Who Gets To Be 'Hapa'?

Who Gets To Be 'Hapa'?

As the term, 'Hapa' which means 'part' grows in popularity, so does debate over how it should be used. Hapa, the author notes, is claimed by many multi-racial Asian Americans but it is also claimed by a growing sovereignty movement in Hawaii. So for some people, hapa means part Native Hawaiian, not an Asian American mix. Similarly, the word Hapa for some is derogatory but its origins in the Hawaiian language indicate that this was not always so. Includes a few references embedded as hyperlinks in this commentary.

Akemi Johnson

NPR

August 8, 2016

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United States