David Yano | 矢野 デイビット

Melissa says:

I find it interesting that you phrased your question they way you did, David. It definitely means different things to different people.

I do not identify with the word “Hafu” personally. I do believe it has evolved out of convenience, but doesn’t originate from the point of view for the people they are describing. As many others have pointed out, many people who are referred to as “hafu” are multiracial and multicultural to begin with.

In English, I refer to my ethnicities simply by name (to date, I have 5). Same with my nationality. I use “multiracial” to refer to my race. “Japanese American” is my shorthand/”convenient” answer.

I don’t feel the need to mention percentages, fractions, etc., any more than most people are required to know my height, weight, or blood type. So it goes without saying that I don’t use the words “half”, “quarter”, etc. To me it’s just a statistic, not info that will necessarily give you a cultural context for understanding someone.

The closest term in Japanese that I have felt helps define this experience is “Nikkei” or “Nikkeijin”, because it focuses on our common thread with Japan and of belonging to Japanese culture and people through the Japanese language. I feel the term “hafu” does the opposite of that.

Sophie-Claire Michiko Kanno says:

I am proud to be a hafu! I do not think it is as controversiala term as konketsuji. My father is from Tokyo and my mother is German/Scottish/Welsh, and he raised us to be proud of how we look and who we are. I also grew up in America where it is incredibly diverse, as opposed to the more homogenous society of Japan, so being mixed is more common and not as much a reason to be bullied. It’s nice to have your own ethnic grouping.

Mariko Oyama says:

People can call me whatever they want but I refer to myself as “half-Japanese”. I feel this term might cause some confusion or misrepresentation since my dad is Japanese American, not Japanese but I feel it’s the easiest and quickest response to explain why I look the way I do.

Bobby D says:

ハーフ here, mang! Any word/term/moniker can be said with respect or disdain, we can usually tell which. Haafu in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a word to describe those of us with one Jpnse parent and one who isn’t. We said in English growing up in the U.S., “I’m half-Japanese” to people we’d meet all the time. Haafu is the direct translation of half-Japanese, is it not?

Double is not going to ever take off, there’s too much baggage plus trying to educate all the Jpnse on what that means is a challenge that I will not be a part of. 😀

Scott kesuki tuhoro says:

Howz it david my name is Scott tuhoro yeah I say I’m hafu cause I’m my country new Zealand I look japanese but I sound like a new Zealander it makes me mad sometime’s but oh well what can u do bro lol