ABSTRACT

This introduction to Asian American theatre charts ten of the most pivotal moments in the history of the Asian diaspora in the USA and how those moments have been reflected in theatre.

Designed for weekly use on Asian American theatre courses, ten chosen milestones move chronologically from the earliest contact between Japan and the West through the impact of the Vietnam War and the resurgent "yellow peril" hysteria of COVID-19. Each chapter emphasizes common questions of how racial identities and relationships are understood in everyday life as well as represented on the theatrical stage and in popular culture.

Milestones are a range of accessible textbooks, breaking down the need-to-know moments in the social, cultural, political, and artistic development of foundational subject areas.

chapter |26 pages

Introduction

The Historical Milestones of Asian American Theatre

chapter Chapter 2|19 pages

Staging Exclusion

Immigration and Exploitation in Asian American Theatre

chapter Chapter 3|25 pages

Theater of the American Tropics

chapter Chapter 4|22 pages

Dusty Barracks and Empty Stages

Revisiting the Mass Exclusion and Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II

chapter Chapter 5|21 pages

From “Orientals” to Asian Americans

chapter Chapter 6|27 pages

Instruction Pieces

The Emergence of Asian American Performance Art

chapter Chapter 7|20 pages

Southeast Asian American Theatre

Refugee Memories and Enacting Home

chapter Chapter 8|20 pages

Yellowface and Asian American Actors

chapter |12 pages

Conclusion

Beyond These Milestones