Afro-Asians
The term Blasian refers to those of mixed Black and Asian ancestry. The origin of the term "Blasian" might originate from the blending of "Black" and "Asian". The historical term for these unions are known as 'Jotawa'.
"Blasian" is the mixture of both Asian and Black cultures. Generally, when people hear the word Blasian, it is in reference to a Black man and Asian women combination. Blasian relationships have always been the most unique of all interracial blends, but the biggest rarity is Asian men/Black women couples. It is very rare to see an Asian man walking down the street and holding hands with his Black girlfriend or wife.
In cities such as Los Angeles and others on the west coast, you are more likely to see these couples. There has been an increase in these relationships. Some people say it may be due to the influence of movies such as 'Romeo Must Die', 'Catfish In Black Bean Sauce' and 'Fakin Da Funk'. Needless to say, these movies did have a considerable effect on both Asian men and Black women. For the first time on screen we saw a Black woman and an Asian man thrown into potentially romantic situations.
Another factor that has led to the increase in these relationships is the increase of Black men and Asian women dating more interracially, some say...leaving Asian men and Black women at a shortage. More Black women and Asian men are seeing things differently. Some Asian men and Black women are specifically seeking each other as future partners for long term relationships and for dating. (www.asiazine.com)
History of Blasians
Indians have been visiting East Africa for centuries, though substantial immigration did not occur until modern times. Indian traders were operating in 18th century Mozambique.1 Wealthy Indians lived in Swahili coastal cities in the 19th century.2 During the same period, British colonialists brought laborers from India to East Africa to build the Uganda-Kenya railway. Indian immigration to South, Central and East Africa continued into the 20th century.
Today, many African Indians are businessmen. Some African countries with Indian populations are South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Rhodesia and Zaire. Relations between the Asian immigrants and the African indigenes were not always smooth. Swahilis opposed the movement of Indian merchants into the interior of Africa, but to no avail. The centuries-old monopoly held by Swahilis over the coastal-inland trade was eventually broken by Indian pioneer traders.3
For their part, many South Asian merchants held negative attitudes against Africans. Bharati, a professor of anthropology at Syracuse university, examines Asian/African race relations in his 1972 book The Asians in East Africa.
Despite the friction between Indians and indigenous Africans, there were unions between Asians and Africans. In his work, Bharati interviewed many subjects on the topic of Afro-Asians and relations between Asian men and African women. He believed that there were about 5000 people of mixed African-Asian origin in East Africa, most of them along the coast and in Zanzibar.
The Afro-Asian intermingling trend at the time was an inbalanced exchange, typically involving an Asian male and an African female, and almost never the converse.
Other Terms for Black and Asian
- Blackanese (Black/Chinese, Black/Vietnamese, Black/Japanese, Black/Saipanese, etc)
- Blackorean/Blorean/Borean (Black/Korean)
- Blackapina/Blackapino (Black/Filipino)
- Afro-Filipino (African American/African and Filipino)
- Afri-Asian/Afro-Asian/Afrasian (African-Asian)
- Blietnamese/Afretnamese/Vietnamegro (Black/Vietnamese)
- Cablinasian (Caucasian, black, Indian, and Asian) Coined by Tiger Woods, professional golfer
- Negrasian (Black and Asian)
- Chinegro/Chigro (Chinese/Black)
- Blashasho (black and shasho)
- Blindonesian (Black and Indonesian)[Pronounced like "in" not like "blind"]
Famous Blasian Sites
- Tomika Skanes Blasian Model, half Korean, half Black.
- Tomiko Jones Blasian Model, part Japanese, Indian, and Black.
- Sophie Ono Blasian Designer & Makeup Artist, part Japanesese and Senegalese.
Notable Blasians
- Amerie, on her website it says, "Amerie's mother is from Korea and her dad is an African-American from North Philly". She is an R & B singer on Columbia Records. She is known for such songs as "Why Don't We Fall In Love" and "1 Thing".
- Tai Babilonia, Olympic skater, African-American and Filipino.
- Casandra Ventura,or commonly known as Cassie, is a singer and dancer of African American and Filipino descent.
- Joe Bataan, Latin Soul legend, Filipino and Black descent.
- Tyson Beckford, his father is Black (Jamaican) and his mother is Chinese/American (according to E! online). In 1991, an editor from the hip-hop magazine The Source found Beckford. This led to Beckford signing with a New York modeling agency, and to a life of cameras and runways. In 1993, Beckford was hired for Ralph Lauren's Polo Sport fragrance and clothing lines. Signed exclusively to Ralph Lauren, Beckford could also add the covers of Essence, Paper, Vogue, GQ, Details, Men's Health, Vibe, and The New York Times, to his long resume. In 1995 he was named VH1's "Model of the Year" and one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. He also appeared in numerous music videos, TV shows and commercials.
- Foxy Brown, Foxy says in an interview with MTV, "I'm not Filipino and black ... My family is Trinidadian and Asian." Foxy's first album Ill Na Na went platinum, selling a total of 1.5 million units. Her second album Chyna Doll was the fastest album to go platinum for a female rap artist. She is the first female rap artist to have a #1 album and is Calvin Klein's first female African-American model.
- Ella Bully-Cummings, Detroit's first female police chief. Her father was an African American serviceman raised in Detroit when he met her mother in Japan.
- Dena Cali, according to her website she is Black, Swedish, and Chinese. This rapper from the West Coast recently completed her self titled debut album. She has also modeled and appeared in the movie Foolish with Master P and Eddie Griffin.
