What the hell does hapa mean anyway?

[BeTheReds]

I never even heard the term until a year ago when I came on the net. Ive always said mixed or half this and half that.

What language is hapa? Who started using it first.

Sorry if this is common knowledge. I just want to know.

[kimpossible]

Try this (http://forums.yellowworld.org/index.php?act=ST&f=54&t=1908&s=3687eba1ad3aa18d21118dcd72f3ed28) thread.

[BeTheReds]

thanks!

Tho I dont like it.

I'm not Hawaiian.

No one in the east coast would probably even know what it meant.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Originally posted by Bethereds@Oct 23 2002, 05:56 AM
thanks!

Tho I dont like it.

I'm not Hawaiian.

No one in the east coast would probably even know what it meant.
don't worry, Asian American busybodies in all the highly politicized student groups are working their hardest to popularize the word. I went to school on the east coast for 7 years, and I'll be going back in january to finish my last term of university and grab a diploma. anyway, I identified as "overseas Chinese from Malaysia" one time at this discussion roundtable thing, and was told by some coordinator, "hey maybe you don't know about the term Hapa, it means a person who is from two different races and cultures. that's probably a better term to describe you!" annoying bitches.

[BeTheReds]

Dude, so you hate them too? That's awesome!

I hate all those BS AA activist college groups.

[kimpossible]

If you the hate term it so much why use it, i.e. the Hapa Test? I agree about the East Coast difference. Back there we used AmerAsian. In the dinosaur age when I was young. Hawaiians don't even use it for themselves, or at least that's what I thought Maldito said.

You're free to use whatever term you want guys. We don't have any clubs in this forum. Come to think of it, I never use the term hapa in real life. Only on the net.

[JoseRizal]

How about "mestizo"? Works for Pinoys/Pinays.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Originally posted by JoseRizal@Oct 23 2002, 04:58 PM
How about "mestizo"? Works for Pinoys/Pinays.
would be nice to have an english word, though, rather than take one which is already tied in some other race and culture. e.g. hapa used to only refer to Hawaiians, eurasian (which is the term i most prefer out of everything that's widely understood) infringes on the territory of Russian political theorists, amerasian was a start on making a neologism but it sounds awkward and makes people think of the military, etc.

mestizo is already taken by Mexicans, and, to a lesser extend, Filipinos, as you pointed out.

[BeTheReds]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 23 2002, 04:38 PM
If you the hate term it so much why use it, i.e. the Hapa Test?
I made the test before I knew what the word meant. In fact I thought it might be a Korean trying to say half because here is no F in Korean.

Tho that would be hapu not hapa.

Anyway mixed is fine.

Eurasian sounds like it would just be anyone tied to the Eurasian landmass.

[digiaks]

I made the test before I knew what the word meant.

You make it sound like you just learned how bad the term 'hapa' is now. Sure 'hapa' is not big on the each coast because the Asian population is relatively small compared to the west coast. The word is new only because partial mixed asians were few till now after immigration was opened up in the mid 60's and also because of the wars we had in Asia. The term does derive from Hawaii. You thought it derived from Korea. Why is it worse that it came from Hawaii?

The term is much more known now then it was 2-3 years ago. I have been called 'hapa' by people in CA since the mid 90's. And that was by someone from Hawaii.

You can find plenty of sites that use Hapa to refer to partial Asians. HIF is the big one, then you have Hapachun, Hapahowly, Hapakun, Hapas, The Hapa Project, and so on. And I know people making more hapa sites as we speak.

[deez nuts]

Originally posted by digiaks@Oct 26 2002, 04:59 PM


You make it sound like you just learned how bad the term 'hapa' is now. Sure 'hapa' is not big on the each coast because the Asian population is relatively small compared to the west coast. ?

I don't know about that one. There are are more Asians in the west coast, but the east coast is definitely comparable.

As for the term Hapa, I've heard that term being used when I was in high school 10-12 years ago and I've never lived outside of NYC and Queens.



<!--EDIT|Chasiubao_Boy|Oct 26 2002, 05:33 PM-->

[maldito]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Oct 23 2002, 04:38 PM
Hawaiians don't even use it for themselves, or at least that's what I thought Maldito said.


It seems like people use the term "Hapa" more as a collective term or to describe people not so far from what I can tell not many people use it on themselves. At least not yet.

Anyone in Hawaii can tell you that we don't use "hapa" for a mixed person. We were taught to say what we are. In which case I would and still do reply with "Filipino, Hawaiian, Chinese and Portuguese."

[maldito]

Originally posted by JoseRizal@Oct 23 2002, 04:58 PM
How about "mestizo"? Works for Pinoys/Pinays.
That term is overrated by Filipinos. Latin American people don't use it and I personally find it offensive because of the origin of the word, who it was used for and the stigma that was once attached to it.

Nowadays, Filipinos seem to idolize anyone who is a "mistiso" or have those features. As if pure Filipinos are ugly.

[kasia]

Originally posted by AliBabaIncorporated@Oct 23 2002, 07:48 AM
don't worry, Asian American busybodies in all the highly politicized student groups are working their hardest to popularize the word. I went to school on the east coast for 7 years, and I'll be going back in january to finish my last term of university and grab a diploma. anyway, I identified as "overseas Chinese from Malaysia" one time at this discussion roundtable thing, and was told by some coordinator, "hey maybe you don't know about the term Hapa, it means a person who is from two different races and cultures. that's probably a better term to describe you!" annoying bitches.
really? i always thought the term 'hapa' was offensive. kinda like 'mulatto'...

[digiaks]

I don't know about that one. There are are more Asians in the west coast, but the east coast is definitely comparable.

