In Fall 2021, MAARC will be launching two podcasts!

Listening to a song is never a purely aesthetic experience. It is always informed by multiple contexts: the personal narratives of the artists, the cultures that they grew up in and encountered, the decisions made by industry representatives, the life experiences of listeners, and the socio-political circumstances at the time the song is consumed. In our podcasts, we draw out these contexts and uncover the many layers of Asian American experiences and histories.

Who’s An Immigrant?

In “Who Is An Immigrant?” (a six-episode series), we complicate metanarratives about immigration that focus on choice, assimilation and the notion of Asians as “model minorities.” During the first waves of Asian immigration to U.S., most Americans thought Asians were unassimilable.  As a result, most immigrants who crossed the Pacific were ineligible for naturalization. More recently, adoptees and refugees did not come by choice.

Meanwhile, the “model minority” myth—which is predicated on anti-blackness—erases the diversity of Asian American communities, ignores the real factors affecting educational and financial success, and works to keep Asians both docile and as perpetual foreigners.

Each episode of this series will feature one to three musicians/performers who explore these lesser-known immigration stories.  And host Eric Hung will examine relevant historical contexts and explore crucial issues that affect many Asian Americans today.  “Who Is An Immigrant?” is scheduled for release in time for the Fall 2021 semester. Check back in August for excerpts from the series!

Bringing Up Music!

In “Bringing Up Music,” Asian American musicians tell their own stories, and discuss everything from their early life and musical experiences to aesthetic philosophies, and from their initial impressions of the United States to problems faced by their ethnic communities. Interspersed with excerpts from oral histories, each episode analyzes a piece of music created by the interviewee.

In making this series, we aim to demonstrate not just the diversity of Asian American experiences, but also the different ways these musicians deal with similar issues arising from the dominant racial structure of the United States.  Please check back on October for clips from our opening episodes, and for our release schedule.