AA Attitude toward Hapas | Asian American Poll

AA ATTITUDE TOWARD HAPAS
(Updated Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:39:10 AM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Assuming you are Asian American, which best describes your feeling toward Hapas (persons with one Asian parent)?
I find them more attractive than pure Asians. | 38%
I find them less attractive than pure Asians. | 11%
I find them equally attractive as other Asian Americans. | 13%
They put me off by seeming more white than Asian. | 28%
I am never quite sure how to relate to them. | 10%

Assuming you are a Hapa, which best describes your own feelings?
I am most comfortable with Asians. | 38%
I am most comfortable with Whites. | 33%
I am most comfortable around other Hapas. | 6%
I am equally comfortable with Asians and Whites. | 23%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

The way the word "Hapa" is being used on this site isn't accurate.

The true definition of the word Hapa does not mean "persons with one asian parent". Its true meaning is that one parent is of specifically Hawaiian decent and one is not.

Like many other words and terms, over the years, constant misuse eventually dilutes original definitions so much, it loses its real meaning.

me Saturday, January 05, 2002 at 07:59:17 (PST)

[Wrong. --Ed]

Thanks for the info, Bulgogi Boy.
BTW- have you ever been to Korea or any other part of Asia?

I guess for me, the eyes are usually the major determinant of how Asian a hapa looks and seems to be the case for most Asians I know. Facial structure plays a major role too, so I guess there are some hapas w/ more Asian-looking eyes than me who can look as Caucasian if their bone structure is less Asian than mine. But all the more Asian-looking hapas I've seen appeared more Asian because of their eyes.

I too wish more of you midwest, southwest, and southern hapas had more exposure to places like Hawaii. I've been extremely disappointed with many of the ‘few’ hapas I've met in the Southwest.

With regards to Bulgogi Boy and Korean girl's questions:

I'm half Malaysian-Chinese (ie. my mother is a Chinese originally from Malaysia) with a dash of Filipino and Spanish ancestry from my great great grandmother who was of mixed race.

My other half is a mix of Ukrainian/German/English/Scottish.

I think I look half & half, but many Asian people think I look more Caucasian and some Chinese girls have told me that I they don't think I look Chinese. Well, my mom is slightly mixed so she looks a bit different from Chinese from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc. I've seen quite a few Whiter-looking hapas than myself, esp. the ones who are 1/4 Hawaiian (quite often there's a little Portugese w/ the Hawaiian), 1/4 Chinese, and 1/2 White mix.

I'm around 5'8". My dad's 5'9" and mom mom's 5'1". Hapa guys I've known in Hawaii usually range from 5'6" to 5'11". I think mainland hapas are usually a bit taller (and sometimes a bit fatter... LOL!). But then of course you have some of those really tall hapa volleyball players who transfer from UH to a Californian school. My build- quite muscular compared to most Asian, Hispanic, and White guys in my course (damn nerds). Maybe it's a Hawaii thing? I'll have to admit that I gained some weight when I moved from Hawaii to the Southwest for school.
Look alike? I don't really know. Maybe I look 'a little' like Dean Caine, but more Asian. Hapa girlfriend? In the southwest? I wish!
When I finish here, I'll definitely have to head to an area w/ a lot more hapa honeys, or I'll go insane!
Preferrence of hapa haoles:
#1 Malaysian-Chinese hapa
#2 Other Chinese hapas
#3 1/4 Malay, 1/4 Chinese hapa
#3 1/4 Dayak, 1/4 Chinese hapa
#4 1/4 Hawaiian, 1/4 Chinese hapa
#4 1/4 Filipino, 1/4 Chinese hapa
#5 Japanese hapa
#6 Dayak hapa
#6 Malay hapa (they might want to convert me to Islam)
#6 Filipino hapa
#7 Korean hapa (sorry, some I've met were pretty hot tempered, or was it their mothers?)
#7 Vietnamese hapa (Viet’s aren’t all that friendly to hapas, well the ones I’ve met)
#8 half Polynesian hapas would be more towards the end cause I'm scared of the inlaws on the Polynesian side of the family and the Polnesian hapa gals are usually a bit tall for me. LOL!

P.S. Korean girl, are you one of T.H. Lien’s friends? He mentioned some Korean girl ‘friends’ of his a while back.

Jay... one day I'll go back to "Hapa Land" Friday, January 04, 2002 at 19:41:02 (PST)

To Jay,

No I'm not a hapa. I'm a pure-blooded korean gal. :-)
korean girl Friday, January 04, 2002 at 08:53:36 (PST)

Jay...the hapa,

No. It is Missouri (pronounced "misery;" no "-uh" on the end as many people seem to think). I don't know, but I think Kansas (just speculating here) would have been better. At least it wasn't a slave state back in the day (less "Dixie-Pride" baggage to deal with). I have a Japanese-American friend who went to college there, and seemed to have had a pretty positive experience.

As far as the "crap shoot" analogy, I agree that the eyes will make a difference. However, I was thinking more about the facial bone structure. To me, that is where the actual ethnic differences are most evident. For instance, just because they made David Carradine "slant eyed" in "Kung Fu" didn't diminish the fact that he is obviously caucasian.

To your third point, yes, we both grew up in the midwest. Personally, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to grow up on the coasts, or at least in a more cosmopolitan area. I'm sure I'm not the only hapa, or otherwise ethnic person to ponder this.

Since I'm a goldsea neophyte, pardon the question. What's your particular ethnic heritage? I assume from your post that you grew up in Hawaii? I'd really like to visit there one day. Many of my earlier college friends (before I transferred) are from there. They acted like they got bored there (pace of life--wanted the big city environ); equated it to an asian-centric midwest vibe, but seemed to have positive social experiences, though.

I know the question "What are you?" isn't inherently hostile or alienating, because I've often had Asians ask me that question. I can tell for most, it's a sincerely curious question. I'm particularly defensive about those who ask it bluntly and tactlessly while staring at me like a car accident. "I not here for your freak show amusement!"

Thanks for writing.
Bulgogi Boy Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 18:05:52 (PST)

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