psyche? We could only be at the "bottom" to find ourselves voting for a Hapa? A Hapa, no less, and still our black and white society only sees the non-white.
I know I am not speaking for Senator Obama, nor do I mean to. I will probably spend three paragraphs describing what Barack would eloquently articulate in much, much (much) less. (One sentence.) But for my part, as someone of mixed heritage, here's what I want to say:
Barack Obama is white.
When you are a Hapa, you get to be the ethnicity of both parents. When you're a Hapa, you are.
I don't say that as if I'm trying to lay claim to some ancient parentage, some forgotten inheritance that would afford me something if I could only prove it were true.
People don't understand that, and because they don't, they dismiss me. It's not important. What's important is only what they can see. Folks immediately retort, "But he's African-American, too," as if that takes care of the conversation. If I persist, they look at me like I'm speaking another language or worse, attempting to practice ancestral voo-doo. They look at me as if to say, "Your magic won't work here."
Only folks who are multi-racial can understand what I mean.
It shouldn't matter, and perhaps it doesn't, but alas, here's the rub. If race doesn't matter, why is Barack's heritage so hard for us to wrap our minds around? Why is it such a paradigm shift? When my liberal friends say, "But he's African-American, too," and perhaps they mean, "and people won't forget that," they're still bearing witness to the fact that race does indeed matter.
I'm tired of people not acknowledging Barack's mixed heritage. It's true that he identifies with being African-American. I understand that. It's the way I relish being Filipino, the way I search for a box on the census to encompass all that I am. When I finally settle on Asian-Pacific Islander because all other choices fall short, believe me, I have not forgotten that I am Swedish and German.
We have no problem saying that Barack is black. Absolutely no problem with that. We're very comfortable with that box.
But, turn it around, and it's a huge mind shift. It's outside the box, and we don't know what to do with it.
Yet, Barack is just as much white, just as much, as he is black. And if we're comfortable letting him be black, we should be just as comfortable letting him be white.
When we do that, then race won't matter.
Barack Obama is a man of mixed race. His diverse background and global perspective in an ever-changing society, in the midst of a technological revolution, is exactly what we need in the White House. This world is smaller and more delicate than ever, and he understands that.
Just a few more days to the election! See you on the other side.
-Rena
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Sun, 28 September 2008
Continuing the conversation about going home, from episode 6, the ladies talk about what itʻs like to be seen in various parts of the world. And where they feel the most at home. Are you Hapa, too? Let us know your opinions and questions at our email: hapahappyhour@gmail.com. (Recorded in August 2008.)
Direct download: 08_In_The_Eyes_Of_Beholders_episode_8.mp3
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Sun, 28 September 2008
Hiwa interviews her father, Terry, in the Honolulu airport. He is hapa himself, of Hawaiian and Chinese ancestry. Thanks for joining us and as always we welcome your comments and any questions... hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Aloha!
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Wed, 17 September 2008
6 - Reflecting on our travels this past year and sharing the cuisines that make Alaska, Hawaii, and Guatemala so unique. Please email comments to hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Thanks! (Recorded in June 2008.)
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Wed, 17 September 2008
5 - We're interviewing our parents! Meet our first guest, Rena's dad,
Jim, from Chamberlain, South Dakota. Find out how this Midwestern
farmer fell in love with a teacher from the Philippines. This week we
also touch on the similarities between being transracially adopted and
being multiracial. Please email any comments to hapahappyhour@gmail.com. (Recorded in May 2008.)
