[Student Reporters] What are you? A Hapa?

Jonathan Shin <11th, Flintridge High School>

On November 19 Kip Fullbeck an artist and filmmaker gave a riveting presentation on racial identity to the Flintridge Prep community. Kip Fullbeck began his speech by answering questions ranging from his educational background to his preference in Madonna or Celine Dion. When finally asked about his racial identity he stalled. The point of this interview: only until recently were people allowed to mark more than one check box on the racial identity section of a standardized test or survey.

His book titled "Part Asian 100% Hapa" shows photographs of racially mixed people of all ages and professions. Hapa is a derogatory slang word which literally means "half" in Hawaii. It has been redefined as a person of mixed heritage who is partially Asian or Pacific Islander. Each person was photographed in expressionless headshots. After each photo the person would give a written response about how they identify themselves.

His Hapa Project encompasses exhibitions and lectures that deal with multiracial identity. His presentation for the school presented slideshow of the pages of the book. Despite the racial diversity throughout the slides all the comments shared similar connotations of a deep sense of pride in being a hapa.

He ended the presentation with spoken word piece titled "My World" where he describes his ideal utopia: a society of social responsibility and open-mindedness. "In this day and age of haves and have nots blues and reds legals and illegals it is more important to react like Kanye West than Mike Myers. It is more important to speak up than sit politely and it is more important to live with the consequences of doing so than to stand idly by and watch this beautiful garden go to seed." After the morning assembly Fullbeck stayed to give a Q&A during lunch in the school library.

He is the author of other books such as "Permanence: Tattoo of Portraits" "Paper Bullets: A Fictional Autobiography" and the upcoming "Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids". He has also directed 12 short films such as "Banana Split" and "Nine Fish". He is a professor of art at UCSB where he has received the school's Distinguished Teaching Award. More information is present on his website seaweedproductions.com.