Good Books About Being Hapa

For all of you other hapa (half-Asian, half-Caucasian) folks out there. Here are some excellent books that have been published on the subject of the what it's like being caught between two radically different cultures, languages and set of expectations. I highly recommend them.

What Are You? Voices of Mixed-Race Young People, By Pearl Fuyo Gaskins In this sensitive, thoughtful collection of interviews, essays, and poetry, over 40 young adults ranging in age from 14 to 26 relate their experiences growing up in the United States. Arranged thematically with occasional author notes offering clarification and transition, the primarily upbeat testimonies address issues of discrimination, dating, family dynamics, and self-esteem. The contributors have had to respond to prejudice both inside and outside their own ethnic groups in addition to universal problems, such as financial worries, divorce, parent and sibling conflicts, and academic pressures. Although American society challenged them to "check one box," declaring the race they belong to, they have resisted categorization, seeking instead to understand and express the rich blend that is their personal heritage.

Part Asian, 100% Hapa - By Kip Fulbeck, Sean Lennon & Paul Spickard This one is by Kip Fulbeck, an artist..a teacher..a fellow hapa. He has taken over 1,000 portraits of mixed race people (asian mixes) and has each of them answer the question "what are you?" I had an opportunity to communicate with the author during the writing process of this book. I really enjoyed and related to his introduction as well. it's a must have for hapa peeps.

Check All That Apply: Finding Wholeness as a Multiracial Person Sundee Frazier tackles the ambiguities of being a multiracial woman of faith. In this book she cogently describes the particular tension of multiracial identity, the sense of never quite belonging anywhere; she also insists that one's core identity comes only from God. Considering that the number of interracial marriages has swelled from 310,000 in 1970 to 1.3 million in 1994, there is an ever-enlarging audience for Frazier's thoughtful reflections.

Half and Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural - By Claudine Chiawei O'Hearn New Yorker O'Hearn, who was born in Hong Kong of an Irish-American father and a Chinese mother, first tells her own story. She found she could pass as Hawaiian, Italian or even Russian. Then goes on to collect first-person accounts of 17 others with biracial or bicultural backgrounds who grew up in the U.S. or emigrated here. The tone throughout ranges from bitter and self-absorbed to satirical, most reveal a quiet sense of humor. Several of the entries have been published previously in anthologies or magazines.

Hunger - By Lan Samantha Chang Not a book specifically about being Hapa or bi-cultural/bi-racial, however it is one of the most outstanding books I have ever read on the experience of Asian-Americans in the US. A DEFINITE must-read!