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Sat, 2 August 2008
After weeks of traveling and visiting family, I am finally home in Dare I say it? I had forgotten I was Filipino. Of course, I knew it. I love it. But what does it mean to be Filipino-American? It was emotional reconnecting with my "Asian" heritage, learning things new, and seeing research historians come together and create a community of Mabuhay in the frozen north. Here are some my highlights: In a writing workshop led by author Patricia Justiniani McReynolds, I was reacquainted with the word, "Mestizo," the Filipino equivalent of Hapa, but specifically for those half-Caucasian and half-Filipino. Patricia's memoir entitled Almost Americans, A Quest For Dignity chronicles her experiences as a Mestiza, growing up in L.A. in the 1930s-40s! Needless to say, I was in awe of her, mesmerized. Her parents, a Norwegian mother and Filipino father, had been married in 1922. In the workshop she gave us 10 minutes to write about a turning point in our lives. Since it was my personal theme of the day, I wrote about attending a high school dance sponsored by the Filipino Community (of
As an actor and a director, I just have to share a session entitled, "Transforming Our Communities through Art: Theatre and Photography on the Edge." Filipino artists on the edge? You know I was there. Noted playwright, musician, and poet, Timoteo Cordova, and documentary photographer, Abraham Menor, were not to be believed. First of all, what these two guys could do with a kubing (Filipino jaw harp) would knock your socks off. No lie. Revolutionaries in their own right, they both expressed a desire for (Filipino) artists to produce work that is compelling and evocative. "...Understand there are no limits," Timoteo said. "Tradition has its place," but we "show proper respect to these art forms by being innovative." He spoke of fusing different traditions and sounds and through self-expression, creating something new. Say no more. He was speaking my language. My brain was on fire. On our panel was Dr. James Sobredo, a professor from The study above prompted me to ask my cousins at home how they identify themselves. Three of my Hapa cousins in Also on the panel was Evelyn Abello who presented her research on different ways Filipinos cope with stress other than therapy. One of the cultural characteristics she identified surprised me because I recognized it as a trait I possess. While I'm not opposed to a good rant in a therapist's office, I will rely on my own inner strength (if you're curious, "lakas ng loob") to get through a rough patch. I always thought that I just came hard-wired this way. I never considered that it was cultural, that it was Filipino. Finally, my mother, Maria, and I spoke about the need to provide context for children being raised in two cultures, Hapa or not. We worked together, taking turns between theory (mom) and practical application (me). I talked about my parents' ethnic backgrounds, their hometowns, and agreed with Mr. Dolchok that being Hapa is sometimes problematic for others. I told how my mother raised my brother and me to be proud of our heritage, but also to her family's dismay, to be "mouthy" Americans. In Filipino culture, children do NOT talk back. We did. We were allowed because my mom wanted to know what was going on with us. Information revealed itself in the discord. Maria quoted Edward T. Hall, saying that "every individual is made up of many cultures and subcultures within himself. The goal of education is to integrate all of these into one whole identity." It's a dynamic process, one that never stops. The Filipino culture, like all "Asian" cultures, needs context. People discipline their children differently all over the world, and it's been said that the Filipino child is the "best" child that there is. (Submissive, obedient, respectful. Basically, seen and not heard, y'all.) But if your children are growing up here in the It's been said that culture is the sum total of all the answers to questions about daily life. Language is the mechanism we use to pass on these ways of living. Culture, then, is like the pair of glasses through which you see the world. That means that I, and all of my Hapa brethen, have acquired coping skills, answers to everyday problems, from two different voices, born in two different places; these ideas embedded in my upbringing. It's no wonder then, as cousin Alex pointed out, that we hapas have a unique perspective. We seek to make sense of two (or more) different value systems and to live by these multiple sets of rules. It's a dynamic process, one that never stops. I am this fusion. I have made two cultures, two sets of answers, co-exist in one identity. It was an incredible, eye-opening, invigorating conference. I was thrilled and honored to be a part of it. For any of you Mestizos out there, the next one is in Let's go -Rena
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Thu, 3 July 2008
Hello from the Land of the Midnight Sun!
