The mashiest state. That’s how Amy Choi and Rebecca Lehrer, co-founders of The Mash-Up describe Hawai‘i’s population of mixed ethnicities and culture.

Whether you’re hapa (multiracial), first-generation navigating multiple cultures, in a relationship with someone of a different cultural background and/or living a culture that is different from your home culture, you’re a “mash-up,” which statistics show is a growing demographic across the country.

“Mash-up Americans are pretty much everybody that you see on the street
that you’re like, I wonder what they are,” explains Choi, who is first-generation Ko- rean American.

In 2013, Choi and Lehrer launched The Mash-Up Americans, serving as a guide to “hyphen-America” by building communities, telling stories and helping others understand who Mash-up Americans are and the best ways to reach them authentically.

With their background in media (Choi was a journalist in New York for 20 years, and Lehrer worked in business development at WNYC New York Public Radio), they started publishing original Mash-up American-oriented content through podcasts, newsletters and hundreds of online articles, as well as for clients and partners, such as Reese Witherspoon, Ai-Jen Poo and Peloton.

Recently, they produced and directed the rom-com podcast Love & Noraebang, starring Randall Park, Justin Min, Francia Raisa and Emily Tosta. A homage to K-drama and telenovela, it placed No. 1 on the fiction charts in the US, South Korea and Mexico.

“It did really well, but the little thing that always rings as the huge marker of success to me is the two writers who we hired and put together to script the show had never met before they worked on our project and now, they have become true friends and creative partners,” says Choi. “They still collaborate and send each other their scripts, and we helped foster that community of creativity for them.”

Choi, who was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, lives in Brooklyn and has had an everlasting connection to Hawai‘i. She got married on Kaua‘i, the island her parents called home for nearly a decade, and her sister used to live and still has a place on O‘ahu.

“When we land on island we immediately feel at home because we look like everybody else and there’s something in that,” says Choi, whose husband is Columbian and Mexican. “Hawai‘i has always been kind of an exemplar for us ...”

Lehrer, who is Salvadoran Jewish American, grew up in Los Angeles and lived in New York for many years before moving back to Southern California. She also has many fond memories of Hawai‘i and remembers visiting Hawai‘i just about every year in her youth.

“I’m hoping to be there in December if we can get it together for my mom’s 70th,” shares Lehrer.

Next for The Mash-Up Americans is a six-episode podcast called Grief, Collected to be released in October, exploring grief and the stereotypical American culture of moving forward. There also are plans for a website with related articles and resourc- es, as well a live event series.

“I’m so proud of the stuff we make that brings people joy,” says Lehrer. “Every time we get emails, ‘Hi, this is me’ or ‘I feel this so hard,’ and it was just an exploration of something of interest to us, that makes me remember like feel so clear about our pur- pose and our mission.”

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