Half Archives - The Race Card Project

Hapa: but always the wrong half.

January 22, 2025January 23, 2025 blood, Chattanooga, Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt, fair, foreign, freckled, Half, Hapa, mixed, Race, skin, TN, what are you, wrong

Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt,
Chattanooga, TN.

I’m half Japanese and half white. In Hawaii, where I grew up, mixed race people like me are called “hapa” or “half.” Although I feel most at home in the primarily Asian culture of Hawaii, I also felt like I stuck out physically because I was tall and had fair, freckled skin. But, when I moved to the mainland for college, I didn’t fit in there, either. People ask, “What are you?” “Do you have foreign blood?” But sometimes they also say, “I never thought of you as anything but white,” and that hurts just as much.

White washed, but I’m half Asian

November 6, 2024November 6, 2024 Asian, Chinese, Half, IA, Sam Spencer, West Burlington, white-washed

Sam Spencer,
West Burlington, IA

People assume I understand Chinese culture and heritage because I am half Chinese, when really I know nothing about it. I was born and raised in a majority Caucasian society, and my parents have raised me according to the culture around me.

No, I’m “really” from New York.

August 30, 2024August 30, 2024 American, Ann Arbor, Chinese, citizenship, College, Dutch, Half, immigrate, Kate Lee van Loveren, MI, New York, school, University of Michigan, where are you really from

Kate Lee van Loveren,
Ann Arbor, MI.

I was born in New York, grew up in New York, and live in New York (when I’m not at school). I’m of half Chinese and half Dutch descent, but for some people that registers into me not being American for some reason. Just by looking at me, people will ask where I’m from. I will say New York and ask where they are from, knowing the question they’re going to ask next. Like expected, they ask where I’m REALLY from because I must have been lying to them the first time. I’m REALLY from New York. Did you know that people from other countries can immigrate into the United States and live in America and raise families in America and have American citizenship and be AMERICAN? Fascinating, I know.

My Japanese half, GI dad unknown.

August 9, 2024August 9, 2024 dad, GI, Half, Japanese, Katherine Suszczewicz, unknown, USA

Katherine Suszczewicz
USA

When you don’t know, your imagination will choose to make something up. Over and over again.

Stuck in-between, but maybe that’s good

August 9, 2024August 9, 2024 Asian, CA, Emma Schechter, Half, perspective

Emma Schechter,
CA

As a half asian, half white kid, I often felt like I didn’t really belong. I didn’t quite fit
in with the white kids or the asian kids. However, as I have grown up, I have realized
that my perspective can help me relate to many people.

Race segregates ignorance and quasi-perfection

June 10, 2024June 10, 2024 CA, educated, Fillipino, Golden State, Half, ignorance, Israeli, Melvin Jones, perfection, Race, San Francisco

Melvin Jones,
San Francisco, CA.

One would think that California is a progressive state that seldom harbors racism. Unfortunately that is just a heartbreaking fallacy. The reality of the status quo, is that the Golden State is riddled with a plethora of “undercover racist” who abuse, deny, intimidate, African-Americans and Latinos.

To misfortune, or fortune, I am what the “undercover racists” seek as target to relieve themselves of their mishaps, angers, misfortunes, or whatever the case it maybe. One thing that is readily use in human kind, is to “judge the book by its cover” and that adage is more prevalent in the USA: The darker the cover, the less educated, and crime-bound individual; while the lighter the color of the cover, the more opportunities in the land of the free.

I personally know a bevy of well educated African-Americans, and Latinos (myself being one, who posses a Masters of Science in Taxation), who are better qualified compared to their caucasian counterparts. But cannot secure equal employment as their much lighter skinned counterparts, due to the darker pigmentation of their skin. The pigmentation of the largest organ in the human body, seems to be the rude of all equality evils.

