Eric Hung, Music of Asian America Research Center

Proposal Type

Panel

Seeking

  • Seeking Additional Presenters
  • Seeking General Feedback and Interest
Related Topics
  • Archives
  • Public Engagement
  • Reflections on the Field
Abstract

Over the past three decades, archival theorists have developed various theories that aim to repair archives through decolonizing and increasing representational belonging of marginalized groups.  Some of these theories have helped repositories become more inclusive, but some have been difficult to implement. The panel explores the intersections of theory and practice—the applications of innovative recent theories, and practice that force us to reconsider these theories.
The goals of this session are:

(1) to open a discussion about the lessons learned in doing “repair work” in archives;
(2) to improve theories that can help “repair” archives; and
(3) to promote partnerships between archives and non-archival memory institutions

Description

At the Society of American Archivisits meeting in 1970, Howard Zinn attacked one of the central tenets of archival theory—neutrality.  In the nearly half century since, most North American archivists have come to agree with Zinn’s central point that archives have traditionally favored the rich and powerful.  Additionally, theorists have developed numerous appraisal, description, access and advocacy techniques that are designed to make repositories more inclusive.  Yet, archival practice has remained largely unchanged at many institutions.

The picture is not completely bleak, as some repositories are making changes, applying techniques developed by theorists, and improvising methods designed to repair archives.  The speakers on this panel are particularly interested in the intersections of theory and practice—that is, the applications of innovative recent theories, and practice that force us to reconsider these theories.  Our central questions are:

(1) What does decolonization mean for archives and for people of color/new immigrants?
(2) How can archives use existing collections to increase representational belonging of marginalized groups?
(3) How can institutions implement community appraisal or concepts like societal provenance?

Mandi Magnuson-Hung and Eric Hung will describe and assess an event organized by the Music of Asian America Research Center, a post-custodial digital archive founded to counter the symbolic annihilation of community musicians.  Their goals are threefold: to promote our holdings, to create a discussion forum for Asian American musicians and music scholars, and to create/collect items for the archive. Activities include presentations, a film screening, an unconference, and stations for viewing our collection and recording oral histories.

Anna Harbine’s description is forthcoming.

Kate Galloway and Alexander Donald discuss the application of citizen science, sustainability, and soundscape studies to open-access sound mapping projects, exploring the process and ethics of recording, public crowdsourcing, archiving, and remediating the soundscape for the community to listen back to place. Sound maps archive soundscapes from specific times and places, and highlight for the listening public marginalized nonhuman and “endangered” sounds and relationships among the social, spatial, and sonic. By listening back to place, the community can use these open-access resources to develop soundscape acuity, aural literacy, and awareness.


If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Eric Hung, [email protected]

All feedback and offers of assistance should be submitted by July 1, 2018. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.

Discussion

5 comments
  1. GVGK Tang says:

    Hey Eric – Hope you’re well! This looks like an amazing panel, and it’s heartening to see more Asian American representation at NCPH and in the public history “field” at-large. Will you be including more practitioners, constituents and/or community leaders of color?

    1. Eric Hung says:

      Hi Grace: Great to hear from you. The answers to your questions are: yes. Are you interested in coming on board? If so, what do you want to talk about?

      1. GVGK Tang says:

        Beautiful! I’d be happy to join. Unfortunately, I don’t believe I have enough expertise. I’d love to suggest some connections, if that’s okay? I’ll email you!

  2. Cathy Stanton says:

    This is a rich and well-developed proposal already, and it’s great to see the connections you’re making with the conference theme, which is really relevant to archival questions and practices. In looking at the three topic proposals here relating to archives (this one, Thomas Lannon’s, and Leen Katrib’s), I’m wondering if there’s a way to expand this into a couple of linked sessions devoted to the goals you’ve set out above. You’ve listed five presenters already, and while I realize that represents just three actual presentations, it’s still a lot to get into one session. It might be wiser not to overcrowd things, so that there’s time to move from the descriptive/explanatory aspect of each presentation to the consideration of those larger questions. If you considered these three separate proposals and perhaps a couple of other presenters together, you might end up with a really workable mix of topics that would work well in a pair of sessions (eg one focused more on issues of community/decolonization/representation, and one on related issues of classification – eg rubble vs record, or ignorable noise vs archivable sound).

    1. Mandi Magnuson-Hung says:

      Hi Cathy,

      Thank for the insight on our proposal, and the suggestion on how we might round out not only our session, but expand into multiple sessions.

      We’re currently discussing how this can work, and will reach out to the scholars you mentioned above to gauge their interest in joining forces.

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