yel·low·face
/ˈyelōˌfās/
noun
- used to refer to the practice of wearing makeup to imitate the appearance of an East Asian person, typically as part of a performance. This practice is generally regarded as offensive.”that particular Chinese detective was invariably played by a white actor in yellowface“
Above: Examples of yellowface in films, TV, and stage productions.
The yellowface depicted in FORK MOUNTAIN speaks to a larger history of yellowface in western media.
How it began
The following excerpt from Teen Vogue’s excellent article “Yellowface, Whitewashing, and the History of White People Playing Asian Characters” by Jenn Fang, explains the origins of yellowface:
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/yellowface-whitewashing-history
(As an aside, I found an interesting parallel between The Orphan of China and Yee Bow’s part in Spoon River Anthology. Not only were both regularly performed in yellowface by depicting Chinese characters in problematic ways, but both featured a form of “orphan face” by utilizing the the Orphan Trope. Unfortunately, adoptees still have a long way to go when it comes to representation!)
First performed on April 21, 1759, The Orphan of China was highly popular play that featured an entire cast of white actors dressed in oriental costume. It has continued to be performed with white actors portraying Asian characters well into the 2000’s… over 250 years later!
It’s interesting to note the parallels between one of the earliest examples of yellowface, and one of the most recent examples. Below is a clip of Yee Bow performed in yellowface 8 years ago, just like The Orphan of China, 264 years ago.
Above: Yee Bow performed in yellowface, Spoon River Anthology, 2015. https://youtu.be/OGXqBLnuQTY?feature=shared&t=3145