Hyphen magazine - Asian American arts, culture, and politics

I asked a woman who was waiting to audition for the next Apprentice what qualities that she had as an Asian American woman that would help her to beat the competition. She replied that she was not Asian. She explained that she was hapa. I was confused. But she was adamant in making a clear delineation between the two. And she did not want to be identified as Asian.

And that there is one conversation among many to be had about mixed-race identity, as a series at the Japanese American National Museum well recognizes.

In a foreword to Kip Fulbeck’s book, Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids, Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng writes, “Mixed kids…may feel torn by divided loyalties.” Ng, who is the maternal half-sister of President Barack Obama and whose father is Indonesian, is currently an education specialist at the East West Center which promotes cooperation and exchange between the US and Asian countries. She has spent her career developing humanities curricula for alternative public and private schools in New York City and Honolulu and conducting teacher training workshops in the US and Indonesia.

Soetero-Ng will appear with Fulbeck in the JANM's ongoing series, “Conversations,” in a presentation set for Saturday, June 12, beginning at 7:30 pm at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum. Multi-racial actress Amy Hill will host. Fulbeck is an award-winning artist, performer, and professor of art at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He created the current National Museum exhibition featuring over 70 framed photographic images of children of multiple racial heritage and their statements or drawings.

JANM managing director Koji Steven Sakai says "I'm excited about the upcoming Conversations because it represents the growing (and changing) Japanese American and Asian American community.”

Clearly there are more than just issues of personal definition involved for those of mixed heritage. Even the Vietnamese term Bui Doi has been misused to refer to all Con Lai and Mỹ Lai or mixed-race and Amerasians. With our ever-expanding world, the mixed-race community is a large one. And it seems that the API community has been at the forefront of recognizing that community. JANM’s program and exhibition will certainly give them a forum to define themselves.

Conversations with Kip Fulbeck and Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng hosted by Amy Hill June 12; 7:30 pm. $15 members; $20 non-members. Buying tickets in advance is recommended. There will be a book signing and light reception after program.

Event info here at www.janm.org/events/2010/06/#12.

Photo provided by Dr. Ng.