Chinito, Chinito: Chronicling Chinese Diaspora To Mexico Through Caricature and Yellowface

Abstract

This thesis examines the use of “chinito” and references to Chinese people in Mexican musical works, with an emphasis on historical film and payaso (clown) culture beyond the 1940s. Through analyzing the visual and audio cues used by the artists to present the image of a chinito, this work seeks to trace the patterns of casual racism in Mexican portrayals of Chinese people and culture, identifying them as the legacy of Chinese caricatures used by the anti-chino movement of 1870-1940. The work begins with a linguistic analysis of the term “chinito/a” and the root from which it is derived, “chino/a,” in order to clarify the specific definition and context in which the terms will be used and observed. Additionally, the concept of “yellowface” is introduced and redefined as a means to highlight the parameters with which the subsequent chapters will work with, contextualizing the analyses that follow. Next, historical context is provided, beginning with the narrative of the various waves of Chinese immigration to Mexico, transitioning into the rise of anti-chino movements in correlation with the rise of nationalism, and ending with a summary of the aftermath. Following this, the work examines in greater detail how US propaganda influenced anti-chino visual propaganda, focusing on similarities in style and identifying patterns of connotations in their portrayal of the Chinese and showcasing the various policies and attitudes that spearheaded them. These patterns are then compared to those in musical numbers in films about chinitos in an effort to demonstrate the continuation of anti-chino sentiments and perceptions beyond the time period defined by scholars. The investigation of how anti-chino movements shaped a legacy of visual and audio yellowface continues through delving into payaso, or clown, culture with the purpose of showing the dangers of normalizing casual racism among the youth through nursery rhymes. Finally, due to a lack of cultural authority on the matter given my Chinese-American identity, interviews were conducted with members of the Spanish-speaking community with the intention of observing if the people of Hispanic and Latinx heritage would have the same condemning reaction in response to viewing the works as well as poll their understanding of the concept of yellowface. Overall, this work seeks to contribute to the limited existing discussion of Chinese portrayal in Mexican media and advocate for better-informed ways of incorporating Chinese-Mexicans into materials consumed by the public eye.