The Hapa Project: Portraits by Kip Fulbeck

ha-pa (hä’pä) adj. 1. Slang. of mixed ethnic heritage with partial roots in Asian and/or Pacific Islander ancestry. n. 2. Slang. a person of such ancestry. [der./Hawaiian: hapa haole. (half white)]

Artist Kip Fulbeck traveled the country photographing over 1,000 Hapas from all walks of life, from babies to adults, construction workers to rock stars, gangbangers to pro surfers, schoolteachers to porn stars, engineers to comic book artists. The images are paired with each subject’s handwritten response to the question “What are you,” creating a powerful mosaic of intimacy, beauty, and identity. Fulbeck is the author of Part Asian, 100% Hapa (Chronicle Books) which contains 116 of the photographs of the Hapa Project.

Kip Fulbeck is a photographer, filmmaker, author, and spoken word artist whose work has been exhibited worldwide. He is Professor and Chair of Art at University of California, Santa Barbara.