The Inception of Asian American Theater and Asian American War Plays

Abstract

Asian American theater had a political goal at its beginning. It intended to overcome racial discrimination in theater by providing non-stereotypical roles for Asian American theater artists, and such a purpose was realized with the establishment of Asian American theater companies that encouraged Asian Americans to write plays about Asian American issues. The political features gradually waned over time, but Asian American playwrights’ approach to three Asian wars in the 20th century, which the U.S. was deeply involved in, has still been political; they dealt with issues of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, ideological conflicts and atrocities in the Korean War, and Orientalism and controversies over Vietnam Veterans Memorial during and after the Vietnam War. The plays shed light on often-overlooked history of racial oppression during the wars that should be remembered and criticize the ways in which Asian or Asian American stereotypes can institutionalize racial discrimination against Asian Americans.