Pop Goes the Culture: The History of Asians in American Pop Culture

In the pre-talkie early years of Hollywood, two of the biggest silent movie stars, Sessue Hayakawa and Anna May Wong were Asian and Asian American. Portrayed as exotic and inscrutable, these stars graced the silver screen with great success. But suddenly and within a short period of time, all the major Hollywood movie studios began hiring white actors with taped-back eyes and makeup. Fast-forward to today, and more Asians and Asian American actors have achieved stardom and success both on TV and the big screen. How, when and why did all those cultural shifts come about? This presentation covers more than a century of how Asians have been portrayed in Hollywood, in commercials, and on stage.

For more questions, email Kerry: [email protected].

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