China loves the Oscars. Every year, 22 million Chinese turn on the TV to watch the big night (routinely aired on CCTV6 -- this year the 80th ceremony will be broadcast on February 24). The love is rather one-sided though. If the Academy Awards are any indication of the Hollywood establishment's interest in acknowledging Chinese and Chinese-American artists, well, that interest can best be described as minimal. Indeed, since 1929, Chinese contributions to the US and foreign film industry have resulted in a mere 13 Academy Awards, in all categories.

Meanwhile, the American entertainment media has for decades all but ignored Chinese and Asian minorities, except when portraying them as subservient (sexually or otherwise) or subversive (evil or mysterious) stereotypes. Multi-award winning producer, writer, director Arthur Dong explores this subject in his latest documentary Hollywood Chinese, a blend of film clips and interviews with Chinese film talents (Nancy Kwan, Tsai Chin, Wayne Wang, Ang Lee, etc.). Within this format, the 54-year-old San Francisco-born Chinese-American filmmaker examines the history and perceptions of Chinese who worked in the industry.

What first strikes the viewer is how limited a view Hollywood had of Chinese. In the main, Chinese actors were confined to play China dolls, villains, action heroes, zen masters, dragon ladies or gangsters. And at times, they weren't even allowed that much. Many Hollywood productions featured white actors in 'yellow-face', further disseminating die-hard racial stereotypes. The list of 'yellow-faces' is surprisingly long, including John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Marlon Brando. The Charlie Chan and Fu Manchu franchises are notorious reminders of this trend.

Despite the stereotypes, Chinese and Chinese-American actors and technicians have had a tremendous influence in Hollywood, a fact which soon becomes apparent in Dong's documentary, which won the 2007 Best Documentary Golden Horse Award. Scheduled for US theatrical release in the spring of 2008, Hollywood Chinese makes clear that the Chinese influence has resulted in a number of memorable performances and landmark films, despite its unfortunate history of race and representation. For that reason, this film should be as eagerly celebrated in Hollywood as US productions and the Oscar ceremony are in China.

that's: How have Chinese stereotypes evolved in American film?
Arthur Dong (AD): Representations of the Chinese in American films have existed since the beginning of cinema in the late 1800s. From the start, coming from halfway around the world, the Chinese were considered foreign and "other"; their customs, language, and dress were considered exotic and a novel curiosity, not only in films, but also other forms of pop culture. Throughout the 20th-century, and up to present day, this fantasized cinematic treatment persisted. Coupled with political and historical developments, ranging from the Boxer Rebellion, World War II and the formation of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese were regarded as either an ally or a threat, and in many cases, unscrupulously mysterious.

For me, the image that most represents the slow-changing attitudes in Hollywood is the depiction of the Tongs [a Chinese-American secret society]. That image has morphed itself into the hatchet man, opium dens, white slavery, gambling lairs, gangsters, and today, it’s the threat of the Triads. No matter what the label, this characterization continues to find its way into American productions [Rush Hour 3's storyline being a fine example].

that's: What effect has globalization and better access to information had on the perception of Chinese and American-Chinese actors in today's America?
AD: By and large, Chinese film artists are treated in America as foreigners, a perception that reflects a long history of discrimination against the Chinese since the 1800s. The big names in Hollywood are the "Jackie Chan's" and the "Jet Li's", the kind of actors who formed their reputations first in Asia, and whose overseas on-screen personas as martial arts experts remain pretty much unchanged in American films. While they have found a level of popularity in Hollywood, the question remains whether their films expand creative boundaries and give audiences new insights into the Chinese or Chinese American experience, or are their films just doling out more typecast pulp.
The situation for Chinese American actors is slightly different. They're still called upon to play secondary roles and caricatures like bus boys or grocers, but at the opposite end, they are now also cast in the "new and improved" professional model minority stereotypes such as engineers, doctors, and, especially for women, news reporters a la Connie Chung [anchor for NBC, CBS and ABC]. Very seldom are they main characters in Hollywood films.

that's: Many directors from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong have worked in Hollywood (Tsui Hark, Chen Kaige, John Woo), with varying degrees of success. In your opinion, which director has best integrated with the Hollywood system?
AD: In art cinema circles, the directors most respected are filmmakers from China who make films about their homeland, versus Chinese-Americans who produce films set in America. Perhaps John Woo might be the exception with films like Mission: Impossible 2. Of course, Ang Lee's ground-breaking resume of films can't be ignored, but I think he said it best when I asked him about his directing Oscar for Brokeback Mountain: "I made Brokeback Mountain, [but] they will still call me a Chinese filmmaker. But I made a very pure American film. [Still, be they in the US] or in China, people will say, 'The movie is so good because he's Chinese. He looks at things differently.'"

