Abstract
In this paper, I present an overview of my work on the identities and embodied practices of Black Hafu people (Black and ethnically half Japanese). More specifically, I offer a few examples of socially engaged social media posts, videos, and performances created and published by Black Hafus globally and analyze how they use various social media platforms and contents to combat racial injustice and discriminations and promote racial and ethnic diversity. I start by giving some background context on the politics of being biracial Black and Japanese as well as a list of relevant terminologies, movements, and online spaces existing today. I continue by discussing the diverse racial politics associated with being mixed-race Black and Japanese by elaborating on the tensions, navigation, and negotiation that Black Hafus can experience on-and off-line. Indeed, we see how Black Hafus’ identities and embodied practices differ greatly depending on their socio-cultural setting and therefore countries, communities, and institutions. Finally, I end the paper with examples of the ways Black Hafus circulate Blackness, Hafuness, and messages of hope through their embodied performances on-and-offline.
Presenters
Maiko Le LayPostdoctoral Fellow, Franklin Humanities Institute, Duke University, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
HAFU, BIRACIAL, MULTIRACIAL, MIXED-RACE, BLASIAN, BLACK, ASIAN, IDENTITY, MULTICULTURAL, BLACKNESS
