Yellowface

Yellowface pulls back the curtain on racist practices that endure in the publishing industry for an audience that may not be familiar with its complicated processes. One such example is the publishing industry’s treatment of otherness as a commodity. Narratives crafted to center marginalized voices are seen as in-demand products for presses. Many publishing houses see these narratives as popular and relevant, meaning that they will be profitable and a way for them to present themselves as diverse and caring organizations. While there are benefits to publishing stories by people from marginalized backgrounds, many publishers refuse to engage with these themes beyond their profitability, resulting in the perpetuation of racist practices in stereotypes. Yellowface demonstrates this attitude not only in the ways Daniella and June Hayward alter The Last Front to make it more accessible for their white audiences but also in the ways Greenhouse Productions want to present the narrative to white audiences on the screen.

Athena Liu wrote The Last Front to tell a story largely forgotten by history. In this narrative, she centered the Chinese Labour Corps and their personal histories and culture as well as the racism they met. Her goal was to responsibly and respectfully share this piece of missing history. When Daniella and June edit The Last Front, however, they cut much of what Athena accomplished by cutting out the personal focus on the Chinese characters in favor of the white characters. Discussing their editing process, June relates that, “We change almost a dozen names to reduce confusion” and “We cut out thousands of words of unnecessary backstory” because, “Reading should be an enjoyable experience, not a chore” (42-43). Daniella and June see the readers’ need to track Chinese names, look up Chinese phrases, and learn about the characters’ past experiences as labor that will make the novel less marketable. They treat otherness as a commodity in these instances, transforming Athena’s narrative into a version that they believe white audiences will respond better to and therefore buy more. Chinese culture, in their view, is only valuable when it is fun, not when it requires attention or evokes bad feelings.

The other aspect of their editing process that neglects Athena’s hard work is their proclivity to expand the roles and dull the racism of the novel’s white characters. June criticizes Athena for her racism toward the white characters and sees it as a flaw in the novel’s message: “Athena’s original text is almost embarrassingly biased; the French and British soldiers are cartoonishly racist” (43). Despite Athena’s writing being historically accurate and backed up by extensive research, June and Daniella believe that it will turn readers away. As a result, they, “switch one of the white bullies to a Chinese character, and one of the more vocal Chinese laborers to a sympathetic white farmer” (43). The two distort history to make a more marketable product and, in the process, silence Athena’s voice. Eden Press has every intention of marketing The Last Front as a book that amplifies marginalized narratives, but only if they can first change the narrative to assuage white guilt. The focus on a white audience is also clear when June rejects Candice’s suggestion of a sensitivity reader; she doesn’t care whether a non-white reader finds the work offensive or inaccurate.

These sentiments are later reinforced when June meets with Justin and Harvey from Greenhouse Productions to discuss a possible movie adaptation of The Last Front. It is clear from the start of the meeting that the film will not present the same story as the book. Harvey and Justin discuss cutting out much of the Chinese dialogue and hiring actors without heavy accents. Another focus of theirs is securing a big star for the film, not necessarily for one of the laborers but for one of the white military men. Just as with Daniella, June goes along with their pitch, ironically using social justice language to justify erasing Chinese culture in the project: “We’re talking about a blockbuster made with an American audience in mind. Accessibility matters” (130). In both instances, June works with others to create a version of The Last Front that they believe will make the most money. They commodify otherness by taking a narrative that centers marginalized voices and silencing them to make it more palatable to white audiences. They shift the focus to the white characters, hoping that white readers and viewers will identify with them. Eden Press, Greenhouse Productions, and June Hayward treat otherness as a commodity, something that they can manipulate to assuage their own guilt while simultaneously bringing in the largest profit they can.