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 "Liberation in our Lifetime: Building our Collective Future."
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 term “Asian American” was coined in the late 1960s to define a new “inter-ethnic-pan-Asian American self-defining political group,” marking the beginnings of the Asian American Movement that lasted until the mid-1970s. Although it has been four decades since that era, the histories of our fight for freedom did not begin or end there. Our liberation as Asian Americans is built off of the backs of movements that came before and alongside us: the Civil Rights movement led by Black leaders, queer resistance led by Black and Latinx trans femmes, anti-imperialist actions against Apartheid, the Third World Liberation Front fight for ethnic studies alongside other students of color, and more. It is imperative for us to understand and practice solidarity as the core of our work because Asian American liberation will always be inherently intertwined with the liberation of race, queerness, class, ability, and more. We are not free until all of us are free.
Liberation requires us to dismantle systems of oppression such as capitalism, imperialism, and white supremacy. Capitalism creates a culture of deficit rather than a culture of abundance, manifesting in a system of resource and labor exploitation all over the world. Imperialism forever has a mark on our histories, from the colonization of Indigenous and First Nations land to the forced enslavement of African people. White supremacy is reinforced by antiblackness and the model minority myth, which weaponizes Asian American stories against other marginalized communities. Organizing to fight these systems is undoubtedly intimidating, difficult, and exhausting. Having to face daily news articles about the deportation of community members, white supremacist shootings, and regressive policy proposals rightfully sparks anger. It is a critical feeling that fuels and drives us, but love is what sustains our movements. We fight to build a world where we, our communities, and future generations can not only live freely, but thrive. We fight because we have hope for liberation that can be achieved in our lifetime. The goal of this year’s Listen to the Silence 2020 conference is to inspire the hope and love that sustains the movement toward liberation. We all have a role to play in this work whether it’s donating to a grassroots community organization, organizing volunteers for a direct action, having a difficult conversation with our families, or lobbying for legislation that protects our communities. We hope that Listen to the Silence 2020 will inspire and encourage you to believe in our collective future of liberation in our lifetime. |
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TRAVEL DETAILS
LOCATION
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STANFORD PARKING POLICIES
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DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO TRESSIDER UNION PARKING LOT
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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. |
