Unspoken bias

As readers of my blog know, I love to bring up controversial issues dealing with taiko, analyze the factors, and illuminate how ridiculous the controversy actually is. This time, I want to address an issue about taiko groups founded in North America by non-Japanese and non-JA (Japanese-Americans).

Over the many years, I have observed several biased attitudes directed towards these groups. It manifests as suspicion of their motives, doubt of their sincerity or ability, and patronizing them during interactions. I hate to say it, but that's racism!

Taiko, as an art form in the U.S. was somewhat "chosen" by JA as a way for them to both express their voice and feel a connection to their Japanese roots. I think that's at the heart of the issue here. The people who hold a bias do so because either A), they've "claimed" this art that "other" people are daring to intrude on, or B) they feel the "other" people can't possibly represent the art (as well). Even if that's not based on racism, it's dangerously close.

It's too easy to just identify the behavior and label it. Why is it there in the first place? Consider that, when a non-Japanese/JA person opens a karate dojo, no one blinks an eye. The first karate dojo in the US opened in 1945, followed by the first taiko dojo 23 years later in 1968. Look also at the names of who were opening the first karate dojo - names like Trias, Parker, Arel, Nagel. Caucasian names teaching a Japanese art.

It's hard enough for North American taiko to flourish, but to have this unspoken bias only makes us have to fight yet another front. We battle ignorance from those who don't know what taiko is, we compete with other arts for funding and audience, we struggle to balance individual needs with what a struggling group needs, and then we have this internal cancer to deal with as well?

Hey, we all have our prejudices, but even a few individual people with this particular bias can do serious harm to the entire taiko community. The rest of them - of us - can't just say "well, I don't feel that way, I'm not doing harm." You have to be proactive and vocal about supporting new groups and new ideas. Don't be a bystander; you can't just do your art, you need to support it as well!