I have heard the following saying, throughout California: “White people stick with each other, no matter how wrong they are. In their eyes, their issue can be remedied, but if you were black? You are deemed a criminal”

I am doing my very best so that my wife and my son (Wife half filipino- half Israeli) do not endure the same treatment is have endure in the Golden State!

I never think of you as Asian.

May 16, 2024May 16, 2024 Asian, but you don't look, Cambridge, Faculty, Filipina, Half, MA, passed, school, teacher, Virginia

Virginia,
Cambridge, MA.

I’m half Filipina. And I’ve always thought of myself as half. But one day at a faculty meeting a colleague told me I “passed” as white. It’s bothered me ever since.

Si Senor! I am US citizen

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 Baltimore, biracial, checkpoint, citizenship, Half, Heidy Avila Murillo, husband, MD, mixed, passing, police, senor, stereotype, US Citizen

Heidy Avila Murillo,
Baltimore, MD.

My marriage is biracial, I am Hispanic and my husband is a Caucasian born in Maryland. This year after obtaining my US citizenship, my husband and I decided to have three days vacations in Canada. We visited Niagara Falls, Toronto city, and since I love Diego Rivera’s artwork, we decided to have an adventurous driving trip and passed by Detroit Museum of Art, which has original copies of Rivera’s murals.

When passing through the border checkpoint between Canadian area and Detroit, an officer asked for our passports, he reviewed mine very carefully. He started asking us what was our relationship? We said we are married, He replay for how long?, we answer 4 years. He asked back and directed the question toward my husband like if I didn’t understand English, and said Why she hasn’t change her name? My husband replied, “Well she doesn’t want it. “ After that he asked more questions; from where we are coming from? For how long we have been in Canada?, what was our purpose of coming to Detroit? For how long we are planning to stay in Detroit etc, etc. Still after answered all his questions, he didn’t seem satisfied. At the end he told us to park our cars and so we can pass by the office to be checked.

I got it officers in any checkpoint border need to check people’s passports, but this officer’s behavior wasn’t correct, why all that questions? What if we were just being friends, or complete strangers? What it is wrong if I don’t want to change my Latino name for a more Westernized? we were after all US citizens.

With this experience, the only conclusion that I can make is that his officer had his head “full of stereotypes” I guess it was hard for him to accept the idea that biracial marriages really exist, and that people like me “Hispanic looking” can also be citizens like him, but I don’t blame him, my passport was the only evidence that I had to prove it.

Half Puerto-Rican, but Assumed White

March 23, 2024March 21, 2024 assume, Chicago, Half, IL, Nick Timmins, Puerto Rican, white

Nick Timmins
Chicago, IL

They only see the Asian half.

March 12, 2024March 12, 2024 Asian, asian-american, Half, heritage, irish, italian, Japanese, Katelyn Tsukada, MA, Northampton, passport, See

Katelyn Tsukada
Northampton, MA

My mother is of Irish and Italian heritage; my father of Japanese descent. Both of my parents were born in the United States as were their parents before them. Both consider themselves to be American as documented by their passports, drivers licenses and birth certificates. My mother and father speak English has their first and only language. And the American child they created and raised together? Well she constantly gets asked where she is “really” from because New York State is never the correct answer.

I learned to identify myself as Asian-American because that is how others categorized me. My classmates assumed Asian was the reason I got good grades. Asian was the reason I liked seafood and tanned like an islander. And Asian was the reason my grandmother was made to live in an internment camp directly following the attack on Pearl Harbor. My history. Asian history. The rich Irish-Italian culture of my mother’s family never stood a chance.

Why can’t I simply be me?

January 15, 2024 Asian, Bellevue, both, caucasian, enough, Half, I'm not white, Japanese, Jessica Seargeant, not Asian, WA

Jessica Seargeant,
Bellevue, WA.

I am half Japanese and half Caucasian. I’ve been told I’m not Asian enough by Asians and not “white” enough by Caucasians. I’ve been accused of choosing between my races when it suits me and advised to just say I’m “white.” Why can’t I just be both?

