Hapa Book Club Anyone?

Growing up mixed race can be confusing at times.  Thank goodness there are other Hapas out there writing about their experiences.  Chances are you will relate to the amazing authors and their books that we have dug up.  Here is a reading list we have collected so far.  Do you know any other books about mixed race heritage or mixed art culture?  Add them to the comment area and we'll add them to our growing list.  Can't find one you like?  Then it sounds like YOU need to write a book ! 

This year we are pleased to host two events that feature Hapa authors:

Lawrence Hill (Book of Negroes) with his new book "The Illegal"  and

Sharon Chang (Raising Mixed Race) will be conducting a parenting workshop.

Check out these events and bring your book club too !

The Bulletin & Hapa-palooza 2015

In celebration of the 5th annual Hapa-Palooza Festival, hapa Bulletin editor, John Endo Greenaway,  spoke to six members of the Festival Board.  It was an honour to be featured on the front page and to share our stories.
Read about each of our Hapa experiences and our upcoming Hapa-palooza Festival in the Bulletin!  with Jen Kato, Natasha Neale, Anna Kaye, Nargis Dhirani, Nadine Harding and Jeff Chiba Stearns.

Art meets Hapa with Hybrid Animals created by Jeff Chiba Stearns

Mixed race animals?  Festival co-founder and animator, Jeff Chiba Stearns, has used his award winning creative style to create a Hapa piece of art using hybrid animals.  The result is an awesome representation of what it means to be mixed race. 

Art in all its forms are showcased at Hapa-palooza celebrating the many cultures and fusions that make up our multiracial community.  If you are looking for a bear with antlers... this is where you'll find it - there are no rules when it comes to Hapa identities. 

Look for the Hapa-palooza posters in bus shelters and around town. To read more about Jeff check out his website at Meditating Bunny Studio.

Brown and White

My parents were married in 1962, before biracial marriages were a thing.  It was shocking to some and a novelty to others.  Some people shunned them and others embraced them as the totally opened minded and cool people that they are.  My mother is from Trinidad and my father is a “white guy”… which means I have frizzy, sometimes awesome, hair.

My brothers and I ventured out into the real world, right when Cher’s song “Half-Breed” was hitting the radio.  It got kind of crazy.  As youngsters we experienced all kinds of racism, from both sides: some white people considered me brown and some brown people considered me white.  My religion was up for grabs, and my culture… what exactly is culture?  It was so confusing and I was so jealous of people who had clear definitions of themselves.

I have recently discovered the Hapa community here in Vancouver.  When I say things like cultural confusion, they totally get it.   We all share that moment in childhood, usually around grade 3, when you realize that your parents are different colours, and it’s usually pointed out by an innocent classmate.

Mixed race marriages are so common today that it seems like a non-issue, but I think it can still be difficult. Mixed religion can be confusing for kids, and it seems the news is full of stories about “race”, whatever that is.   Finding community is difficult for us Hapa’s so here it is- a community for mixed race people… finally… thank-you.

 - Hapa-palooza Team Member Nadine

 

Enjoy a 5th anniversary discount on Lawrence Hill tickets

Have you checked out the trailer for Lawrence Hill's new book, The Illegal?

 

The Illegal releases Sept 8, and Lawrence Hill speaks at Hapa-palooza Festival on Sept 17. For the earlybirds out there, please enjoy a discount on our event, 'The Book of Negroes: From Page to Screen with Lawrence Hill,' where The Illegal will also be on sale.

To buy tickets click on this linkEnter discount code HAPAHIGH5 at the checkout for $5 off.
Instructions:  
1) add the number of tickets you’d like to your basket. 
2) Enter the promo code and click ‘unlock’ 
3) Check the boxes for each ticket you'd like discounted. 
4)  Select the price type from the drop down menu in the header & click ‘Apply Discount’

Limited supply: get your discounted tickets before they sell out!
Offer for regular priced tickets only. 

