Hapa is a relatively new identity stemming from the Hawaiian word meaning “half.” While the original phrase “hapa haole” was used to describe people who were half Asian/Pacific Islander and half Caucasian, the phrase has since been shortened to “hapa” and has gradually begun to encompass people of all mixed races and ethnicities. And yet the hapa identity seems empty in comparison to that of a non-mixed person. Beyond the connection formed by mixed people’s feelings of racial ambiguity, hapas seemingly have little in common. And why should there be any similarities? For people who blatantly have different backgrounds, experiences, and interests, it may seem like a stretch to believe that the hapa identity could go as far as to form a culture.

But what is culture anyway? A cuisine, a dance, or a custom? Surprisingly, culture is defined as a man-made creation – nothing more than a series of beliefs. The group identity that hapas so desperately lack is actually quite tangible. It simply has yet to be created.

This is the idea behind HAPArt. HAPArt is the opportunity for we who are mixed ethnically/racially to create a culture for ourselves: to define ourselves. We are not one or the other. We are a combination, and it is that combination that plants the seeds of belief that ultimately bring us together.