We are releasing mini-talks by ESEA academics to spotlight specific issues faced by ESEA communities in Britain.

This October, we present The New 'Yellow Peril' in Western European Symphony Orchestras, a mini-talk by Dr. Maiko Kawabata of Open University & Royal College of Music.

Trigger warning: This presentation includes a racial slur and racist imagery that some viewers may find distressing.

Abstract 

The ‘Yellow Peril’ – a term referring to the historical racist phobia of invasion by foreigners, specifically East Asians – also describes a current problem among professional Western European orchestras. My interviews with ethnically Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese musicians reveal that bullying, microaggressions, and discrimination occur in a range of settings from conservatoires to auditions, rehearsals, concerts, and tours. The reasons why the pervasive stereotypes of the soulless automaton or the perpetual outsider persist ultimately appear to be structural: the deeply entrenched Eurocentric hypocrisy that the ‘universal’ language of classical music belongs to an exclusive club. Acknowledging existing inequality is a necessary step if orchestras are to become truly more diverse and inclusive—changes that activism can help bring about.

Watch the video now: https://www.eseahub.co.uk/lecture-series-maiko-kawabata