Forbidden City – Chop Suey Circuit
Asian Americans stepped into the entertainment industry as early as the 1930-50s through the success of the Chop Suey Circuit. From Seattle to Memphis, this network of nightclubs flourished across the nation as Asian Americans captured the attention of the Caucasian audiences. After World War II, Americans spent money to be entertained by these cabaret acts, which were seen as a new, exotic novelty.
These cabaret acts were arguably very Americanized with a few “Oriental” touches. The entertainers sung, dance, and behaved according to what “Asiatic” was expected to be while performing “‘Americanness”. The strive towards cultural assimilation for the second generation Asian Americans was evident, from fake accents to Chinese-sounding names they adopted. As quoted in Arthur Dong’s film Forbidden City, U.S.A., “Too many Wong’s – be a Wing!” In fact, the choreographers and costume designers were American, further demonstrating the concept that race was performed. In addition to the pictures of the time, look at Flower Drum Song for more illustrations of the Chop Suey Circuit and Forbidden City.
As suggested by the title, Dong’s film explores the Forbidden City, the first nightclub to open beyond Chinatown in San Francisco in December 1938. Charlie Low established and popularized this universally known “place to be” with his cabaret shows. In addition to taking the role as emcee every night, he commercialized his performers by labelling his performers like Larry Ching as the “Chinese Frank Sinatra” and Toy Yat Mar the “Chinese Sophie Tucker”. Larry admitted that he did not like how everyone had to be Chinese this and that. However, many credit Charlie Low for showing that Asians do not only do dishes or laundry but that they are dancers, singers, and they were good at it.
While the racialization of people is clearly portrayed by the appearance and mannerisms of the Asian American performers, the racialization of place also took place. The Chop Suey Circuit contributed to the perception that Chinatown was an exotic landscape, a journey to the Orient. To keep up with this image, neighborhoods were also made to look more “Chinese”.
This new age of performance ceased at Forbidden City when Japanese performers were forced by the government to leave California under the penalty of internment camps. By the 50s, business went down with the desire to raise families and invention of the television, which increased incentive for people to stay at home. As a result, Forbidden City was sold in 1962, marking an end of an era.
Sources Used:
- Hix, Lisa. “Dreams of the Forbidden City: When Chinatown Nightclubs Beckoned Hollywood.” Collectors Weekly, www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/when-chinatown-nightclubs-beckoned-hollywood/.
- Dong, Arthur, director. Forbidden City, U.S.A. Deep Focus Productions, www.deepfocusproductions.com/films/forbidden-city-usa/.
- Kwan, Sansan. “Performing a Geography of Asian America: The Chop Suey Circuit.” TDR/The Drama Review, vol. 55, no. 1, 2011, pp. 120–136., doi:10.1162/dram_a_00052.
- Gold, Kimberlye. “They Called Me Frank.” SF Weekly, SF Weekly, 16 July 2003, archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/they-called-me-frank/Content?oid=2148714.
- NPR Staff. “This Weekend, Visit San Francisco’s Famed Forbidden City In ‘China Dolls’.” NPR, NPR, 11 Jan. 2015, www.npr.org/2015/01/11/375933342/this-weekend-visit-san-franciscos-famed-forbidden-city-in-china-dolls.