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The Evolution of Chinese and Asian Faces in Hollywood

Elizabeth Lee

   LOS ANGELES - One of the first stops for a tourist in Los Angeles is
   the TCL Chinese Theatre next to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

   Originally called Grauman's Chinese Theatre, it opened in 1927 and is a
   remnant of Hollywood's fascination with the Orient in the early days of
   the U.S. film industry.

   "When film was first invented -- and we're talking about the late
   1800s, early 1900s -- it expanded the visual minds of its audiences,"
   said Chinese American filmmaker and author Arthur Dong. He added,
   "Audiences were given this exotic glimpse of a land unknown to them,
   and I think that it started there."

   Dong curated old photos of Chinese American actors for the newly
   restored Formosa Café, an iconic Hollywood nightclub and bar that
   opened in 1939. With red leather booth chairs and tables surrounded by
   old photos on the walls, the back room of the Formosa Café looks like
   a museum commemorating the work of Chinese Americans and their role in
   Hollywood.

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