Chapter 5 notes of Helen Zia's Asian American Dreams book. One of the designated chapter books for UCI's Asian American Communities course (AsianAm52).
Chapter 5: “Gangster, Gooks, Geishas, and Geeks”
● Asian characters depicted in Hollywood movies influence what many Americans believe
to be real.
○ Leads children and even some adults to view Asian people in one exaggerated
image.
● Asianam actors and their union Actors’ Equity led a protest against Broadway Musical
Ms Saigon in 1991. Argued that actual Asian actors should “have a chance to play Asian
characters (112).”
● Miss Saigon’s story itself was “familiar and disturbing;” white man is attracted to an Asian
woman, and ends up using her unrequited love to satisfy himself. Yet demonstrators
focused on the yellowface of a Vietnamese character, given to a Welsh-born actor.
● Non-Asian actors’ portrayals were “readily accepted” by American audiences b/c many
never had contact w/ an Asianam. Real Asianam actors were confined to minor roles.
● Unfortunately, many of these white actors were acclaimed for their “interpretations of
Orientals.” Their portrayals however, only served to either degrade or villainize the Asian
character.
● The “dragon-lady” archetype of an evil seductress transformed into “the subservient,
self-sacrificial, eminently pliable geisha of Madama Butterfly.” (115)
● Wasn’t uncommon for Asianam actors to want to be any other race than Asian. Asian
characters were created by white playwrights or authors who could only source Asian
likeness from “the Yellow Peril days.” (116)
● Improper depiction of us only serves to discourage American audiences; why many can’t
or don’t care to identify distinct Asian countries, groups, or cultures.
● When the model minority myth fabricated in the 60s, less menacing, more “‘acceptable’
Asian characters appeared.” (117) A one-dimension role was born: emotionless,
emasculated Asianam men: Gook → Geek.
● Asianam actors fear that producers will only allow them playing roles as the “...sinister
and evil or passive and emasculated.”
● When production of Miss Saigon came to NY and the same Welsh-born actor Jonathan
Pryce would be given the Engineer role, Asianam were stunned. Saddened that British
producer Mackintosh believed no one could play a better Asian man than a white actor-
as opposed to actual Asian actors. →
● Groups of actors from LA to NY formed the Asian Pacific Alliance for Creative Equality
(APACE). Many Asian-specific groups arose catering to their experience in “literature,
theater, and politics” in the 1970s.
● Asian actors were condemned to the model minority stereotype, leading producers like
Mackintosh rejecting any Asians who sought to play the role of the Vietnamese pimp.
● Actor’s Equity position, which rejected Miss Saigon’s production, led to Mackintosh
canceling the play. Those against the initial Equity’s stance used reverse discrimination
to accuse them and Asianam actors. Believed that by refusing a white male an Asian
role was in itself creating racial differences amongst the acting community.
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