Jalisa “JewJew” Sykes

Japanese + African-American

Human Services Professional

Instagram: @jewjew_couture

Jalisa Sykes was born in Okinawa, Japan to a Japanese mother and African-American father who was serving there in the U.S. military. Soon after her birth, the family relocated to Tokyo and lived there for the first half of Jalisa’s life.

At an early age, Jalisa noticed that her skin color was a shade darker than other kids. But regardless, her mother did an excellent job and instilled in her the Japanese culture, including the language.

By the time Jalisa reached 6, her parents filed for divorce. She maintained a strong relationship with her mother, but the American way-of-life became the norm under her father.

Jalisa ended up moving to the U.S. – Baltimore, Maryland – during her teens and heard the terms “light skin” and “yellow” for the first time ever. Jalisa remembers being too light-skinned for the “in-crowd” and was also perceived as conceited and stuck-up although her character failed to match these traits.

Over the years, Jalisa struggled with figuring out who she was, but her passion for learning about new cultures and languages have helped her to embrace being a biracial woman.

Starting in high school studying Russian, to learning American sign language and majoring in Deaf Studies with a minor in Psychology at Towson University, Jalisa continues to share her story by advocating for diversity and inclusion.

In 2015, Jalisa furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Science in Human Services Administration from the University of Baltimore. And for the last 6 years she has dedicated her life to assisting individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities in gaining access to community resources, services and support.

In Jalisa’s free time, promoting natural beauty and women empowerment is at the top of her list!