Hapa FAQ

What does Hapa Club do?

We generally host meetings every odd week with issues driven discussions and various social events per month. We also work for a better world with at least one community service project per quarter. Our club works with other groups on campus and other Hapa Clubs such as HIF UCSD, Berkeley, and Irvine.

What kind of stuff have you done in the past?

We’ve discussed everything from hapa health, politics, media, community, research, romance, dating, stereotypes, family, projects, events, and more. Events range from hanging out and getting boba, to karoke, beach bonfires, and scavenger hunts.

What happens at the meetings?

Begun with presentations and activities relating specific hapa issues, meetings educate and provide a forum to discuss the mixed race experience.

How does the family system work?

The larger Hapa Club is divided into smaller “Hapa Families” that give group members a chance to get to know each other and relate on a more personal level through their own activities and even haveing some events with other families. Each family has parents that lead and organize each activity. Families have been known to celebrate birthdays, go clubbing, sake bomb, eat out, etc.

Hapas have issues? What issues?

Growing up hapa is a unique experience for everybody. Fortunately, there are others that can identify with and understand hapa perspective on identity, culture, dating, society, the media, health, etc.

Stop complaining, you are beautiful.

Although it is a positive stereotype, the misconception that all hapa people are “hot” or attractive is just that, a stereotype. And, there is no such thing as a good stereotype.

Whats the point of Hapa Club?

Hapa Club’s aim is to provide a space for and support the mixed race community at UCLA.

Do you have to be Hapa to be in Hapa Club?

No! Everybody that is interested in the mixed race community is welcome to attend events/meetings and become a member.

How do I get more involved in Hapa Club?

There are lots of ways for you to get involved!
-Internship program
-Officer opportunities
-Plan an event!
-Give Out Talks to other organizations

Hapa Experiences

• “The stereotype that people (both strangers and close acquaintances) always mention to me is that multiracial people are always very attractive "the more ingredients the better the recipe type of thing. With relationships I don't ever feel that I am asian enough for guys who like asian girls or white enough for guys who like white girls.”


• “I was in 3rd grade and my mother brought me my lunch at school. I was standing by some people and my mom called out my name. I looked over, as did a cute classmate of mine. The classmate exclaimed with a pointing of the finger, "THAT'S your mother?" I starefully aid "yes." How fucked up is that? I can't believe to this day that I did not have pride in my voice. Hence another byproduct of growing up "covertly asian" in a white based community.”



• “Marking myself as "white" rather than asian when filling out job applications in ord to increase my chances of getting hired.”



• “Growing up I sometimes felt as though I had no real cultural identity since I could not fully identify with either my caucasian or asian heritage.”



• “When I go to Chinese supermarkets & other all Chinese settings people stare at me because I'm different and not totally Chinese looking. It's like they are discriminating against their own kind and its sad.”



• “My caucasian grandmother identifivs me as her "oriental" grandkid. M asian grandmother doesn' understand why I don't eat rice with every meal.”



• “Random people will start talking to me ad ask me "What are you?" When I was growing p, I usually just checked "Japanese" as my ethnicity. Here at UCLA, some people don't even realize I'm asian. What's my culture? What group do I fit into?”



• “Sometimes within my family being hapa has been difficult because my "white" side of the family are total rednecks, while my mother's family grew up working for a laundry of course, these experiences have been great for me because I've been exposed to both - yet at the same time I'm lacking in "family unity" because I feel like neither side really understands where the other is coming from. As a member of this club, I'd be interestd in hearing about how other hapas deal with this.”



• “Many times in conversation the question "What are you?" comes up. Or people will come up to me and ask me if I'm a certain ethnicity as if they just made a bet with their friend. It's interesting to see how different ethnicities interpret my ethnicity in different ways. When I tell them what I am, they look at me, then they tell me I'm not part asian. People always see what they want to see, and often times never take a second glance or thought.”



• “I was in a room one day talking with two friends who were both hapa. One of them is a play writer and I was telling him that he should write something about the hapa experience. That got the three of us talking. It was so cool... even though we were all different mixes, we had similar experiences growing up. For example... all thee of u are exactly half white, half asian and all three of us, growing up, had wanted to marry someone half hispanic, half black so our kids could be fully interracial (quapa's =)) I think one of the club's aims should be to share our stories. Everyone is so different and yet so similar. It's nice to find people to share with.”



• “I went to a very predominantly "white" high school ad rarely was asked if I was mixed or what my heritage was. The first day I was here at UCLA, I was asked my nationality more in one day than in all my 4 years of high school. I was taken by surprise because some of my best friends didn't even know what "asian" I had in me, and this as the first question out of many people I met here. It was hard for me to adjust to answering this question as a basis for conversation.”



• “I haven't really had faced anything major in terms of discrimination, just little things. For example, someone once asked me "What are you doing here, you'e not Chinese" when I attende a mostly asian event. Well, maybe that is kinda major. Guess I'm just used to it. =)”



• “Hapa Dating: Guy's point of view. In my experience, dating girls that are white os a bit of a challenge (cause for the most part I look white) i.e. I'm just another white guy. However, for asian girls (that like white guys) I have a bit of an edge because I look white but hey I'm mixed! Anyway this kind of goes into more complicated issues of inter-racial dating etc... that is sort of interesting. Your thoughts??!”



• “My mother came to this country when she was 21. She met my dad, they got married, etc. Eventually my grandmother came to live with us. She doesn't speak any English, so it was really hard to communicate (I suppose this could be a situation in any immigrant family). My father's parents (midwestern) both died before I was born and I never met my mother's father (he died when I was young) so my grandmother was really important to me. I started taking language classes this fall, bu unfortunately she passed on before I could really start to communicate with her. I feel that if I wasn't half asian the changes of growing up around the language would have been more likely.”



• “My grandfather (Caucasian) always refers to my sisters and I as his "Chinese grandchildren."”

You know you are a UCLA hapa if...

• You don't look like your cousins


• You feel guilty for not knowing one of your cultures


• When people meet you they ask your name & race


• People know you're a mix but don't know what you are exactly


• You stand out in family photos


• When you speak your native language you get weird looks


• You get asked which race you prefer to date


• You get asked which race you identify most with


• Everybody thinks they know your sibling


• You have lots of asian friends at UCLA


• You are the "exotic one" in a group of friends


• You are ethnically aware


• Your professor calls you "cosmopolitan" but you think "neopolitan"