Why can’t I simply be me?

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 Asian, Bellevue, both, caucasian, enough, Half, I'm not white, Japanese, Jessica Seargeant, not Asian, WA

Jessica Seargeant,
Bellevue, WA.

Not wanting to deny my roots

December 16, 2022December 16, 2022 culture, death, deny, hair, Half, language, Latin-American, Laura, learning, NJ, non-hispanic, privilege, Puerto Rico, racial forms, Red bank, Roots, Spanish

Laura,
Red bank, NJ.

Let me just start by saying that racial forms are the death of me. I keep clicking back and forth between non Hispanic white and Latin American. Here’s the thing. My mom and her family are from Puerto Rico. The language and culture are very important to her but here is the thing- she doesn’t look Puerto Rican or at least stereotypically Puerto Rican. She has brown straight hair, European features and light skin. And then my dad is white. But here I am. I look white. I have white privilege and I’m certainly not going to deny that. I tell people I am half Puerto Rican and they look at me puzzled and say “really I didn’t know that” or that must be where you get your curls from!” (Even though my hair comes from my European side).

I was raised very removed from the culture. I am currently learning Spanish but I was not taught at an early age. I really wish I knew more about Puerto Rican culture but I simply don’t, I think mainly because I was raised in a white community with a white father. But nevertheless being half Puerto Rican is very important to me and my identity. I want to learn more about my Latin roots but I don’t want to be accused of cultural appropriation. So hear I am caught in a limbo between Puerto Rican and white. It makes me so sad that society keeps telling me I can’t be both.

View perceived differences as valuable opportunity.

October 24, 2022October 24, 2022 common, culture, difference, Half, Lauren C, Mexican, opportunity, tradition, TX, white

Lauren C,
TX

I wish for my half white, half Mexican children to grow up knowing that perceived differences should be an opportunity to learn about another person or people, and how much they may truly have in common. An opportunity to embrace someone or their culture and traditions, and maybe learn something new about themselves.

You’re not Swedish you’re too dark

October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 assume, CA, Half, Paulina Persson, Puerto Rican, San Clemente, skin color, Stockholm, Swedish, too dark, You're not

Paulina Persson,
San Clemente, CA.

People love to make assumptions by skin color. I love to see people’s facial expressions when they find out I was born in Stockholm and that I am half Swedish and Puerto Rican.

100% White, 50% Hispanic.

October 4, 2022 blood, FL, Half, Hispanic, J.P, last name, Latinx, name, non-spanish, Tampa, white

J.P,
Tampa, FL

Growing up in a largely latin community of Florida, I’ve always struggled to fit in. My mother is of Spanish heritage with family coming from Spain as well as Cuba, however, my father is from eastern Europe, thus I have a non-spanish last name. This has troubled me forever because everyone looks at your last name to try to determine what you are. Someone could have a father who’s 1/2 hispanic, and a mother who’s 0% hispanic but just because they inherit their dad’s last name, they are more accepted into the “community” than someone like me even though they are less hispanic by blood. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t feel like explaining my identity to others, so I just tell people that I’m completely of my dads culture, sweeping my mothers under the rug because people are likely to laugh considering someone with my last name would be hispanic at all.

I’m just stuck in the middle.

September 5, 2022September 5, 2022 Alexis Berry, Arabic, biracial, challenge, College, compassionate, Detroit, Half, MI, professor, Race, society, stuck in the middle, teacher, Wayne State

Alexis Berry,
Wayne State,
Detroit, MI

Being Biracial is really a challenge. Being half black and half Arabic makes me feel like I belong to neither race. Many people look to their own race as somewhere they belong, but it’s the opposite for me. Since I’ve been young each race makes me feel like I’m not “really” apart of their society. There has been several encounters where I have been talked down upon because of my race. This only makes me stronger and more compassionate to those who also deal with this. The less race revolved we are the better!