Arthur Dong (Chinatown)

Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films by Arthur Dong provides a spectacular view of the Chinese American impact on the movies, from some of the earliest films set in America’s renowned Chinatowns to contemporary hits and artists that are remaking the face of Hollywood.

Exploring the ways the American film industry has celebrated Chinese and Chinese American culture, Dong also examines how that industry subtly—and not so subtly—projected stereotypes into its movies. His book Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films explores the power of these images and their lasting impact.

As a counterpoint to Hollywood’s yellowface and whitewashed caricatures, Arthur Dong includes his personal interviews with Chinese and Chinese American artists who have produced, directed, written, and starred in Hollywood films. Ang Lee, Nancy Kwan, Justin Lin, James Hong, Joan Chen, Wayne Wang, David Henry Hwang, and Amy Tan provide insights, while Dong’s impeccable research traces the uphill battle fought by pioneers such as Marion Wong who was the first Asian American to direct and produce a feature in California.