Hapa means mixed and it is because "Ha" means breath and "Pa" means pair. Together it means Mixed Breath that can be a pair or more of ethnic heritage that was always viewed as positive and respected as it was passed on into Hawaii Kama'aina (residents of Hawaii) "Local Culture". Hapa would be apart of who the person was, representation of the breathes of their ancestors, and combination of hardships that brought people into the present day.
What Hapa doesn't mean is non-Hawaiian Asian-Caucasian exclusivity. Hapa is a mixture that comes from its Hawaiian definition and then its English definition according to those uncomfortable with the word Hapa. To Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) it is mixed Hawaiian with something else and may argu that some in the United States may not know its multiple definitions. In the United States it is the secondary definition. Hapa began national use as a way to avoid the term "Half" to imply not full ethnicity which had derogatory meanings in a negative light in comparison to the word Hapa. It started to become more common in many states as a way to see those who were mixed in a positive light and a way to avoid the derogatory implications of half. The word Hapa should never be kept as a secret of its origins in Hawaiian language to respect its origins. In Hawaii, locally Hapa in the means of mixed people were celebrated during the times of the plantation and are important aspect of Hawaii "Local Culture" in its history and understanding of its basis of "Hawaiian Culture". Those who dismiss Hawaii Local culture and Hawaiian Culture by talking about importance of Blood Purity or Blood Approval are often are seen as outsiders who do not understand Island-life let alone the way of the life style of Kama'aina who continue to live on the islands. Hapa-Haole of Royal History In the case of Hapa-Haole it is mixed of Hawaiian and of another ethnic mix as "Ole" means other. It was a big and important topic especially in history with the last Hawaiian Princess being part Scottish and Hawaiian. Princess Victoria Ka'iulani (1890s) had a Scottish father and interest in her Celtic heritage and took to her Hawaiian heritage with her mother Meriam Likelike. She was very English and yet very Hawaiian at the same time which would make her able to take the best parts of each part to accept a life in becoming comfortable with who she was. Western Colonial Control by Divide and Conquer From westerners, the word would be used as English translation loosely to "half" which outsiders attached a definition of being a racial slur. Hapa would talk to other Hapa and made to feel like they were not really, truly, their ethnic background as planned from Colonial social systems. This was based on tone and communication in a negative demeanor to institute "Blood Quantum" divisions of "Blood Purity" to create racial division among Kama'aina. Through social control it enabled inner discourse of being the "Real of a Race", "Less of a Race", "Not Full of a Race", "No Opinion of a Race", and had inner social stigmatization based on such blood quantum. Many Hapa still think about the times in their life they are often made to choose one ethnic culture or the other ethnic culture above the other for the sake of individual "racial approval" from a person and not an entire racial group. Silencing of Hapa in Racial Hierarchy of Nations When Systematically dividing people the United States brings in the social divider of "American Color Systems". The categories are: White (caucasion), Black (dark colored skin), Brown (various brown colored skin), Yellow (asian), Red (native american). It creates very large generalized clump clusters of people that are bundled into groups that are separated from one another. This creates the seclusion of "Colorism" that creates prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a particular skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group. Being mixed it gives difficulty into be seen as to have an individual voice on "Racial Topics" or "American Race Topics" and have an racial experience of being exclusively being "Race Color" versus "Race Shared" is different and understandable through western ideals of blood purity. This brings the idea of "Blood Quantums" which measures blood percentage of being more of a race for a claim of more than, which again points towards a divide by blood purity instead of blood shared. Communication wise it makes it hard for someone other than someone who has societal blood purity to have a voice. Not only those that have no blood from western ideas, but also those who are more than one race. In Japan it is called "Half" which socially implies "Lesser Race" based on its wording and the same goes in english, so an alternative word is sometimes used in the west "Race Shared", but even that implies two who share something. Social Hierarchy by racial category, age category, financial category, religious category, economic status category, sexual orientation category, gender category effects peoples judgement in relationships of all these factors. These perceptions have interaction