- Naomi Campbell, her mother is Black (Jamaican), her father is Multiracial, at least partly Chinese (according to Arena Magazine her mother said "he was of mixed race and had a touch of Chinese in him") She began her career at 15, when a Ford modeling agency exec spotted her walking down a London Street. She spent two years on the Paris runway and hit the cover of French Vogue. She is one of the most well known models in the world.
- Marcus Chong, actor, son of Tommy Chong.
- Rae Dawn Chong, her father, Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame, is Asian and White, her mother is Black. She has starred in movies such as The Color Purple, Commando, Soul Man, Beat Street and Quest For Fire.
- Sugar Pie DeSanto, R&B and Jazz singer whose father is Filipino and mother is African-American.
- Melissa Howard, her mother is Filipino and her father is Black (From MTV.com). Member of The Real World New Orleans cast.
- Sheila Hudson, her father is Black and her mother is Korean. The American record-holder in the triple jump. For years she dominated the triple jump in the U.S. and was the only American to reach the final in the first Olympic triple jump competition for women in 1996.
- Crystal Kay, half-Korean and half-black. She however doesn't speak Korean and is a singer in Japan.
- Kelis, her mother is Chinese and Puerto Rican; her father is Black (from an interview with Creative Loafing). She left home at 16 to pursue her own goals, and four years later Kelis had a deal with Virgin. In mid-1999, Kelis was beatboxing alongside Ol' Dirty Bastard on his cut "Got Your Money" and her signature technicolor spiraled afro was sparking critics' interests. Her brooding vocals blend sensible R&B additives, and the hip-hop layers are funky. Kelis captured feminist desires on her debut Kaleidoscope.
- Sachio Kinugase, baseball player.
- Michael Lee-Chin, Canadian businessman.
- Allen Pineda Lindo, Member of the award-winning rap group the Black Eyed Peas; he is of African Mestiso and Filipino descent.
- Nicole Lyn, her mother is Black and her father is of Chinese descent (according to a Nicole Lyn Fan Site). Has appeared in movies such as "Feast of All Saints" (2001 mini TV Series), "Bless the Child" (2000), "Dying to Dance" (1999 TV) "Student Bodies" (1997 TV Series), "Eric's World" (1991 TV Series), "On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story" (1990 TV), "Ramona" (1988 TV Series) and "Ramona Q" (1988).
- Debelah Morgan, her mother is Indian, her father is Black. Her debut album, "Debelah", was released in 1994. Four years later she released "It's Not Over". This time, released under the Motown label, the album was available in Europe and Asia. Debelah's comeback album, "Dance With Me", has been receiving raving reviews from major music magazines, including Billboard, Vibe and the online Wall Of Sound. has been increasingly popular across the US, and is reaching fans all over the world.
- Chad Morton, his mother is Japanese, his father is Black. Brother of Johnnie Morton. Running back for the New Orleans Saints. Was All-Pac 10 Conference selection at USC before being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 5th round, #166.
- Johnnie Morton, his mother is Japanese, his father is Black. Brother of Chad Morton. Selected by Detroit Lions in first round (21st pick overall) of 1994 NFL draft. Veteran receiver who is one of Lions’ most consistent offensive performers and one of the league’s most efficient pass-catchers. Is now second on Lions’ all-time receiving yards list with 5,345 yards, and currently stands in fourth place (392) on the Lions’ all-time receptions list.
- Sean Paul, from ArtistDirect.com: Born Sean Paul Henriques on January 8, 1973, the multi-ethnic Paul (his parents had Portuguese, Chinese, and Jamaican blood) grew up in St. Andrew, Jamaica. Dancehall DJ Sean Paul began scoring hit singles in Jamaica starting in 1996, and has since attracted American attention with his appearance on the soundtrack of Hype Williams' Belly (with Mr. Vegas and DMX) and his 1999 hit "Hot Gal Today." Paul released his first album on VP Records; the sprawling Stage One.
- Tasha Reid, Korean rapper.
- Kimora Lee Simmons, her father is Black her mother is Korean. When she was 13 designer Karl Lagerfeld hand-picked her to be the face of Chanel. She provided the partnership and inspiration for Baby Phat (hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons' women's counterpart to Phat Farm), overseeing the design of the line as Creative Director. She also hosts Russell Simmons' Oneworld Music Beat.
- Tomika Skanes, model, "My father, who is now retired, was in the army and was stationed in Seoul, Korea where he met my mother. Soon after they married and had three kids. I am the middle child, the only girl. We all are mixed with Korean and Black... just in case you weren't sure."
- Sonja Sohn, actress.
- Michael Takahashi, baseball player.
- Karin Taylor, she is part Jamaican, Brazilian and Chinese. She is primarily a model but has done some acting. Her first big gig was as a Playmate in June 1996. She has also been on Baywatch, E!'s Gossip Show, Malcolm in the Middle, The Weird Al Show, and more.
- Hines Ward, his mother is Korean and his father is Black. He played quarterback, tailback and wide receiver at the University of Georgia. Selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft by the Steelers, Ward caught 15 passes for 246 yards this past season as a rookie, and became a standout player on special teams.
- Peter Westbrook, his father is Black, his mother is Japanese. A six-time Olympian and 13-time U.S. national champion, Peter Westbrook is one of America's most decorated athletes. As a fencer, he toils in relative obscurity, yet his accomplishments in and out of the arena are legion. As a Black man in a white sport, he's become an Arthur Ashe with sword instead of racket, a pioneer with deep community roots. Started the Peter Westbrook Foundation to teach inner-city kids about fencing.
- Tiger Woods, golfer.
- Laura Honore-Ko, professor of astrophysics (Harvard University). Her mother is Chinese from Hong Kong and her father is a French Black Caribbean.