part asian - 100% hapa

At: The Field Museum of Chicago

Dates: April 2nd 2010 to Sept. 6th 2010

Our society consists more and more of children that are multicultural or of  “fusion cultures.”  We need to celebrate their freshness and diverse styles, and to embrace and serve a community that is increasingly comprised of individuals of mixed ethnic or cultural heritage. Kip Fulbeck's poignant exhibit, "The Hapa Project", expresses the beauty of multiracial children through portraits taken from the collar bone up, unsmiling, without jewelry, devoid of any clues of class or social identity. Each subject addresses the question “What are you?’’ in their own handwriting. The diverse, sometimes humorous  personal statements clearly reveal the differences in their age, gender and background. The effect of the collection is powerful, yet maintains the intimate expression of real beauty and identity. Originally a derogatory label derived from the Hawaiian word for "half", the word hapa has been embraced as a term of pride by many whose mixed-race heritage includes Asian or Pacific Rim ancestry. The number of hapa in America is now in the millions.  Kip’s goal is to “foster positive identity formation and self-image in multiracial individuals, especially children, giving them a sense of self, pride, and belonging”. 

The CJAHS will be developing related programs with the Chicago Cultural Alliance (CCA). The CCA is a consortium of ethnic museums and cultural centers in Chicago whose partner institutions' main missions are to affect social change and public understanding of cultural diversity through the first voice perspective.  

Kip Fulbeck will be the guest speaker at the opening ceremony on April 11, 2010 by invitation only. Please contact us : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   

The Hapa Collection, a world wide collection of photos in the Kip Fulbeck style: http://www.discovernikkei.org/nikkeialbum/en/node/6926

A Kip Fulbeck interview:  http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/people/profiles/48/

An article by Kip Fulbeck:  http://www.discovernikkei.org/forum/en/node/2297

The Field Museum:  http://www.fieldmuseum.org/

Chicago Cultural Alliance:  http://www.chicagoculturalalliance.org/