effects and overall affect how people interact with one another depending on their "label-system". In current events the one that stands out the most in america is the "American Color System" or "Color System of the United States" that basis different shades of color on if someone is "lighter than" or "darker than" as judgement points in comparison to themselves. Racism of Mixed Koko (mixed bloodlines) Mixed people can not dismiss their own opinion cause of the judgement of those who are judging on blood quantum, because they get the negatives of both sides. If someone is Japanese and Irish they are not enough of either side to be identified or related to a person comparing themselves to the person. Thus when in discussions of positives or negatives it is associated to someone who is mixed which makes it so there is a silencing of voice, degrading of lesser of race, or dismissal of ideas due to how they are perceived from either side if they hold blood quantum as a societal absolute in their personal value system. Deciding on Ethnicity loyalty is a question of societal identity and if it is not self proclaimed it will be designated by the judging person or person(s). Often times it is common to pick which group of people as the identifying racial group if someone is half, but as more mixes enter the bloodline it gets more difficult, since the person may feel alienated or excluded no matter which ethnic group they choose to identify with. What gender? mixed or not mixed? thin or thick? country origin or country residence? younger or older? talented or disabilities? color system or non color system? or just judge the person as a "human being" rather than what they represent or what they see in them of themselves or their projections of identity. People Living & Visiting Hawaii In Hawaii, it matters about what connects us which is the land and the care for it and respect for it as well as those who also care for the land. The Hawaiians have taken care of the land the longest and many have lost heart from trying to prove their blood quantums to get into Hawaiian required schools, or apply for Hawaiian land, or more Hawaiian than others by Koko one drop of blood was enough. After any long discussions and writing down different perceptions there are some overlaps in thoughts about the subject on birth categories. About blood purity, blood status, blood nicknames, and resident points of view of types. It is difficult for discussions to stay not heated as blood (blood) is always a marker for controversy as there are many ways to explain perception and value placed on it. This would differ from Colonial Birth Status, Hawaiian Birth Status, and Local Birth Status. Colonial Birth Status (Blood Purity) Pure Born (100% Racial-Born, Very Pure) Mixed Born (Racial Born -99%, Impure) Half Born (+50% Racial-Born, Half Pure) Partial Born (-49% Racial-Born, Partial Pure) This goes for any race, since each one cares about blood purities. The subject popped up based on Hawaiian Bloodlines, Royalty Bloodlines, and Racial Bloodlines with government basing deals that are on Blood %'s. Hawaiian Birth Status Names Native Hawaiian (pure blood) native born , Hapa-Haole Hawaiian (mixed blood), Blood Traitors (Social Traitor Pure-Borns) Kama'aina (resident, child of the land) Aina-Born (island born, current resident) Local Birth Status Names Hapa (At least Two blood ethnicities or more) Mixed Plate (At least Three blood ethnicities or more) Blood Status Nicknames Clean Blood (Blood Purity) Hapa Blood Digenerate (Dirty Blood) Blood Status Viewpoints Koko Elitists (Supremacist Racial Pure-Born) Blood Purist (Purity Blood Beliefs) We are All Human Beings It is a matter of personal choice to care or not of a single ethnic group or to accept whatever it is society has placed upon the person or to just start seeing others as human beings of who they as a person are rather than as a multiple racial group. Or if people choose to relate or identify with the other person overlooking their "personal values". People all look different but we are all human beings and their personal values is what identifies them as well as their actions that are reflected from that. A society that is less informed about human values and more informed about societal expectation and self-identifying judgement will see what they know. That is why "stereotypes" are so big and so many people depend on an appearance based system. No one has asked to be born by a category of broad colors, but born to a proud heritage. A heritage have it be one thing or many things the wind that blows through the sky is the ancestry that is felt in the wind that is rich in its stories. While the smell of the ocean is humanity as it connects all land together and makes it so we are all connected as people without its divisions, but its similarities. Beautiful souls that paddle across the ocean towards our dreams and goals to reach the land we reach through our voyage while making it our home. Sharing our breath with others and connecting our hearts to accept who and what we are as well as what will be...
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