 

Hapa-palooza Festival presents The Book of Negroes

Tickets Available Now

September 17, 2015
SFU's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
149 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC 

Buy Tickets

What are the highs and lows of transforming a critically acclaimed best-selling novel into a major television mini-series? What is it like to write dialogue for Cuba Gooding Jr.? How do mixed race origins lead to an inspired creative career exploring issues of identity and belonging? Join Lawrence Hill, author of The Book of Negroes, and CBC Hot Air radio host Margaret Gallagher in an evening of stimulating thought, rich revelations and intimate conversation.

Author of more than ten books, Lawrence Hill’s writing includes non-fiction books Black BerrySweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada, and most recently Blood: The Stuff of Life, which was delivered as the 2013 Massey lecture series. But it is Hill's third novel,The Book of Negroes, which has brought his work to readers across the world, garnering him a Commonwealth Prize for Best Book, the Rogers/Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the CBC Canada Reads prize. In 2015, Hill co-write the script for The Book of Negroes television mini-series, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and Aunjanue Ellis (The Help). The mini-series aired on CBC in Canada and BET in the United States. Hill was recently appointed to the Order of Canada. This will be Hill's first public event in Vancouver after the launch of his highly-anticipated fourth novel, The Illegal.

Margaret Gallagher is an award-winning CBC radio host and passionate community advocate who can be found hosting events from the International Jazz Festival to Asian Heritage Month. She is of Malaysian-Chinese and Irish heritage.

Copies of Lawrence Hill’s books including The Illegal will be available for sale and author-signing.

The Book of Negroes is a masterpiece…” The Globe and Mail

Regular $17 (+ $3 S/C)
VIP Front Row seating $25 (+ $3.25 S/C)

Buy Tickets


Follow us on Twitter and Instagram using #hapapalooza

With Lawrence Hill and Margaret Gallagher

 

THANK YOU!

A huge helping of Hapa high-fives to everyone who made our festival extra special this year. A special thanks to all our gorgeous volunteers and organizing committee, super-cool sponsors, attending speakers&presenters, media friends and of course, our attendees!

If you haven't had a chance to yet, do sign up for our mailing list so you don't miss any future festivities.

We can't wait to see you in 2015!

Congratulations to our inaugural award winners: Fred Wah, Ann Makosinski, and Kip Fulbeck (L-R). Photo by Jordan Yerman of the Vancouver Observer. Awards by Eclipse Awards.

Congratulations to our inaugural award winners: Fred Wah, Ann Makosinski, and Kip Fulbeck (L-R). 
Photo by Jordan Yerman of the Vancouver Observer. Awards by Eclipse Awards.


 

Sunday Sept 28 - Last Day of the Festival!

We can't believe today is the last day of 2014's festival! It's been an amazing run, and today's events are going to be wonderful as well! 

As usual with our festival, both events are Free! We look forward to seeing you there.

HAPA FAMILY DAY IN THE PARK
SUNDAY SEP. 28, 1PM-4PM
More details HERE.

Join the family fun! Travel the world with family friendly yoga led by Nargis Dhirani and Sunkosi Maya starting at 1pm, followed with music by soulful singer and song-writer Green Tara at 2pm, and closing with the dynamic dance and music of Compaigni V'ni Dansi's Louis Riel Métis Dancers at 3pm. Throughout the event there will be fun family activities, including ultimate balloons by Michael Ouchi, face painting, a photo booth, and an interactive art project celebrating our heritage. 

Location: Granville Island Picnic Pavilion, adjacent to Cat’s Social House and waterpark
 

DANCING & A MOVIE
SUNDAY SEP. 28, 4PM-8:30PM
DANCE: 4:15PM-6:30PM
SCREENING, Q&A: 7PM-8:30PM

Come unwind after the festival with the Hapa-palooza crew at a free family-friendly dance and movie screening. The Vancouver Blues and Fusion Dancers and The Blues Cafe will be presenting a public dance with the city’s best blues & fusion dance DJs. The Vancouver Asian Film Festival and Hapa-palooza will be presenting a special film screening of Jeff Chiba Stearns' feature documentary, One Big Hapa Family, starting at 7pm with director Q&A to follow.

