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In 2001, artist Kip Fulbeck began traveling the country photographing multiracial people of all ages and walks of life. They were photographed from the chest up, with no clothes, jewelry, hats or makeup on. And they were asked to write their answer to one big question: "What are you?"
After photographing more than 1,200 people, the project culminated in the landmark book and exhibition Kip Fulbeck: Part Asian, 100% Hapa which toured throughout the U.S. Now, over two decades later, the new exhibition "Hapa.me — 25 years of the Hapa Project" on view at New York City's Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) revisits some of the original subjects, capturing how they look now and sharing their current answers to Fulbeck's original question. The new project also marks six decades since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Loving v. Virginia—a civil rights decision which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
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The Lower Manhattan museum exhibition features 30 portraits and responses of local subjects, installed amidst a hand-painted mural that captures the beauty of being mixed. Inside the exhibition is a central reading table with the "Hapa.me" artist's books where visitors can explore a fuller archive of the project. The MOCA was one of the first museums to show the Hapa Project and it has remained on display as part of their permanent exhibition, which explores 200 years of the experience of Chinese in America.
I am a sister, a daughter, a friend.
The exhibition comes at a time where multiracial identity and awareness is at an all-time high. The 2020 Census showed that 10% of the U.S. population identified as multiracial, which has almost tripled in the last 10 years. Each person in the project considers their identity as something different—some describe their genetic background, while others focus on their careers, religion, hobbies or relations to others in life. Some write short poems like, "I am a sister, a daughter, a friend." Those who were children when they were first photographed originally drew drawings or wrote simple yet powerful statements: "I am a person."
The word "hapa" is the Hawaiian interpretation of the English word "half." The phrase was originally coined by native Hawaiians to describe the mixed offspring resulting from encounters between islanders and white settlers. Some individuals believe it describes anyone who is mixed, while others think it refers specifically to people who are part Japanese and part white.
But whether someone fits into a particular definition of hapa wasn't the point—anyone who wanted to participate in the project was welcome. There are no names attached to the participants—the only identifiers are their ethnic backgrounds, like Chinese and African American, or Japanese and German. Others have a full list to describe themselves: one boy is Hawaiian, Portuguese, Filipino, French, Puerto Rican. One woman is Indonesian, Dutch, French and German. A young girl is Japanese, Swedish, Norwegian, Irish, German and English.
The vocabulary we have to define identity is often incomplete and unsatisfying.
"Fulbeck's project shows that the vocabulary we have to define identity is often incomplete and unsatisfying. Especially for people who are multiracial, the terms of racial discourse can be frustratingly reductive as it is often defined against the unspoken ideal of racial purity," MOCA's Chief Curator Herb Tam said in a statement. "By giving voice to his subjects, his work complicates the often binary and static ways we think about racial categorization and definitions."
"Hapa.me" is on display at the MOCA in Chinatown now until March 29, 2026. The museum is open Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, or visitors with disabilities. NYC residents can participate in a pay-what-you-wish admission.