Asian American Theatre Essay

Within the United States of America, there have been various art forms emerging from marginalized groups that have been at the forefront of art history. Among these have been African American theatre, Latinx theatre, Queer theatre, and Asian American theatre. Each one of these encompasses a large variety of people and several cultures, languages, and religions that comprise the label placed upon them. For example, within Latinx theatre are works influenced by Columbian culture or Afro-Latinx people to name only a couple. Within the diaspora of Asian American theatre, history has primarily focused on the art form as it emerges from East Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. These two communities have been the picture of the term 'Asian American' and many have forgotten about the other cultures that make up the diasporic label of 'Asian American.' As a person

South Asians are encompassed within the label of 'Asian American' yet have only recently been gaining attention as they combine their cultures with American art forms to create things such as South Asian American Theatre. As many theatre forms from groups like these have done before, South Asian American Theatre aims to explain and represent South Asian culture and experiences in an authentic, non-stereotyped way. In the modern day where we learn about these marginalized groups and their art forms with an open mind and an open ear, it is vital to learn about these previously underrepresented and unique styles of theatre in the same way, all of which encompass a variety of identities and cultures within a single term. South Asian American Theatre, while a new and emerging art form in the U.S., deserves to be treated with the same sensitivity, attention, and respect as other forms of theatre arts emerging from marginalized