AsianWeek: The 25 Most Infamous Yellow Face Film Performances (Part 1 & 2)

By John | Wednesday, December 12, 2007 | View Comments

The San Francisco-based AsianWeek recently did a two-part story on “The 25 Most Infamous Yellow Face Film Performances (part 1, part 2)” You ask, what is “yellow face”?:

”It may be hard to believe, but there was once a time when Hollywood would routinely turn to non-Asian actors to portray Asian characters in films. Often, these “yellow face” performances both reinforced and embodied all the negative stereotypes — funny accent, slanted eyes, buck teeth, and enough “Orientalism” to send the yellow fever meter through the roof.”

I was glad to see that #2 on the list was Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Now I really liked this film (despite Mickey Rooney), but the first time I saw this movie, I *could not believe* the portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi by Rooney – I was disgusted. I found that Mr. Yunioshi’s character not be comic relief, but the very racist portrayal having nothing to do with the overall plot of the movie. (Note: I was also shocked to see George Peppard as the lead actor – I just remember him from the TV series, The A-Team !) If you’ve ever seen the movie, what are your thoughts on this? Am I over-reacting?

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http://nemogbr.livejournal.com/ nemogbr

You’re not over-reacting.

Then again, I have seen similar portrayals, of such characters, by South East Asian/Oriental actors; as comedy pieces.

Would help matters more if there were stronger characterisations rather than just the stereotypes.
Obi

You’re not over-reacting.

Then again, I have seen similar portrayals, of such characters, by South East Asian/Oriental actors; as comedy pieces.

Would help matters more if there were stronger characterisations rather than just the stereotypes.
Phil C.

Thanks, John, for writing about my piece and including the link to the articles. Keep up the good work. I feel the same way about this movie, an otherwise great film ruined by one thing.
Phil C.

Thanks, John, for writing about my piece and including the link to the articles. Keep up the good work. I feel the same way about this movie, an otherwise great film ruined by one thing.
http://www.littleyellowdifferent.com Ernie

Somehow I thought Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles would be #1 until I realized that Gedde Watanabe was the actor. Can an Asian person still make the list? Because I would really, really like it to be.
http://www.littleyellowdifferent.com Ernie

Somehow I thought Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles would be #1 until I realized that Gedde Watanabe was the actor. Can an Asian person still make the list? Because I would really, really like it to be.
Simon Bao

I’m hesitant about the inclusion of Linda Hunt on that list, for her performance in The Year of Living Dangerously. I mean, on reflection, it is more odd that the non-Asian Linda Hunt was cast as a Eurasian (Australian/Chinese)? Or, that the female actor Linda Hunt was cast as the male photographer Billy Kwan?

In any case, her selection for that role doesn’t seem even remotely infamous to me. Her performance was exceptional, dignified, humane in every respect. Would it have been realistic to put Linda Hunt aside and hold out hopes that a Eurasian male dwarf was going to audition for the role and be good enough to win the Oscar that year?

Did I miss something, or did the list not include all the Caucasian actors cast as Ming the Merciless. Emperor Ming, The Mother of All Asian Supervillains. Ruler of all Mongo, a Stereotypes on Steroids.
Simon Bao

I’m hesitant about the inclusion of Linda Hunt on that list, for her performance in The Year of Living Dangerously. I mean, on reflection, it is more odd that the non-Asian Linda Hunt was cast as a Eurasian (Australian/Chinese)? Or, that the female actor Linda Hunt was cast as the male photographer Billy Kwan?

In any case, her selection for that role doesn’t seem even remotely infamous to me. Her performance was exceptional, dignified, humane in every respect. Would it have been realistic to put Linda Hunt aside and hold out hopes that a Eurasian male dwarf was going to audition for the role and be good enough to win the Oscar that year?

Did I miss something, or did the list not include all the Caucasian actors cast as Ming the Merciless. Emperor Ming, The Mother of All Asian Supervillains. Ruler of all Mongo, a Stereotypes on Steroids.
http://www.8asians.com John

Phil C. – oh, wow – cool that the author of the article reads 8asians.com and contacts me – that’s a first for me. Thanks for your kind words and interesting article.
http://www.8asians.com John

Phil C. – oh, wow – cool that the author of the article reads 8asians.com and contacts me – that’s a first for me. Thanks for your kind words and interesting article.
Phil C.

John — you and all the other bloggers here are doing a great job. Keep it up.
Phil C.

John — you and all the other bloggers here are doing a great job. Keep it up.
http://www.8asians.com/2007/12/14/speaking-of-yellow-face/ 8Asians.com » Speaking of “Yellow Face”

[...] recent review of infamous Yellow Face performance (which John blogged about earlier this week) seems particularly timely given that David Henry Hwang’s first new play in [...]
Gerald

Well, I don’t see why anybody would be shocked. Hollywood still believes that all Asians can be lumped together into one big “o-ree-yental” group and cast as each other. I mean, it’s only very, very recently (like Last Samurai recently) that I’ve seen movies with major Japanese parts that weren’t played by a Chinese actor. It’s a slow process. The fact that Rooney’s performance is so out of place points to the possibility that he was stuck in there at the behest of some backwoods special interest group at the last minute. Disgusting. Yes. But probably progressive for the time in that at least Yoniushi wasn’t a drug dealer or white slaver on the side, like the “Asian” character in Thoroughly Modern Minnie.
Gerald

Well, I don’t see why anybody would be shocked. Hollywood still believes that all Asians can be lumped together into one big “o-ree-yental” group and cast as each other. I mean, it’s only very, very recently (like Last Samurai recently) that I’ve seen movies with major Japanese parts that weren’t played by a Chinese actor. It’s a slow process. The fact that Rooney’s performance is so out of place points to the possibility that he was stuck in there at the behest of some backwoods special interest group at the last minute. Disgusting. Yes. But probably progressive for the time in that at least Yoniushi wasn’t a drug dealer or white slaver on the side, like the “Asian” character in Thoroughly Modern Minnie.
http://www.8asians.com/2008/03/24/npr-long-duk-dong-last-of-the-hollywood-stereotypes/ 8Asians.com » NPR: Long Duk Dong: Last of the Hollywood Stereotypes?: An Asian American/Asian Canadian Blog

[...] I’ve blogged about “yellow face” performances perpetuating bad stereotypes of Asians/Asian-Americans before in movies before, but this was the first ever piece on the radio I’d ever heard regarding Asian-American male actors and bad stereotypes. I also blogged recently about how that a Hollywood pioneer actor was an Asian, before Hollywood took a big step backwards in stereotyping Asians and Asian-Americans. [...]
http://www.8asians.com/2008/04/01/the-mit-tech-movie-21-discriminatory-casting-unjustified/ 8Asians.com » The [MIT] Tech: Movie ‘21′ Discriminatory Casting Unjustified: An Asian American/Asian Canadian Blog

[...] it’s not like I haven’t written about Hollywood’s racist past, especially with white/Caucasians actors “yellow face” acting, as well as my recent blog posting on Long Duk Dong: Last of the Hollywood stereotypes?. [...]
Nelson

You are not overreacting – Mickey Rooney’s act was one of the most egregious examples I have ever seen. I also add Ricardo Montalban in Sayonara and Rex Harrison as the King of Siam. Ricardo Montalban was not trying to be overtly insulting but the whole attempt looked foolish.
Nelson

You are not overreacting – Mickey Rooney’s act was one of the most egregious examples I have ever seen. I also add Ricardo Montalban in Sayonara and Rex Harrison as the King of Siam. Ricardo Montalban was not trying to be overtly insulting but the whole attempt looked foolish.

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