Week 1: Reflections by Anonymous_17

Group: Discuss the Police, facilitated by David Wells
By Anonymous_17 - Southern CA

Taiko is not separate from the systems in which we live in. History and ongoing truths of racial hegemony make taiko and its participants inseparable from the ways race, gender, sexuality, class, etc. and their intersections intertwine, entrench, and play into our various spaces. There are so many things we can and need to talk, which is why I am grateful for this series in its efforts to foster dialogue across the taiko community. 

In as much as performance, music, and the body hold the potential to reinscribe and reproduce hegemony, they also hold the power for resistance and revolution. Through my personal journey within taiko, I've continuously fluctuated from seeing this neo-traditional art form as a prime space to explore the complexities of Asian America and questions of race, gender, representation, and power to questioning whether or not I was projecting my own ideals and hopes on an art form and community's ability and capacity for liberation and empowerment.

These few weeks (and the existence of this platform) have helped me feel reaffirmed that people are willing to have these conversations and that taiko is and can continue to be a potential site for antiracist work to be done. I have enjoyed meeting so many different people from all over the country (and globe) and hearing their own stories and motivations for joining these talks. 

Unlearning and learning will always be a lifelong journey - I hope I can stay connected with folx from these conversations as we continue antiracism work, reimagine new futures, and work towards a more just world within our taiko spaces, personal lives, and beyond.