Video

"The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced." -Alan Watts-    It was one hella of a trip!! Sometimes visuals are easier to express how you feel than words. This is my show&tell :) Thank you to our friend @Davygreenberg for editing it so perfectly. 

Places we visited (in order of our trip)

1.  Shizuoka, Japan
2. Kyoto, Japan
3. Okinawa, Japan
4. Taipei, Taiwan 
5. Hanoi, Vietnam
6. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
7. Nha Trang, Vietnam
8. Saigon, Vietnam
9. Siem Reip, Cambodia
10. Luang Prabang, Laos
11. Chiang Mai, Thailand
12. Shanghai, China 
13. Tokyo, Japan 
14. Hilo, Hawaii 
15. Honolulu, Hawaii 

All Mixed Up

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/08/25/455470334/all-mixed-up-what-do-we-call-people-of-multiple-backgrounds

This NPR article is a very good read for anyone trying to have a better understanding on biracial identities.  What always surprised me was the comfort level people had to ask very personal questions soon as they meet me. How my parents met, were my parents disowned for marrying outside of their own race, how do I identify myself, was a bullied, etc.  I am always willing to talk about racial dynamics, but people need to remember just simple human etiquette. Let's remember to get to know people a little bit more before you start getting so personal. Let's start by just asking for my middle name first.  Oh! also, you also see me being featured in this article from the project I was previously part of called, 'Evoking the Mulatto" Check it out :)   http://evokingthemulatto.com/video/video.html

Dear Franco

Franco, the sound of your name brings so much joy to my life. Hard not to smile as I hear your name ring in my ears. Franco, my Italian uncle who was a world class chef. 

As a kid, going to Franco's restaurants was a special occasion for the family. My mother even got me a heart shaped purse just for when I go to eat at Franco’s restaurant. Every time I walked in to that restaurant, I remember thinking to myself, this is what it must feel like to be a princess. I was sure of it.  Even when I was just a girl, Franco always treated me as a young lady, and that feeling always made me feel so special. He always made me feel as though I was someone important, and that feeling he gave me never changed.

Every year when I was home from school for the summer, Franco will take me out to lunch just the two of us. Over delicious Italian food, he will ask me about school, my interest, boys, and always remind me how beautiful and special I was. I was always bad at taking compliments and I brushed it off just out of my own discomfort but deep down inside I loved it. On one of our lunch dates, I got up to go to the bathroom, and without missing a beat, he also got up. I was so confused to why he too got up, so I reminded him I was only going to the ladies room. He looks at me shaking his head in disbelief and said “Oh Lila-san, a true gentlemen always gets up when the lady gets up, what kind of boys are you around?!” I guess I was around barbarians by his standards. I always wondered why he was so generous towards me. Maybe he enjoyed time with me because he missed his daughter who was in Italy, or maybe he was just simply board in Japan, but maybe just maybe he knew I was just another insecure girl who needed to be reminded that I was special. Or maybe I am just trying to interpret things because of the sadness that I feel in my heart right now.  But one thing that can not be questioned is how he always made me feel. He brought the best out of me and the best out of my family. Laughter and glass clinking were the background music of our time together. I felt lost today, I knew with his condition the end was near, but still it felt as a shocking and sad as another part of my childhood chipped away. So tonight, I decided to have a toast in your honor: "To life, to you, and thank you for teaching me food is always better shared, and thank you for teaching mama how to cook Italian food. You will be remembered in the Japantons family for generations to come.”

 Ciao Franco, Sending you two kisses, one on each cheek just like you taught me. 

Lila Consuelo Anton 

P.S. That's my parents dancing in the background

Not My Strong Suit // 自己アピール

Putting myself out there has always been a weakness of mine. The easiest thing to do would be to blame my Japanese upbringing. I was told to blend in, not to stand out, which was a hard task to complete when you are the only brown girl in the entire city. When I started at my boarding school in the US, the positive reinforcement of "be yourself" really stood out to me. Sometimes I joke and say I wish I grew up in the US so I can have that sense of confidence that I feel like more people carry with them daily. But in truth, I know we all doubt ourselves in our own ways. Especially in today's day when things can be critically judged in matter of seconds, on a global scale. We live in a world which has allowed all of us to share personal projects at any given time on any given platform. I do admire how our generation takes advantage of resources and confidently shares their opinions.  We all know great ideas must be shared, and it's true, what's the point of keeping it in your head when what you share can be helpful, inspiring, relatable or just plain entertaining to others. My struggle for putting myself out there has stopped me even from writing this blog post. I've allowed my fear of standing out take over, but in truth, I want to stand out. I want to be seen as an individual, who reflects on her experience and in her interests. 

