Abstract

The Chinese have always existed within Western culture as something alien, exotic and incapable of assimilation. Western film advanced the representation of the Chinese as alien through decades of evolving stereotypes. From the evil Fu Manchu, to the fortune cookie crime detective Charlie Chan, films created a stereotype of an emasculated Chinese male. Western cinema spent the last century emasculating the Chinese male on screen, creating a toxic stereotype that was not challenged until the globalization of Kung Fu cinema. The Golden Age of Kung Fu cinema sparked a change in the conditions of Chinese diasporic populations all over the world, representing a confirmation of masculinity for the Chinese population that had been historically devastated by Western cinema and media. These changes shaped an identity for the new generation of male Chinese who relied on these films for both access to Chinese culture in foreign conditions as well as a source of relief from the injustices many in the overseas Chinese communities experienced. This thesis examines the impact these stereotypes had on overseas Chinese males through interviews, as well as outlines a history of the stereotypes they were dealing with. Using the introduction of Bruce Lee into Hollywood, this thesis examines the pivot point in history where Chinese men, through Kung Fu cinema, challenged Western audiences’ perceptions of what was an acceptable mass media portrayal of Chinese masculinity. In addition this thesis looks at the impact this pivot point had on the experiences of Chinese overseas and their conceptualization of their own masculinity as it was received by the majority of the population.

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