On Point With: Mimi Sashimi

This multitalented Miss Paradise pageant hopeful is already a winner: the delicious Mimi Sashimi! [Cover photo: Privilege]

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Thotyssey: Mimi, hello! Thanks for chatting! How’s February treating you?

Mimi Sashimi: Thanks for having me! February has been really busy so far. Pretty much all of my free time has been going towards preparations for Miss Paradise.

I bet! I imagine that putting a pageant package together must take a lot of thought and labor. Did you know what you wanted to do from the start, or did you really have to think on it?

I had a few ideas around October when I won my preliminary, but it wasn’t until around November when I started to refine them all. I just knew from the start that I wanted my package to reflect me at my best.

On your Instagram you call yourself the Hapa Diva. Are you originally from Hawaii?

My family is! I’m actually born and raised in New Jersey, but the majority of my ohana is back on Oahu. My parents wanted to make sure I was raised with the same aloha spirit as if we still lived there.

Have you been to Hawaii for visits?

Yes! Every couple of years we have a big family reunion where all the branches of the ohana come together. I was actually back home last July for a couple weeks.

Can you tell us a bit about your early creative interests, and how you ultimately discovered drag?

Oh, of course! I was a theatre kid growing up. I did all the plays and musicals, and I would always gravitate towards playing the female characters because I just thought they were more fun. At the same time, I was learning how to sew from my grandmother, which got me into cosplay. Eventually, as every gay boy does at some point, I discovered Drag Race. That’s when the love of performing from theatre and the love of costumes from cosplay came together into me starting drag at 18.

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You are no stranger to winning stuff at Paradise… you are the current reigning Miss PrEP Jersey Shore! What motivated you to participate in that, and what was that whole experience like for you?

The main motivator for me for running for that title was that it was so focused on serving the community. I firmly believe that titleholding is about more than just a crown and bragging rights; it’s an opportunity for queens to be role models and leaders. And pretty much up until my stepdown in November, I was using my title to advocate for HIV prevention as much as possible. For example, at most of my shows I was able to arrange rapid testing for HIV at Paradise to help people know their status.

Not to be grim or put you on the Q&A stage, but in another evil Trump move it looks like access to free PrEP will be endangered. How terrible will this be for our community?

It may be grim, but it’s a very real and scary prospect that we have to be aware of. PrEP completely revolutionized the way that our community views the HIV and AIDS epidemic. If we lose access to it, we have to make sure that people stay informed about prevention methods and safe practices. It’s a very scary thing to think about for our community; but in this political climate, like many other things, we have to take it head on as a community.

So one development since you won that title was that you’ve been hosting monthly-ish trivia nights at Paradise! How has that been for you?

Oh it’s been amazing! Over the past year, it helped really solidify my relationship with Paradise! The crowds are great to work with, and they love the friendly competitive atmosphere. We did take February off for Miss Paradise, but our next one will be on March 12th! However, if I do win Miss Paradise (fingers crossed), the show will be handed over to a new host while I finish out my reign. That show has been such a good opportunity for me to establish myself, and I wanted to allow that to be a similar opportunity for someone else, even if just for the year.

There’s been a long history now of Miss Paradise winners getting on Drag Race and slaying: Honey Davenport, Olivia Lux, Sapphira Cristal… and now Miss Crystal Envy is owning the current season!

Yes! I couldn’t be more proud of Crystal this season! She’s been turning it, and I know how much being on this show means to her!

Do you have Drag Race aspirations of your own?

We’ll just have to wait and see. I believe in waiting until the right moment before stepping into an opportunity as big as Miss Paradise or Drag Race, so that you can put your 110% into it. This year was when Miss Paradise felt right. Next year, who knows?

Can you spoil anything about your presentation for Miss Paradise, lol?

I’ll just say that if you’ve been watching this season of Drag Race, then my presentation look would have fit perfectly into one of the runway themes this season. But you’ll have to see me on February 16th at Paradise to find out!

I see you’ll also be part of the March 8th show “Songbirds” at The Beach Gallery in Keansburg.

Yes! Little known fact, I’m actually a live singer, too! I usually only sing live during the holidays, but I’ve always wanted to do an all-live singing show.

Anything to add?

I’ll just say: get your tickets for Miss Paradise, get tested, stay safe and and do something nice for yourself today.

That’s great advice, Mimi! Good luck and have fun at the pageant!

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Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Mimi Sashimi’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram.

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