What is Listen to the Silence?

Listen to the Silence (LTS) is Stanford's annual Asian American issues conference. It was first held in 1995 out of a need to increase the visibility of Asian American issues as well as the conditions of the Asian American community. The theme of this year's conference is "Avenues to Activism: A Collective Call to Action."

Each year’s conference features workshops hosted by students, nonprofits, and community leaders, all centered around the intersection between history, identity, and social change. By providing a platform to discuss this intersection, LTS opens an avenue for taking action and creating cross-cultural coalitions. To this end, it is open to everyone, including those who do not identify as Asian or Asian American, in order to provide a space for diverse perspectives and dialogue.

Ultimately, LTS aims to provide tangible tools and resources to empower participants to work towards creating a more equitable society as part of the broader movement for social justice.
Listen to the Silence is organized by Stanford AASA (Asian American Student Association).
The history of Asian America is a history of resistance. Our resistance has been paved by the sacrifices of community organizers, social activists, and revolutionaries. And yet, many Asian Americans are represented as “model minorities” — a community of high-achievers who are silent in the face of oppression. This harmful stereotype pits us against other minority groups, romanticizes and erases the harsh realities of many immigrant communities, and denies our longstanding struggle for change. We are not just bystanders or allies, but stakeholders in the fight for justice. Today’s explicitly oppressive administration presents us with a collective call to action, and it can only be fully answered if activism is made accessible and approachable to all. 

The Asian American community today faces a vast range of issues nationally: erasure in the media, unjust deportations and state violence, income inequality, and the threat of gentrification on historical communities, among others. Closer to home, our community is fighting against attacks from the alt-right on the safety of our speech, and fighting for the fair treatment of workers both on campus and abroad. As such, Asian Americans must unite a variety of experiences and methods of social activism. We need movements that fight injustice in all its forms.
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The goal of this year’s Listen To The Silence 2019 conference is to highlight the existence of diverse avenues to activism — to make activism accessible, educate attendees, and empower movements. We want to encourage those new to activism to take the first step, and to acknowledge that whether they are marching on the frontlines or organizing behind the scenes, any show of support is a valid step towards change. By the end of Listen to the Silence 2019, we hope that all participants are inspired by what they’ve learned to join the fight towards an equitable world for all.


SCHEDULE

When: Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 9 AM – 10 PM
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​Where: Cubberley Auditorium, Stanford University

TRAVEL DETAILS

LOCATION
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Cubberley Building/School of Education 
485 Lasuen Mall, Building 260, Language Corner 
Stanford, CA 94309
STANFORD PARKING POLICIES
  • Parking lots (EA, C, ES, SO) are FREE after 4 P.M. on weekdays.
  • Visitors can park in spaces marked by a green "P" or "E" sign. Parking in these spaces costs $1.50 per hour between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Weekend parking is normally free.
  • Resident student lots are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unless otherwise posted. Resident student lots are marked with any of the following: EA, ES, SH, SJ, SO, and WE.
  • On weekends, parking lots are FREE at 459 Lagunita, Santa Teresa, which is our suggested parking area.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO TRESSIDER UNION PARKING LOT

FROM EL CAMINO REAL
Traveling North
1. Turn left at the light onto Serra Street. 
2. Turn left in front of the gas station onto Campus Drive. 
3. Follow Campus Drive up a slight hill toward the backside of campus. 
4. Turn right onto Mayfield Avenue. Continue on Mayfield by turning left at the first stop sign. 
5. Make an immediate right into the Tresidder Union parking lot.

Traveling South
​1. Turn right at the light onto Serra Street. 
2. Turn left in front of the gas station onto Campus Drive. 
3. Follow Campus Drive up a slight hill toward the back side of campus. 
4. Turn right onto Mayfield Avenue. Continue on Mayfield by turning left at the first stop sign. 
5. Make an immediate right into the Tresidder Union parking lot.
FROM HIGHWAY 101
Traveling North and South
​1. Take the Embarcadero Road West exit toward Stanford. 
2. At El Camino Real, Embarcadero becomes Galvez Street. Continue on Galvez Street to Campus Drive. 
3. Follow Campus Drive for approximately one mile to the back side of campus. 
4. Turn right onto Mayfield Avenue. Continue on Mayfield by turning left at the first stop sign. 
5. Make an immediate right into the Tresidder Union parking lot.
FROM HIGHWAY 280
Traveling North
1. Take the Page Mill Road East exit toward Stanford. 
2. Continue over the hill and turn left on Junipero Serra Boulevard. 
3. Turn right at the second stoplight onto Campus Drive East. 
4. Turn left onto Mayfield Avenue. Continue on Mayfield by turning left at the first stop sign. 
5. Make an immediate right into the Tresidder Union parking lot.

Traveling South
​1. Take exit 24 towards Sand Hill Road East, keep left at the fork, and then merge into the right lane. 
2. Continue downhill Sand Hill and turn right on Santa Cruz Avenue. 
3. Make an immediate left onto Junipero Serra Boulevard. 
4. Turn left at the second stoplight onto Campus Drive East. 
5. Turn left onto Mayfield Avenue. Continue on Mayfield by turning left at the first stop sign. 
6. Make an immediate right into the Tresidder Union parking lot.