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In Solidarity with the Asian Opera Alliance

San Francisco Opera would like to recognize and support the recent historic formation of the Asian Opera Alliance. Modeled after the Black Opera Alliance, the Asian Opera Alliance (AOA) formed in June of this year to build solidarity in a Eurocentric field. In AOA’s words, this diverse group of Asian-identifying industry professionals aims to “address the dearth of Asian representation in the opera industry and the field’s systemic neglect of Asians and people of Asian descent."

We recognize the deep significance of this work. Through dangerous rhetoric and misinformation, the COVID-19 pandemic has again sparked violence against AAPI communities, bolstered by the legacy of anti-Asian racism throughout the history of the United States. We also recognize that representation - our stage - holds power, both to transform minds or exclude hearts. True inclusion can only be achieved when all our stories are told.

In the first statement from Asian Opera Alliance, they have graciously included calls to action for the work ahead – namely casting, including, pursuing, and consulting Asian people at every level. They urge the field to holistically engage Asian artists, administrators, storytellers, composers, donors, and audience members. With this community in mind, they ask those dedicated to Opera to uplift Asian stories onstage and revision established works.

In the upcoming centennial season, San Francisco Opera will produce Madame Butterfly, a notorious example of cultural misrepresentation that relies on harmful stereotypes. With such a stained history, the impulse may be to hide away from this work in our repertoire. However, as AOA notes in their letter, eliminating Madame Butterfly from programming would remove two already scarce opportunities for Asian women to lead in starring roles. Rather than hide away from the mistakes in our history, San Francisco Opera is revisiting this classic with a critical eye and embracing the opportunity for dialogue. As AOA suggests, we will use identity-conscious hiring practices for the production, inviting Asian artists to make an opera that truly represents them. We strive for a Madame Butterfly that honors the culture it represents and challenges its shortcomings.

This production is just one example of the ongoing work San Francisco Opera will be doing for years to come. We are committed to listening and collaborating with AOA, and we thank them for their invitation for partnership.

 

San Francisco Opera's DEI Statement on Anniversary of the Death of George Floyd

May 25 marks the first anniversary of the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer fatally pressed his knee onto his neck. It was a modern-day lynching, and a life was lost. Derek Chauvin, a member of the Minneapolis Police Department, was brought to justice and convicted last month of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter only due to worldwide protests and the multiple, months-long campaigns calling for justice and restoration. For many people of color, the resulting conviction does not bring solace. In fact, watching the trial was re-traumatizing and exhausting, stirring up some strong emotions. This was compounded by the deaths of numerous Black men, even as the trial ensued. In light of these horrific incidents and the aftermath, what have we learned? What are we doing to support social change? How might we transform our anger and our grief into responsible action and advocacy?

The George Floyd Memorial Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, is set to host a "Day of Enlightenment" this May 25, 2021. The occasion is designed to engage the world by recognizing a day of reflection and action that moves us toward transformation. The goal of this event, which should be recognized and observed worldwide, is to get people thinking about what has changed inside each of us since that fateful day. During the time of remembrance and enlightenment, let us not remain stifled by pain and anger but instead renew our commitment to racial justice and healing that began in the streets of Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd. Over the last year, we've seen many organizations attempt to respond to the call for racial equity and justice in various ways—from crafting DEI statements to the formation of diversity committees. Today, that energy is waning, and people are losing focus. This is not acceptable.

It is time for us to move beyond outrage to action and change. Let us keep on marching, reflecting, and dismantling systems and structures that are perpetuating these inequities. Let us not escape our responsibilities because we are "tired" or frustrated with slow progress. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Now is the actual moment of reckoning. Let us continue to cultivate a more profound awakening to the ways systemic racism forms the very foundation of life in America. Let's not give in or lose the momentum or forsake the opportunity this moment provides us. We must each find our place in this effort toward eradicating systemic racism, social injustice, disenfranchisement, and oppression. Let's make sure George Floyd's death counts as something meaningful. Black Lives Matter.

 

Standing in Solidarity

The recent escalation in acts of violence and mistreatment of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities is deeply disturbing. San Francisco Opera stands against all anti-Asian bias and discrimination. We stand with all those in our communities who have been impacted by these horrific events, and we extend our solidarity and support to everyone in our AAPI communities.

Anti-Asian violence, hate, and discrimination are not new to this nation. The rhetoric of the pandemic has emboldened white supremacists to surface the long-standing anti-Asian racism that is embedded in American history. Events like the erasure of Chinese transcontinental railroad workers in the 1860s, the 1875 Page Act, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, the 1942 Japanese internment, and the violence being perpetrated today against AAPI seniors all serve as reminders that Asian Americans have long been portrayed as perpetual foreigners. Too often the vital role that Asian American communities have had in building and enriching the social infrastructure and culture of America has gone unspoken and unrecognized. This must change.

