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hapa

American  
[hah-puh] / ˈhɑ pə /

noun

  1. (especially in Hawaii and California) a person of mixed-race heritage who identifies racially and culturally as both white and of Asian descent.


Etymology

Origin of hapa

First recorded in 1985–90; from Hawaiian Pidgin: “half”


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

More specifically, with the casting of Momoa, Aquaman becomes a hapa superhero.

From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2023

There’s no character development to speak of, though the two nice sisters going gaga over the handsome hapa detective each make you root for them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2021

Tiller is Lee’s modern American Everyman: 20 years old, one-eighth Asian, and referred to, depending on where he is in the world, as hapa, haole and farang — mixed, nonnative, white.

From New York Times ● Feb. 5, 2021

Your campaign slogan was "hapa ni kazi", which roughly translates into "we mean business".

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2015

A ma kekahi po ae, i ka mahina e konane oluolu ana, i ka wa hapa o ka lai.

From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Martha Warren Beckwith

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