Silent No More: Anti-Asian Racism in Music

Abstract

This is a story of my complicity in corporate silence but also one of recognition and intervention. Simply put, here, I address manifestations of racism toward Asians and Asian Americans in music schools/departments and at meetings of our professional societies. Reports of antiAsian incidents have increased since the former U.S. President’s reference to the virus with a racist moniker.1 In response, cultural, industry, and political leaders, including President Obama, expressed outrage, and warned against a possible rise in antiAsian sentiment. A BBC News Report in May 2020 referenced incidents that posed threats to the safety and dignity of Asians, in the aftermath of the thenpresident’s feckless remark.2 More recently, the online ecosystem has also been the site of antiAsian racism. My story is told through a very personal lens and engages in more selfdisclosure than is customary for Society presidents. At times, I have remained silent in my role as bystander to the incivility I have witnessed