CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, March 19, 2021 | 17 LIFE Will Asian Americans ever be accepted as Americans? Check any media outlet in the Asian Americans to be permanently board a flight to Guangzhou, I According to him, the way for However, the sentiment that Asian When I meet new people from United States and articles about injured, and some have even died. donned the mandatory face mask Asian Americans to avoid harass- Americans are not “real” Ameri- the US, they often ask me where I physical attacks and hate crimes But was it the virus that caused this that China was requiring. As I ment and assault was to prove their cans has always run deep and am from. The response “America” against Asians are being reported xenophobia? In my own experience walked through the airport, a wom- “American­ness”. former president Donald Trump’s will almost always be followed up more than ever, especially since and also from speaking to others in an stood up from her seat, “We need to step up, help our rhetoric and racist remarks seemed with at least another question. COVID-19 was first announced in the US, it seems the pandemic has approached me, stuck her finger in neighbors, donate gear, vote, wear to confirm this notion for his fol- Where are you originally from? Wuhan, Hubei province. While only exacerbated and brought the my face and yelled, “F*** Chinese!” red, white and blue, volunteer, fund lowers. Where are your parents from? Why speaking to a friend uneasiness that was always there I was not fearful. I was angry. aid organizations, and do every- The wave of hate crimes against do you look Asian? With the US from upstate New toward ethnic Asian people to the Angry that anyone would speak to thing in our power to accelerate the Asian Americans has recently being one of the most ethnically York recently, she surface. another human being in this man- end of this crisis. We should show increased again. News outlets diverse countries in the world, it is told me a harrowing When I visited my hometown ner, be it a US citizen or not. without a shadow of a doubt that report attacks occurring across the discouraging that having a certain story about a Hong Minneapolis in Minnesota last year, “Is this really anything new?” I we are Americans who will do our US with four taking place in one appearance prevents others from Kong man who was just as the virus was starting to wondered to myself. Taking a step part for our country in this time of day in New York City. Why do these accepting the simple answer you assaulted outside a become a worldwide concern, I felt back and putting things in perspec- need,” Yang wrote. continue? Why aren’t Asians have provided. Feeling that lack of Kara Chinese restaurant the tension. Growing up as a Kore- tive from childhood to present day, These words coming from a fel- accepted as Americans? In a recent acceptance throughout life and Schroeder just a 15-minute an adoptee in a Caucasian family, I realized that although I have lived low Asian American felt insulting. interview, Chris Kwok, a board having left the US almost a decade Second drive from her home. racism for me was blatantly preva- in the US since I was 11 months old Instead of holding criminals member for the Asian American ago, it leaves me to examine the Thoughts The man was beaten lent. Even in Asian countries, I have and a naturalized citizen since 4 responsible, he went on to blame Bar Association of New York, said, notion of never returning. I likely unconscious, rolled faced microaggressions and stereo- years old, I have never felt accepted victims. You’re being physically and “The political and social invisibility will not spend the rest of my life in under a car, and left in the cold typing every day. But during my as an American. I was reminded of verbally attacked? Act more “Amer- of Asian Americans have real-life China, but why would I return to until he was discovered the next trip home in February last year, I former Democratic presidential ican”! What does that entail? Dress- consequences. The invisibility my country when I cannot just be morning. Having severe hypother- experienced a racist aggression I candidate Andrew Yang’s op-ed in ing in red, white and blue, and comes from Asian Americans being American? mia and frostbite, he remains in an had not faced since high school. The New York Times that was pub- volunteering! And people will for- seen as permanent foreigners — intensive care unit in a hospital. At the Minneapolis-Saint Paul lished in April last year when get about a virus discovered in Chi- they can’t cross that invisible line Contact the writer at Other attacks have caused some International Airport about to attacks on Asians were rising. na and treat Asians as equal! into becoming real Americans.” [email protected] Candid camera: Lucky cut In tribute to Bach’s musical creativity By CHEN NAN [email protected] Since 2009, pianist Sheng Yuan Bach’s six solo violin has been holding concerts every pieces set the March to pay tribute to one of his favorite composers, Johann standard for Sebastian Bach. violinists even up to On March 12 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, he the present day. continued this tradition by play- They are an essential ing four sets of Bach’s English Sui- tes on piano. As the earliest of part of the violin Bach’s keyboard suite sets, the repertoire.” English Suites contain six sets and Sheng performed the first, sec- Huang Bin, violinist ond, fourth and the sixth during the concert. “I am working on a project to and recorded today. The music record all of Bach’s works for the pieces are made in the usual keyboard, so I chose to play pieces baroque style and Bach added that I haven’t played yet,” says new elements to bring diversity,” Sheng, adding that there are dif- Huang says. ferent styles featured in Bach’s At the age of 4, Huang began English Suites. her violin studies and won the Born in a musical family, Sheng Paganini Competition in Italy in began playing the piano at the age 1994 and the ARD International of 5 and received training from Music Competition in Germany in the Central Conservatory of Music 1999. in Beijing. He studied under Solo- To pay tribute to Bach’s achieve- mon Mikowsky at the Manhattan ments as an organist and his devo- School of Music in New York City, tion to keyboard music, a concert where he completed his bache- titled Bach: A Life Journey on Pipe lor’s and master’s degrees in Organ will be staged by pipe and Residents have their hair cut on a street in Beijing’s Xicheng district on Sunday, the second day of the second lunar month that is music with a scholarship. His electronic organist Shen Yuan on traditionally called longtaitou, meaning “the dragon raising its head”. It is a day Chinese people consider auspicious for a haircut. interest in Bach’s music inspired March 19. Shen will perform LAN HONGGUANG / XINHUA him to study intensively with Bach’s music from three periods: pianist and harpsichordist Rosal- the Weimar years, 1703-17; Cothen yn Tureck, who was a well-known years, 1717-23; and Leipzig years, expert and interpreter of Bach’s 1723-50. music. Ending off the series of Bach “The Chinese audience is famil- concerts on March 28 is pianist Undercover work brought to life through drama iar with Bach’s music since the Zhang Shiyue, who will play six of composer’s works are frequently Bach’s compositions adapted by By XING WEN performed. Bach’s music is also six musicians, including Ave [email protected] frequently used as teaching mate- Maria based on a prelude by Bach This kind of stories rial in China. Though these works and written by French composer National security officers usually of composition are from centuries Charles Gounod in 1859, Toccata work undercover and keep a low will surely feature ago, they still inspire generations and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, a profile, but a television drama has patriotism and in- of people,” Sheng says. two-part musical composition for thrusted them into the limelight, Sheng’s March 12 concert kicked the organ by Bach and adapted by highlighting their commitment to depth observation of off a series of concerts and public Polish pianist and composer Carl the country’s safety. human nature.” events to celebrate Bach’s birth- Tausig, and Bach’s Chaconne, a Actress Yang Mi and actor Zhang day. There will be a total of six con- solo instrumental piece that Binbin star in the 40-episode drama Liang Zhenhua, scriptwriter certs held at the Forbidden City forms the fifth and final move- Storm Eye as investigative officers Concert Hall through March 28. ment of the Partita No 2 in D An Jing and Ma Shang. Together Following Sheng’s concert on minor, BWV 1004, which was with their team, they work to pro- ling, friend and lover in their daily March 12, there were two concerts adapted by Italian composer Fer- tect critical mineral resources, sen- life. by violinist Huang Bin where she ruccio Busoni. sitive data and core technology, and “Although they are ordinary peo- played Bach’s complete six sona- Zhang will also give an improvi- root out espionage operations in the ple who have parents, lovers and tas and partitas for solo violin.