Portrayal of East Asians in American film and theater
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Portrayals of East Asians in American film and theatre has been a subject of controversy. These portrayals have frequently reflected an ethnocentric perception of Asians rather than realistic and authentic depictions of Asian cultures, colors, customs, and behaviors.
Yellowface, a form of theatrical makeup used by white performers to represent an East Asian person (similar to the practice of blackface used to represent black performers), continues to be used in film and theater. In the 21st century alone, Grindhouse (in a trailer parody of the Fu Manchu serials), Balls of Fury, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Crank: High Voltage, and Cloud Atlas all feature yellowface or non-Asian actors as Asian caricatures.
See also
- Blackface and Blackface in contemporary art
- Covert racism
- Examples of yellowface
- Reel Bad Arabs
- Reel Injun
- Stereotypes of Arabs
- Stereotypes of East Asians in the United States
- Whiteface (performance)
- Whitewashing in film