hapa
[ hah-puh ]
noun
(especially in Hawaii and California) a person of mixed-race heritage who identifies racially and culturally as both white and of Asian descent.
Origin of hapa
1First recorded in 1985–90; from Hawaiian Pidgin: “half”
Words Nearby hapa
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use hapa in a sentence
hapa-haole,” was the answer; “he was a half-caste, you know, and we of the Islands have to think about our children.
The House of Pride | Jack LondonAllowing for the variation in the spelling of native names, we can here recognise the hapa of the Spaniards.
The Solomon Islands and Their Natives | H. B. (Henry Brougham) Guppy"hapa," he whispered, as he carefully climbed down and indicated with his hand that they were near.
In Africa | John T. McCutcheonWe named it Santa Anna; it is called hapa in the language of the natives.
The Solomon Islands and Their Natives | H. B. (Henry Brougham) GuppyBut he did not know it, nor did anybody else guess it except that cursed hapa-haole, Stephen Kaluna.
The House of Pride | Jack London
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