SnarkyHapa

I was born and raised on the windward side of Oahu with tremendous pride in my Japanese roots and respect and love for Hawaiian culture. Being half-Japanese and from Hawaii has formed so much of my identity, values, and beliefs. And in my toughest times, I look to Hawaii, my culture, and my family for strength and grounding.

I lost my mom to cancer in August 2015 and gave birth to my feisty daughter a few months later. In 2019, my sweet girl was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Morquio A. It was extremely difficult to balance my career with her surgeries, tests, specialist appointments, and weekly 6-hour treatments at Seattle Children's Hospital. BUT I DID IT because that's what moms (and women in general) do - we keep going!! But then COVID-19 hit and it became clear that my job was no longer compatible with the responsibilities I had to my family.

A friend suggested I channel my energy into creative outlets... and snarky little me got to work entertaining myself. And here I am! What started out as something just for me has turned into so much more. I love scouring designs and designers for images that speak to my heart, fire up my soul, and connect me with people and places that are meaningful to me.

This Snarky Hapa journey has reminded me of who I am and what I am made of, and the long line of badass women I descend from. My hope is that by creating things that give me strength and joy, I might also help others find some strength and joy of their own.

A little bit about my inspiration...
My bachan (we called her Cha Chan) survived internment during World War II and gave birth to two sons while being held prisoner by her own country. She was a Japanese language teacher, Ikebana master, tea ceremony master, and had her own Japanese cooking show. I am so proud of being Japanese because that is how she taught us to be.

My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2011 and was given 6 to 18 months to live. She ended up kicking ass and taking names for 4.5 years and in that time inspired a lot of people with her strength. My mom was feisty and fun and full of life and spice and inappropriate jokes. She was incredibly loving and generous and seemed to know everyone around Kailua - I called her Aunty Aloha and my friends called her Moms. I get my spunk and my heart from her.