Going by the US Census (www.census.gov) it is actually not comparable. Here is the breakdown.

West: 5.7 Million
North East: 2 Million
Mid West: 1.1 Million
South: 1.9 Million

[digiaks]

Anyone in Hawaii can tell you that we don't use "hapa" for a mixed person.

That is ironic since the first person to tell me I was 'Hapa' was a person from Hawaii. Maybe it is different depending on where in Hawaii you are not. Not sure.

[kasia]

Originally posted by digiaks@Oct 28 2002, 09:23 PM
Anyone in Hawaii can tell you that we don't use "hapa" for a mixed person.

That is ironic since the first person to tell me I was 'Hapa' was a person from Hawaii. Maybe it is different depending on where in Hawaii you are not. Not sure.
yeh, that is weird. my roommate and a whole bunch of her friends here in l.a. are from hawaii and they refer to every mixed person as 'hapa'.

[deez nuts]

Originally posted by digiaks@Oct 28 2002, 04:21 PM
I don't know about that one. There are are more Asians in the west coast, but the east coast is definitely comparable.

Going by the US Census (www.census.gov) it is actually not comparable. Here is the breakdown.

West: 5.7 Million
North East: 2 Million
Mid West: 1.1 Million
South: 1.9 Million
Mah bad, I stand corrected. Could've swore I read somewhere that we had more. Prolly misread. Thanks for shedding new light for me.
.



<!--EDIT|Chasiubao_Boy|Oct 29 2002, 08:40 AM-->

[VV o n g B a]

its strange... i've seen at least 3 origins floating around. the most frequent is the hawaiian origin, but i've also heard that hapa is korean for "half," and i've also heard that its an acronym meaning "Half Asian Pacific American."

[maldito]

Originally posted by digiaks@Oct 28 2002, 09:23 PM
Anyone in Hawaii can tell you that we don't use "hapa" for a mixed person.

That is ironic since the first person to tell me I was 'Hapa' was a person from Hawaii. Maybe it is different depending on where in Hawaii you are not. Not sure.
Geez, I'm showing my age. *L* Well then Alvin, back in MY DAYS and on the island I grew up on no one used the word "hapa". Hapa haole was used, but we didn't say things like, "oh, he's Hapa?" It's kinda incomplete that's why.

Probably those Oahuans again trying to be the forefront of change with everything Hawaiian. *LOL* Seriously though, they probably are. This person who called you this word "hapa", my guess is that it was in the early 90s and that they were from O'ahu and probably Asian?

[maldito]

Originally posted by kasia@Oct 29 2002, 06:30 AM
Originally posted by digiaks@Oct 28 2002, 09:23 PM
Anyone in Hawaii can tell you that we don't use "hapa" for a mixed person.

That is ironic since the first person to tell me I was 'Hapa' was a person from Hawaii. Maybe it is different depending on where in Hawaii you are not. Not sure.
yeh, that is weird. my roommate and a whole bunch of her friends here in l.a. are from hawaii and they refer to every mixed person as 'hapa'.
About a couple of mos. ago I did ask this question in a msg. forum where many former Hawaii residents post. I asked about the term "hapa" being used to describe someone of partial Asian or Pacific Island ancestry and everyone thought I was weird. Granted that 90% of these people are above the age of 40.

These people from HI that you mentioned, as I said to Alvin I'm guessing that they are from O'ahu and they're also probably young too. Back when I lived on Molokai (early 80s) the term "hapa" was not used. Hapa Haole was, but to say just "hapa", it's like saying "part...." and not finishing the sentence. Someone could be Hapa Haole, or hapa Filipino, Hapa Hawaiian, etc. Hapa Haole was the most used term and if anyone used just "hapa" my assumption would be that they meant part white. Although back in the 1800s it was different but I'm not sure if back in those days they used only the word "hapa". I'm guessing probably not.

[kasia]

Originally posted by maldito@Oct 29 2002, 06:13 PM
Originally posted by kasia@Oct 29 2002, 06:30 AM
Originally posted by digiaks@Oct 28 2002, 09:23 PM
Anyone in Hawaii can tell you that we don't use "hapa" for a mixed person.

That is ironic since the first person to tell me I was 'Hapa' was a person from Hawaii. Maybe it is different depending on where in Hawaii you are not. Not sure.
yeh, that is weird. my roommate and a whole bunch of her friends here in l.a. are from hawaii and they refer to every mixed person as 'hapa'.
About a couple of mos. ago I did ask this question in a msg. forum where many former Hawaii residents post. I asked about the term "hapa" being used to describe someone of partial Asian or Pacific Island ancestry and everyone thought I was weird. Granted that 90% of these people are above the age of 40.

These people from HI that you mentioned, as I said to Alvin I'm guessing that they are from O'ahu and they're also probably young too. Back when I lived on Molokai (early 80s) the term "hapa" was not used. Hapa Haole was, but to say just "hapa", it's like saying "part...." and not finishing the sentence. Someone could be Hapa Haole, or hapa Filipino, Hapa Hawaiian, etc. Hapa Haole was the most used term and if anyone used just "hapa" my assumption would be that they meant part white. Although back in the 1800s it was different but I'm not sure if back in those days they used only the word "hapa". I'm guessing probably not.
yep, you're right. from oahu. but only a few years younger than you. :)

[JoseRizal]

How about "biracial" or "multiracial" or "polyracial" or "biethnic"?

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Originally posted by JoseRizal@Oct 30 2002, 05:31 PM
How about "biracial" or "multiracial" or "polyracial" or "biethnic"?
too broad.