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6/13/2025, 11:19:08 PM
>I was having coffee with violinist Minori Deguchi after a long time, when a Parisian woman who sat next to us suddenly gestured at Deguchi-san to stop talking, as if to say, "Shut up." It wasn’t in French, but with a gesture as if to zip her mouth. In a split second, we both replied in French with "Mais Madame...", but she didn’t even glance us. She completely ignored us and was smiling as she ordered from the waiter. When working in glamorous places like music academies and concert halls, where I feel welcomed, I tend to forget the fact that I’m a minority. But moments like this serve as a painful reminder that there are still lines that cannot be crossed. I’ve lived as a non-white person in a white society for 19 years, and over time, the small traumas have accumulated. But it’s the first time I’ve witnessed such an overtly discriminatory attitude, and it’s left me feeling down. The reason? For some people, our "very existence" is an inconvenience. But because of this, I realize all the more how precious it is to have colleagues who believe in us as non-Western musicians and invite us to collaborate. I must cherish such people. Since I felt I can't enjoy the coffee anymore, I decided to buy only the beans and took them home.
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