MeHapa? Yes, me hapa.

So, where are you from anyway? What? California? No, no. I meant, where are you from originally? Yeah, originally. You know, like your nationality. American? You're an American? You just don't look like an American. You almost look like you could be oriental or an indian., but not the ones from India. You're not an indian? Okay, let me rephrase the question. What country are you from because your English is great, almost like you've spoken it all your life. You have? Oh wow...I feel really stupid. Of course you were born here. Wow, really. I'm sorry about that.

So...where are your parents from? You know...originally?

Hee! I just love questions like these. I probably let them go way too long, but I'm all about letting people do their thing. We humans are a curious bunch, aren't we? All the same, I often enjoy the conversation that ensues once I get around to answering the question.

So what is my answer? I'm half Asian, half white. More specifically, my mom is Korean and my dad is, for the most part, Swedish. You can call me eurasian or amerasian, but I prefer hapa, which is slang in Hawaii for a person of mixed ethnicity with roots in Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry. It almost sounds like "half of", but when you say it fast like "haffa". Cool.

The questions are fewer and fewer as i get older since there are more and more people out there of mixed ethnicity, especially hapa. It does my soul good to see younger hapas running around in all parts of the country, even here in Vermont. I have a few of my own and in spite of their blue eyes and blond hair, there is something about the shape of their eyes that you can't quite place. Yeah, I like that.

My hope is that by the time they are old enough to care, no one else will either.