Yellow Face Essay

David Henry Hwang’s semi-autobiographical play Yellow Face debates the issue of self-identification and the meaning of race in America that occurs when a Caucasian actor gets casted for an Asian role for a production of Miss Saigon. Hwang’s representation of himself in the play reflects his character’s conflicting feelings about his role in the Asian-American community. Arrogant and proud about the success of his famous work M. Butterfly, Hwang perceives himself to be a role model of the Asian-American community. This leads Hwang to vehemently disagree with the decision to allow Johnathan Pryce to play a Eurasian character in Miss Saigon. However, when the media presses Hwang on the issue, he surprisingly drops it almost immediately. Hwang’s arrogance for the success of his career blinds him, and Hwang does not want to go through the ordeal of fighting the media and stand his ground as an advocate of Asian American culture.

Dahlman, as one of the leads of the play, also an Asian role. Once again, Hwang becomes obsessed with using his plays to help the Asian-American community, requesting that Marcus use the name Marcus Gee instead of his actual name and claim the Marcus has Asian ancestry as a Jew from Siberia. Comedy ensues when Hwang realizes that Marcus is actually white, forcing Hwang to try and cover up his mistake in order to preserve his reputation. From these moments in the play, an argument can be made that Hwang attaches himself to his Asian-American identity when it is convenient and beneficial to him and abandons it when it becomes a hindrance to his success as a playwright. Thus, Hwang struggles to maintain a clear concept of his self-identity when his Asian-American identity and playwright identities conflict one