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yellowface

American

[yel-oh-feys] / ˈjɛl oʊˌfeɪs /

noun

facial makeup used by a white, non-Asian actor or entertainer when portraying an East Asian.

In Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, the role of Cio-Cio San was performed in yellowface.

First recorded in 1850–55; yellow (in the sense “Asian”) + face ( def. )

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yellowface

And it was very common at the time for white actors to appear in yellowface.

From Fox News ● Jun. 7, 2020

The role Wong auditioned for was ultimately given to Luise Rainer, a German-British actress who wore yellowface.

From Fox News ● Jun. 7, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023