Message from juliedavis

[Anonymous]

Japanese American National Museum—July 11, 2006
Exhibit 2: Kip Fulbeck: Part Asian, 100% Hapa (now through October 29, 2006)

First of all, let me say that I didn’t even know what the word “hapa” meant until I attended this fun exhibit. This exhibit is a collection of portraits by the photographer Kip Fulbeck (who considers himself Hapa). According to the exhibit’s literature, he was inspired by always being asked the question, “What are you?” by people who wanted to know his heritage.

There are many striking qualities about these portraits. First, the photos are of just the faces of males and females of all ages. There names are not included with the photos, but each was asked to describe themselves in their own words and handwriting, and this appears (along with their ethnic heritage) underneath their faces. Some of their descriptions of themselves are humorous, while others express frustration at a world where they have not felt accepted for who they are. To me, it was inspiring to see the beauty of the vast mixtures of cultures and how people can identify themselves as many things—sometimes things that have to do with their cultures, but often they chose to describe themselves as something beyond just an ethnicity.

I think this exhibit would be a lot of fun to take students to see. Many of my own students are of mixed racial heritage, and I know that they could identify with these subjects’ struggles with identity. In addition, on certain days, the museum takes Polaroids of visitors and asks them to write about themselves (just like the exhibit). What a great way for students to make a personal connection with culture and art! In fact, it would be great to do this anyway with students, even if they could not attend the actual exhibit, to encourage pride in their heritage and to learn about the cultures of others.