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.