“mixed ancestry” is 8x10, made of a letter and envelope from my Swiss grandmother, Japanese washi paper, buttons covered with kimono fabric, a feather, acrylic paint, thread and glue on cradled wood. It is on view at Medium Gallery in Ukiah, CA through August 2024. © Annette Makino 2021
What a wild stretch we’ve had on the political front! Just three weeks ago, with Joe Biden insisting he was staying in the presidential race and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, things felt very dire to me. The mood at the Republican National Convention was triumphant as surveys of voter opinion showed Biden slipping farther and farther behind Trump.
dry thunder
the latest polls
roll in
But then, as you possibly may have heard, Biden graciously withdrew his reelection bid. With uncharacteristic speed, the Democrats united around Vice-President Kamala Harris as their presumptive presidential nominee.
campaign twist
our menu options
have changed
It’s been amazing to see the tsunami of energy and excitement this has unleashed among Democrats: endorsements, donations, volunteer signups, voter registrations, even TikTok memes! Although the race is still very tight right now, I take heart that many polls are starting to favor Harris. We may not be doomed to another Trump presidency after all. In an unfamiliar turn of events, reading the headlines is actually making me happy!
election news
with a side of ice cream
the taste of hope
I’m struck by how much I have in common with Kamala Harris. We are both Democratic women around age 60 from Northern California. We are both married with two adult children, stepkids in her case. Her husband is Jewish; mine is half-Jewish. She has a sister named Maya, like my daughter. We were both raised by immigrant parents: hers from India and Jamaica, mine from Switzerland and Japan. We both grew up partly overseas but mainly in the United States. And we are both biracial, specifically half-Asian.
True to form, Trump has leaned into racist attacks on Harris and questioned her Black credentials because she is also Indian, saying, “So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”
But over 12% of Americans identify as multiracial. We understand that you can embrace more than one race just as you can have both German and Irish ancestors. Yes, it can be trying when strangers ask, “What are you?” In the Facebook group Subtle Halfie Traits, people who are part Asian lament the challenges of navigating their different races or not being fully accepted by one side or the other.
But overall, I love my blend of ethnicities and cultures. Because of my mixed parentage, I lived in both Switzerland and Japan as a child. I speak several languages and have traveled widely. My world is so much richer thanks to my hybrid background.
mixed ancestry the warp and weft of me
Nothing is guaranteed; we have to work for it. But I am fired up to elect our first female, Black and Asian President. (Oh, and I love her boisterous laugh and joyful energy; what a contrast with Trump!) I’m sure that if Harris wins the November election (knock on wood), her unique background will be a valuable asset to our nation. Her leadership will draw from a firsthand understanding that diverse races and cultures only strengthen the vibrant tapestry that is America.
spacious skies
the bald eagle leans
into the wind
•
Makino Studios News
2025 calendar focus group: I have almost finished the collages for my 2025 mini-calendar of art and haiku! I could use some input on which image to use for the cover and which of the 13 pieces to leave out. If you’re interested in getting a sneak peek online and voting on the contestants, please let me know by email (link below). Thanks!
Rattle Editor Timothy Green interviews Annette Makino about her haiku on Rattle’s podcast on July 21, 2024. Starts at the 2:00 mark.
Rattle podcast: I’m delighted that my “dry thunder” haiku was selected for Rattle Poetry’s weekly Poets Respond feature. On their July 21 podcast, I spoke briefly with Editor Timothy Green about how I came to write the poem. Watch it on YouTube starting at the 2:00 mark.
Q&A: A Closer Look with Annette Makino: Erica Goss recently interviewed me for her Sticks & Stones poetry newsletter about how I combine art and haiku in my haiga. Erica is an award-winning poet and a friend since babyhood; check out her site.
Anywhere But Here: Several of my collages, including “mixed ancestry,” shown above, are on display this month at Medium Gallery in Ukiah, CA. The exhibit features reflections on time and place, longing, wanderlust, and exploration. The show runs until August 31.
Made in America II: A Humboldt Celebration of Asian Artists: The Humboldt Arts Council will host a show by thirteen Humboldt County artists of Asian descent at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, CA in May 2025. I’m honored to be part of the group and am organizing an accompanying poetry reading and haiga slide show.
Obon Festival: The annual Humboldt Obon festival takes place in Arcata, CA this Sunday, August 11 from 4-8 pm. This traditional Japanese festival, which remembers and honors our ancestors, will be held on 9th Street in front of the Arcata Playhouse. Although I won’t have a booth there this year, it’s always a fun and festive time!