It's Rena in the wilds of Alaska. A big thank you to everyone who has shown us tremendous support during our debut month. We continue to be humbled and honored by the positivity that keeps coming our way! I have some terrific news to share. I am a panelist at the upcoming Filipino-American National Historical Society Biennial National Conference taking place on July 3-5 here in Anchorage. Three things make this event even more sublime: I will be sharing the panel with my very own mom, Maria; I've returned to the land that raised me; and our presentation is scheduled on my birthday, July 3rd. In the presentation entitled, "Building a Culture of Harmony and Peace Within a Filipino-American Family," we will be discussing the joys and the challenges of reconciling two cultures in one household. When my mom and I were kicking around proposal ideas to submit for the conference, I told her, "We need to talk about raising Hapa/Filipino-American children in this country. That's what we should be talking about." "Really?" she said. "Why?" "Why?!" I sputtered. I was taken aback. Now, you must understand, my mom has two masters, the first being a Masters of Arts in Teaching Bilingual/Multicultural Education. She developed the scope and sequence for bilingual education grades K-3 for the Anchorage School District. This is the same woman who pulled me out of Catholic school, so that I could don the Filipino "butterfly" sleeves and dance to "Paru-Parong Bukid" at every multicultural fair ever held in town between 1978-1985. I've been living and breathing cultural diversity since I was born. And I'm Hapa. "Because it's extremely difficult to be raised in two cultures," I said, "especially if you have parents who are not aware of the tightrope you must walk every day, the balance you constantly strive to attain." It got me thinking of my own journey as a Hapa, a term I've come to love and embrace as the one I choose to describe my ethnic heritage. The only thing universal about being Hapa is that each experience is unique. It remains the quintessential essence of being multiracial. While you can identify with those who are of mixed heritage, you can't truly commiserate because rarely is one your exact "blend" of ethnic backgrounds. You can lay claim to all and yet lay claim to no one in the same breath. It seems contradictory, a paradox, like being a citizen of the world...with no country. "Hmmmm..." my mom had said. I think she was playing devil's advocate. I'm still not sure. If you're interested in learning more about the conference, please go to: www.fanhs-national.org. Stay tuned. Lots more to come! Also, we hope you enjoy the new episodes! Post your comments or share your thoughts with us at hapahappyhour@gmail.com. Warmest regards, Rena
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Tue, 24 June 2008
I went to the first annual Mixed Roots Literary & Film Festival's opening ceremony on June 12 at the Japanese American National Museum in L.A. It was great! Not a huge turnout but a respectable one. The founders, Fanshen Cox and Heidi W. Durrow, were clearly moved and excited by how many people came--it was pretty amazing to be in a large roomful of multi-ethnic people of all backgrounds. Fanshen and Heidi are the podcasters of MixedChicksChat, the only "live," weekly podcast about being racially & culturally mixed. They were thrilled that Rebecca Walker, Alice Walker's daughter who wrote the awesome memoir Black, White & Jewish, agreed to be the opening speaker.
Category:blogs
-- posted at: 10:41pm UTC
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Thu, 12 June 2008
4 - Celebrate Loving Day, the day the US Supreme court decided that mixed race marriage was (finally) legal in the United States! We talk about Loving vs Virginia and are grateful that our parents weren't arrested. Please email us at HapaHappyHour@gmail.com, thank you.
Direct download: 04_Hapa_Happy_Hour_episode_4__Loving_Day_.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:06am UTC |
Tue, 10 June 2008
3 - Exploring the connection between how we were raised culturally and how we view ourselves. Someone can look Chinese but not know how to use chopsticks; breaking down stereotypical ideas. Please email us at HapaHappyHour@gmail.com, thank you. (Recorded in May 2008.)
Direct download: 03_Hapa_Happy_Hour_episode_3_Cultural_Home_.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:01am UTC |
Thu, 5 June 2008
2 - Further exploration into the backgrounds of Lisa, Hiwa and Rena. From Alaska to Hawaiʻi to Guatemala and beyond the women have experienced many places. Please send comments to HapaHappyHour@gmail.com, thanks. (Recorded in May 2008.)
Direct download: 02_Hapa_Happy_Hour_episode_2_Where_We_Came_From_.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:57am UTC |
Sun, 1 June 2008
1 - Welcome to Hapa Happy Hour where Lisa, Hiwa and Rena, who met doing "Three Sisters", explore their multi racial experiences from three different backgrounds. Please email comments to HapaHappyHour@gmail.com, thank you. (Episode recorded in April 2008.)
Direct download: 01_Hapa_Happy_Hour_episode_1__Who_We_Are_.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:51am UTC |