We share in the feelings of helplessness, grief, and reflection of this moment, and there is nothing that we can say that will change the loss of life or the historical legacy of anti-Asian violence and the erasure of Asian American history and experiences in the United States. We acknowledge that part of opera history is seeded in cultural appropriation, unconscious bias, inequity, and exclusion, in ways we now understand to be harmful. We can do better and, as we strive to become an antiracist institution, we commit to finding more responsive and responsible ways to bring operas to the stage.

We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and strive to be allies, as we learn how to use our stage to uplift AAPI stories and artists.

What You Can Do

Below is an incomplete, but helpful list of resources that support AAPI populations and educate ourselves and our communities. Thank you to those who helped curate this information.

The following links provide information on hate crime bills. You can make your voice heard by writing to your state legislators in support.

Organizations to support:

  • Donate to the funds of the affected families and Asian American community organizations
  • Support Red Canary Song, a US-based grassroots organization for Asian and Migrant Sex Workers  https://www.redcanarysong.net/
  • stopaapihate.org  A portal for gathering information and reporting/sharing stories in order to push for better protection, educational resources, and policies that can end incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying. It is put together by a coalition of nonprofits, organizers, and educators.
  • Donate to support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
  • Local groups to support and join in actions with: 
  1. Chinese Progressive Association https://cpasf.org/
  2. AYPAL: https://www.aypal.org/
  3. Compassion in Oakland: https://compassioninoakland.org/
  4. Chinese for Affirmative Action: https://caasf.org/

Educational Resources:

  • Learn more about the long history of Anti-Asian racism inside and outside the U.S. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the U.S colonization of the Philippines. These events have lasting legacies on what is experienced today. 
  • Sign on to Asian Americans Advancing Justice’s collective community statement:
  • bit.ly/aaajcommunitystatement 
  • Learn from and follow The Influential Point - A group of Traditional Asian Medicine practitioners committed to mobilizing the next wave of health justice leaders to radically transform healthcare and eradicating anti-Asian racism within the acupuncture field.https://www.influentialpoint.org/
  • Share crisis response resources: bit.ly/georgiaAAPIcommunitycare
  • APAC Community and Resources for Allies Provide information on how to take concrete actions to support APAC, AAPI, and the greater Asian communities.


Black Lives Matter.

San Francisco Opera commits to embodying the ideals of racial equity and social justice not just in words but in actions.

We are coming to understand the critical role the arts play in facilitating vital dialogue about race, bias, healing, and transformation. As a historically white, eurocentric institution, we must confront our own legacies of inequity. We have begun that process by becoming a learning organization, and we’ve instituted ongoing, organization-wide learning modules designed and implemented by our Department of Diversity, Equity and Community. Diversity training is available to all Company members, whether a staff administrator, a singer in the chorus, a member of the Board, or even the General Director. The modules offer study in history, race, privilege, power, and oppression. Participants are guided through critical dialogues that engage thinking around diversity, equity and inclusion.

We commit to continuing the examination of our complicity in perpetuating inequity and structural racism in the world of opera. To date, the Company has established its first board committee focused on equity. This is the first time in San Francisco Opera history that a committee has been composed of both board members and non-managerial staff.

Our aim is to be transparent about the ways in which we have been holding ourselves accountable for fostering the progressive actions we’ve committed to. To quote Dr. Vincent Matthews, Superintendent of San Francisco Unified School District, “The heart of an antiracist system is personal, professional and system-wide accountability.” We look forward to continuing to share and talk about the steps we take and not only the ways in which we are successful, but also the ways in which we are challenged to grow.

 

Statement from June 2020

Events across the nation have laid bare the systemic acts of hatred and violence perpetrated against Black people in our communities, leaving us in the Opera family feeling outrage, anger, hurt, and sorrow. We want to express our grief and sympathy for the family of George Floyd, and all those families directly and indirectly impacted by these all-too-frequent tragic events, and we acknowledge the fear that so many people in our communities are feeling.

As a company, we lift our voices in solidarity with those working to create a more just and equitable society, and we, too, must do our part.

We acknowledge we have much to learn about how to combat institutionalized racial injustice. We are on a conscientious learning path to better understand how we can move past systems that undermine opportunities for people of color in our art form. We must find better ways to include and empower diverse perspectives on our stage and throughout the Company. We are learning from our past and we are committed to doing better. This is the context that led to the creation of our Department of Diversity, Equity, and Community last year, and to our aspiration and promise to become a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.

San Francisco Opera is re-committing to the values and the potential exemplified in our strategic framework. We will continue to include, empower, and grow diverse perspectives on our stage and throughout the Company; we pledge to continue training staff members in the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and holding community conversations about inequality in our artform; and we will remain vigilant in the work of our Department of Diversity, Equity, and Community.

As a Company, we are holding space to process, listen, and grieve together. We ask you to join us in reflecting, learning, and listening. If you need a place to start, we recommend this article from KQED.

We promise to remain in touch about our next steps in our commitment to push forward this critical work. We believe earnestly in the importance of fostering a compassionate community connection, and we must live up to our values and our potential, as we work to become a more equitable company.

In support and solidarity,

Matthew Shilvock
Tad and Dianne Taube General Director

Charles Chip Mc Neal
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Community