. 日本の目立たない、はみでないことを大切にする学校環境で育った私には自分をアピールするアメリカの学校方式に慣れるのに意外と時間がかかった。多分それが最初のカルチャーショックだった。日本ではどう考えてもこの外見で目立ってた私。でも逆に目立ってたって分かってたからなるべく目立ちたくなかったんだと思う。時々考えるのは「もし自分がアメリカで生まれ育ってたらどんな性格になってたんだろう？」ってこと。もっと自信持って、自分をアピールする性格になってたのかな。。。今の世の中は簡単に人と情報を分かち合うことができる。特にソーシャルメディアは自分の意見、アイディアを人と共有する為に出来てるようなもの。アメリカだと特にそう。こんなオープンな世界でもまだ自分の意見を言う時は考えすぎちゃう自分がいる。目立つことを悪いことだと自分に教え込んできたから今でも自己アピールは何気に苦手。でも本当はやっぱり自分の個性をだして、自分をアピールしたい。今までつちかってきた経験や関心ごとをみんなとシェアしたい。

Home Sweet Home // 故郷

After three years of painfully waiting I went home during the holidays. It was the first time in my life I was away from Japan for this long, and in many ways I was starting to feel a sense of nervousness about going home. But as soon as I landed I was giddy. First things first, I took a bath (Japanese bath tubs are the BEST, hands down!) From experience, I know being home for 2 weeks sounds long, but it always flies by.  I tried my best to use my time wisely. The first 2 days I dedicated to rereading old comic books (all 30 of them). I went to the supermarket with my mother, and bought practically everything I saw. I met up with old friends, and picked up conversations right where we left off years ago without missing a beat. Every day at 5pm, the chimes went off, playing one of my favorite Japanese songs "Hometown".  As I listened, I reflected in contentment on the beautiful childhood I was given. As I feel every time I am home, I felt fulfilled. In the end, home is my favorite place. 

3年ぶりの日本。久しぶりすぎてちょっとドキドキする気持ちで無事到着。まず、爽健美茶を飲んで一人でニヤニヤしながら駅弁を食べ落ち着く私。無事に実家着いたらまずお風呂。二週間の滞在なんてすぐに終わっちゃうから毎日どう過ごすかがとても大切！今回は久しぶりにときめきトゥナイト全巻を読むことに決めて二日間それだけに集中した。お母さんと買い物に行くときは興奮状態で見るもの全て買う自分。久しぶりに友達と会って3年ぶりのギャップを感じないほど昔の話で盛り上がった。毎日午後５時にチャイムから聞こえる『故郷』を聴きながら自分のふるさとの心地よさに感激。日本で生まれ育って本当に私は幸せものだな。今回も幸せを満喫できる滞在でした。やっぱり阿多 古が一番。

Evoking the Mulatto

Created by Lindsay C. Harris, Evoking the Mulatto is a transmedia project exploring black mixed identity in the 21st century, through the lens of the history of racial classification in the United States. To explore the interactive website, including other videos, photographic portraits, and historical mappings, go to www.evokingthemulatto.com CREDITS Episode Four PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR Lindsay C.

In 2011, my roommate at the time (hey Liz!) asked if I would be part of a project her friend was starting called "Evoking the Mulatto". I was intrigue to find out more, and decided to be part of it. The funny thing is I totally forgot I did this until now! It's interesting to hear some of my thoughts then and how I've evolved, and it is always awkward to see yourself on camera.  Currently there are 4 episodes.  Clink on the above video and you will see most recent episode.  Check it out! Very thankful to Lindsay Harris for including me in this project! 

Guatemala / Belize

It's been a while since I have taken an adventure...  Which made me think about my trip I took in 2013 to Guatemala and Belize.   Check out some pictures from Guatemala and Belize.  This just makes me excited to plan my next adventure. Where to next!?! 

ADCOLOR 2015

 Since 2012, I have had the pleasure of being a part of the ADCOLOR family.  ADCOLOR, founded by Tiffany Warren,  is an organization that champions diversity and inclusion in creative industries. Their goal is to create a community of diverse professionals who are here to support and celebrate each other. I don't know where to begin when I try to express how much this organization means to me. It has welcomed me from day 1 and given me a sense of purpose as to why it's important for me to be part of the creative industry.  

This year the conference was held in NYC. Even though the organization is based in NYC, it was surprisingly the first time they had hosted the conference there! I wasn't able to attend the conference portion for the last few years, but was really glad I got to again this year because the panels were spectacular.  My favorite was called "Me, Myself and the Media" which discussed how in 2015 we witnessed a major increase in multicultural talent on television. The panel discussed what made this happen, who was responsible and how can we make it happen more consistently, analyzing the way media decisions are made and how content creators, advertisers and fans can impact the images we see on screens – big and small. It was powerful to be in a room with TV execs who were able to shed light in this information.  Each panel discussion had a muralist who created a visual of each panel which I thought was great also.  

Every year I attend the event at a point when I am feeling 'purpose-less' at work. Once I am surrounded by My ADCOLOR family I regain purpose and makes me work harder to make the world a little better with our work. 

Watermelon Girl - Cultural Connection

I grew up loving watermelon obliviously. Never thought twice about it. It was a genuine love. My first 'understanding' of what watermelon meant in America was when someone described how they felt 'uncomfortable' eating watermelon in public.  I recall my friends being so surprised when I told them I grew up eating lots of watermelon, and that I liked it with salt. When I shared that, someone in the room spoke on how they remember eating watermelon with lime juice growing up.  My friend who felt 'uncomfortable' eating watermelon in public looked a little embarrassed and relieved at the same time.  Hey, we all learn something about different cultures in different ways. When what we learn is that we are more similar than we are different, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. 

Changing Faces of America

Everything about this I love!! The imagery and the message. Seeing yourself represented is what we all want. It's hard for multiracial people to see themselves represented in mainstream media.  It sure does feel good to be called the faces of new America!  As we all know racial/ethnic blending has been going on for some time now, it's really nothing new buuuut now what's new is that it's accepted as nothing new. It's normal for a child's parents to not be the same race, and it's normal that none of your friends can pick one origin where they are from. It's normal to be racially ambiguous and wonder where people are from. Maybe people will stop assuming I'm Dominican now ;)