Hapa Directory (2021)
Hapa Directory showcases the individual stories and experiences of mixed race, East Asian identifying people in New York City. For many, including myself, being multiracial often entails a feeling of dissonance between two important aspects of one’s identity, an in-between-ness that can be uncomfortable and isolating. Being not fully one thing or another is perhaps the only commonality binding the nebulous demographic of “mixed race.”
The Hawaiian term Hapa refers to individuals who are of mixed ethnic ancestry, and is often used to specifically describe those who are part Asian. Through creating a virtual “directory” of Hapa individuals and their unique experiences, I hope to uncover what is distinctly beautiful about being multiethnic; the convergence of cultures that so many mixed race individuals experience culminates in a form of individuality that is often empowering, even liberating. Inspired by the documentary photographic work of Kip Fulbeck, Hapa Directory is a space for multiethnic East Asian individuals to exist, share, and reflect on these experiences.
Hapa Directory showcases the individual stories and experiences of mixed race, East Asian identifying people in New York City. For many, including myself, being multiracial often entails a feeling of dissonance between two important aspects of one’s identity, an in-between-ness that can be uncomfortable and isolating. Being not fully one thing or another is perhaps the only commonality binding the nebulous demographic of “mixed race.”
The Hawaiian term Hapa refers to individuals who are of mixed ethnic ancestry, and is often used to specifically describe those who are part Asian. Through creating a virtual “directory” of Hapa individuals and their unique experiences, I hope to uncover what is distinctly beautiful about being multiethnic; the convergence of cultures that so many mixed race individuals experience culminates in a form of individuality that is often empowering, even liberating. Inspired by the documentary photographic work of Kip Fulbeck, Hapa Directory is a space for multiethnic East Asian individuals to exist, share, and reflect on these experiences.