Hapa-palooza takes place throughout the year in Vancouver, Canada, a place of hybridity, synergy and acceptance. A vibrant fusion of music, dance, literary, artistic and film performances, Hapa-palooza places prominence on celebrating and stimulating awareness of mixed-heritage and cultural hybrid identity. Celebrated as an annual festival from 2011-2017, Hapa-palooza was the first mixed roots festival in Canada, and one of the largest festivals celebrating mixed heritage in the world. Our signature events are Mixed Flicks (film), Mixed Voices Raised (literary and storytelling), and Family Day. Hapa-palooza events are organized by the Hybrid Ancestry Public Arts Society (HAPAS), a non-profit society dedicated to bringing public programming that explores and celebrates mixed heritage.
Past participants in Hapa-palooza programming include authors Lawrence Hill, Ruth Ozeki, Fred Wah, David Chariandy, Wayde Compton, Yasuko Thanh, Julie Flett, Joanne Arnott, Jonina Kirton and Sharon Shorty, to name a few. We have also had the good fortune to feature key contributors to the mixed roots dialogue such as Kip Fulbeck and Fanshen Cox, as well as beloved public figures such as CBC radio host Margaret Gallagher, former VPL Chief Librarian and current General Manager of Arts, Culture and Community Services Sandra Singh, and former Roundhouse Radio host Minelle Mahtani. We also have had the good fortune to showcase the talent of a number of young artists and innovators, such as inventor Ann Makosinski, comedian and activist Sean Devlin, musician and composer Tarun Nayar, and filmmaker Tamo Campos
“Hapa-palooza is a very cool festival for all of our hapa/hybrid/half-blood/cross-bred/metis/mestizo/mixed-race/halved-and-doubled selves.”
Mandate
Hapa-palooza’s mandate is to cultivate community and dialogue among people identifying as having mixed heritage, to generate public awareness around topics related to mixed heritage, and, most importantly, provide positive role models and venues for discourse for future generations of mixed youth. As the mixed heritage community is the fastest growing demographic in North America, Hapa-palooza programming seeks to unite and celebrate this community.
Origins
Hapa-palooza founders Anna Ling Kaye, Jeff Chiba Stearns and Zarah Martz have mixed ancestry and cultural roots, however, when they were growing up there was little to no awareness about the experiences of being mixed.
‘Hapa' is a Hawaiian term used to describe people of mixed ancestry, and Hapa-palooza embraces it as an inclusive term for people who identify as having mixed heritage. Hapa-palooza explores multiculturalism through the blending of various cultures and backgrounds.
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