Location: Aché Brasil, 314 East Broadway Street

You're Invited to Hip Hapa Hooray!

On Saturday, Sept 27, 2014, we have partnered with the Nikkei National Museum to hold our flagship event, the Hip Hapa Hooray Celebration!  There will be Mixed Drinks, Hapa-tizers by Hapa-Izakaya, tunes by singer-songwriter Buckman Coe, the Canadian opening of Kip Fulbeck's 'part asian 100% HAPA' exhibit, and of course Hapa-palooza Festival's inaugural awards!

Here's your invitation. We hope to see you there! Please RSVP by clicking HERE!


TONIGHT! Mixed Voices Raised (finished)

NOTE: Thanks to everyone who attended this incredible event! If you were there, you know what we were talking about! We laughed, we cried, we sang, we shared. Our speakers rocked it.

--

We can't wait to hear our eight talented storytellers weave their tales tonight!

MIXED VOICES RAISED
WEDNESDAY SEP. 24, 7PM-8:30PM

Location: Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch, Alice MacKay RoomFree Event

An evening of stories from the heart: Join 8 dynamic storytellers including CBC radio host Margaret Gallagher, Delhi2Dublin's Tarun Nayar, slam poet champion Sebastien Wen, poet Jonina Kirton, artist and facilitator Vanessa Richards, activist Kathryn Lennon, storyteller Aeryn Williams, and community organizer Angela Kruger as they share true tales from the heart about their experiences growing up with mixed heritage. Curated by Ricepaper magazine editor and festival co-founder Anna Ling Kaye

sebastienwen.jpg





In the Press: Hapa-palooza 2014

It's hapa'ning ... Hapa-palooza stories hitting the press with the festival taking wing this week Sep. 23-28th.  Check out stories from Vancouver is Awesome What the Heck is Hapa-palooza Festival?, Vancouver Courier Happy to be at Hapa-palooza Festival, and The Bulletin Surfing the Intercultural Highway at Hapa-palooza 2014. For more stories, see our Press page.

Image credit: The Bulletin

Image credit: The Bulletin

OKA kicks off Hapa-palooza Festival Month

Live and direct from Oz,
Folkfest favourites OKA is starting off Hapa-palooza Month in style with guest dancer Ashley Lopez and BWB DJs Lady Ra and Tspoon (Mixed Voices Raised 2014 speaker)

September 5, 2014
The Biltmore Cabaret
Doors 8pm, Show starts 9pm
$15 advance, more at the door

Get your Hapa dance party on!
We'll see you there!

2014 Programming is Announced

We are so excited to unveil our 2014 programming. 6 days, 8 events, and a smorgasbord of mixed talent and celebration.

Sept 23-27 Hapa Pop-up Shop and Hyphen Art Exhibit Opens 
Sept 24 Mixed Voices Raised - Stories that Shape Us with speakers including CBC's Margaret Gallagher and Delhi2Dublin's Tarun Nayar
Sept 25 Mixed Flicks - featuring the legendary Kip Fulbeck and Jeff Chiba Stearns
Sept 26 Hapa Pop-up Party - Live DJ, Tapas for Hapas, artists and festival organizers in attendance
Sept 27 Hip Hapa Hooray - Honouring 3 amazing awardees Kip Fulbeck, Fred Wah and Ann Makosinski. Live music by Buckman Coe
Sept 28 a.m. Hapa Pop-up artists talk
Sept 28 p.m. Hapa Family Day in the Park - live music by Green Tara, Metis dance, ultimate balloons, face painting, photo booth, interactive art installation and more…
Sept 28 p.m. Dance and a movie - salsa and screening of One Big Hapa Family

All events are free to the public. 
How awesome is that?

Hello, world!

We are so stoked to unveil our new and improved website, thanks to the expert advice of cyber-whiz and hot hapa papa Steve J. Thanks, Steve!

Check out our mobile-friendly website, improved photo gallery and archives, and overall breezier navigation.

If you aren't on our mailing list yet, don't forget to sign up to get our 2014 festival updates.