that's: In 2001, Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won four Academy Awards and was a USD 130-million blowout at the US box office. Has its success changed anything?
AD: The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon phenomenon was a major coup. The upside was it showed the world that a Chinese-language production can succeed in both critical acclaim and in box office. But because there is so little product that reflects the wide range of Chinese and Chinese American experiences, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has stood in as the image that most Americans know. Starting with Bruce Lee and now with this film, the kung-fu figure has become a stereotype. Movie executives have a predilection for playing safe and we're seeing copycat productions based on the Crouching Tiger success – not only from Hollywood but also from China. While this strategy provides plentiful employment for artists, it further narrows the definition of who we are as diverse individuals.

that's: Conversely, Flower Drum Song was a groundbreaking re-imagination of Chinese in Hollywood.
AD: For many Asian Americans, this production was the first time they saw themselves on screen as contemporary Americans. Flower Drum Song was a 1961 Universal Studios film that introduced a radically different vision of Asian Americans to Americans. Based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Flower Drum Song was produced just 15 years after Cold War; the paranoia persisted and Chinese Americans were still perceived as subversives and communists, [though] discriminatory immigration laws against the Chinese had just been lifted. For most non-Asians, this would be the first time they'd see beyond touristy facades of Chinatowns and experience Chinese Americans as three-dimensional people.

Flower Drum Song was a breakthrough for Hollywood as well. It starred Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, and Miyoshi Umeki, three of the industry's most popular Asian stars of that era whose prominence has yet to be equaled. This was the first major studio release to feature all Asian characters played by real Asian actors. Prior to Flower Drum Song, lead Asian characters were mostly portrayed by white actors in yellow-face (The Good Earth, Charlie Chan, Fu Manchu, etc.). And when Asian actors were allowed to perform, they'd be cast in secondary roles that were usually stereotypical and demeaning. In this respect, Flower Drum Song was a landmark film that would set a higher bar for future Hollywood productions -- a bar, unfortunately, that wouldn't be met frequently.

that's: How do you see the future representation of Chinese in Hollywood films?
AD: We now see Chinese in many levels of employment, including studio executives, but I'm not sure how much we can count on them to stick their necks out in order to create fairer screen representations. We need to always remember that Hollywood is commerce; it's not an industry that has altruistic goals at the forefront. Regardless of their race or ethnic background, decision-makers must consider their profit margins. Given that, I want to believe that there are executives who harbor idealistic goals and that besides financial gain they may have desires to produce intelligent and honest films that don't rely on insulting portrayals.


BOX Chinese who have made a difference in Hollywood

Anna May Wong: actress, born in Los Angeles (1905-1961)
 First notable Chinese American Hollywood actress (The Thief of Baghdad, 1924). Wong repeatedly played stereotypical Oriental roles in the 1920s and 1930s. She moved twice to Europe at the height of her fame in protest of such roles and finally retired in 1942.

Bruce Lee: actor, born in San Francisco (1940-1973)
 One of the most influential martial artists of the twentieth century. Lee sparked the first major surge of interest of Chinese martial arts in the West with Enter the Dragon (1973). Lee, who exhibited Chinese national pride in his movies, has become an iconic Chinese figure.

James Wong Howe: cinematographer, born in Canton (1899-1976)
 Considered one of history's ten most influential cinematographers by the International Cinematographers Guild. Nominated for ten best cinematography Academy Awards, Howe won twice.

Nancy Kwan: actress, born in Hong Kong (1939-?)
 Played a pivotal role in the acceptance of actors of Asian descent in significant Hollywood film roles. In the 1960s, Kwan was considered a major sex symbol (The World of Suzie Wong, 1960; and Flower Drum Song, 1961), and appeared on mainstream magazine covers (Life, Esquire).

Wayne Wang: director, born in Hong Kong (1949-?)
 Named after John Wayne. Wang is best known for The Joy Luck Club (1993), a successful adaptation of Amy Tan's novel about a family of Chinese women living in contemporary San Francisco. This film proved mainstream audiences would pay to see Asian lead characters.

Ang Lee: director, born in Taiwan (1954-?)
 Has deftly cut across cultural and national boundaries with a string of films in English and Chinese language (Hulk; Lust, Caution). Holds the record for the most Academy Awards nominations and wins (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon won 4 Oscars; Brokeback Mountain won 3) of any Chinese director.

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
February 2008 issue