ha•pa (hä’pä) adj. 1. Slang. of mixed racial heritage with partial roots in Asian and/or Pacific Islander ancestry. n. 2. Slang. a person of such ancestry. {der./Hawaiian: hapa haole. (half white)}
Kirk Hammett is Hapa.
by Hapa Project September 19, 2005
1; Of mixed racial heritage with partial roots in Asian and/or Pacific Islander ancestry. 2; If an individual has one parent whom is Asian/Pacific Islander, and one parent whom is of an ethnicity outside of Asian/Pacific Islander, they would generally be considered Hapa. 3; Damn good looking people
by oakland bob fred April 22, 2008
hapa is a hawaiian word that was originally part of the full phrase: hapa haole, which was a derogatory term for someone half hawaiian and half "white foreigner." Today, the phrase has been shortened to simply "hapa" and genreally refers to anyone part Asian or Pacific Islander and, generally, part caucasian. However, the definition of "hapa" has come more and more to mean "half" or "of mixed blood" in which case many different racial combinations are beginning to fall under the umbrella of "hapa".
by i_am_hapa January 4, 2005
My experience? Ask ten language experts the same question and you'll get at least five answers.... But, here are my two cents.
Others are correct by posting that the word, "hapa", is only the first part of the original, "hapa haole" -- a term that is mostly misunderstood and subsequently, mistranslated.
Firstly, "hapa" is not a Hawaiian word; it is the Hawaiian pronunciation of the English word, "half". There are only a few consonants in the Hawaiian language and they do not include "f." Secondly, the word, "haole (which is a Hawaiian word)" translates to "foreign" -- not necessarily "Caucasian". If one were to be called, "hafu gaijin" in Japan that would carry an almost identical meaning: "half-foreign". Yes, language evolves and meanings change but -- strictly speaking -- anyone who is not Hawaiian is "haole". Even Asians.
Others are correct by posting that the word, "hapa", is only the first part of the original, "hapa haole" -- a term that is mostly misunderstood and subsequently, mistranslated.
Firstly, "hapa" is not a Hawaiian word; it is the Hawaiian pronunciation of the English word, "half". There are only a few consonants in the Hawaiian language and they do not include "f." Secondly, the word, "haole (which is a Hawaiian word)" translates to "foreign" -- not necessarily "Caucasian". If one were to be called, "hafu gaijin" in Japan that would carry an almost identical meaning: "half-foreign". Yes, language evolves and meanings change but -- strictly speaking -- anyone who is not Hawaiian is "haole". Even Asians.
by 7Tigers December 26, 2015
In literal terms, hapa means half, or part. In the past, the term was coupled with the term haole, which means Caucasian or foreigner, to categorize a person as half-white. As such, being a hapa was akin to being a half-breed, a somewhat negative notion. However, in contemporary usage, hapa has taken on the meaning of anyone of mixed ethnicities, especially in Hawaii where more than half the population is of mixed race. On the Mainland, however, the half-breed connotation still prevails in some circles.
by Hapa Potter March 3, 2010
It literally means half in Hawaiian. It was originally meant to describe someone who was part Hawaiian, part whatever. But the term hapa has come to mean half asian, half white to a lot of people.
by riceflower January 16, 2004
by United-Nations May 14, 2009