Early AAPI Performance and the Construction of “Asian-ness”

From Exhibition to Expression: AAPI Performing Arts History is a three-part series exploring the rich and complex history of AAPI performance in America. From the early exhibition of Asian bodies to the fight for authentic representation on stage and screen, this series traces the evolution of AAPI artists in entertainment. Through discussions on yellowface, Hollywood’s early depictions, Broadway’s barriers, and the rise of Asian American theater, we’ll examine the struggles and triumphs that have defined AAPI performing arts.

In the first lecture, Professor Suzi Takahashi will delve into the history of early AAPI immigration to the United States and explore the earliest forms of AAPI performance in America, examining how Asian bodies and cultures were exhibited for public spectacle. Other topics to be covered include the Chinese Exclusion Act, the construction of “Asian-ness” in American melodrama, and the creation of Madame Butterfly—a work that continues to influence perceptions of Asian identity on stage and screen today.