Asian American Theatre Artists of Boston and Pao Arts Center collaborated to present a new, virtual theater piece called “#SinceYallWantMeToBeWhite,” which was read aloud on October 23. The production, written by Quentin Nguyen-duy and Serenity S’rae, examined how Black and Asian Americans experience racism in the United States.
Told through the popular mediums Zoom and Tik Tok, the character-driven play followed a conversation between two individuals: Korena, a Black high school student, played by S’rae, and Ms. Lu, an Asian American immigrant and teacher at Meddleton High School, played by Vivian Liu-Somers. The play starts with Korena being called in to speak with Ms. Lu for a racial sensitivity meeting after posting a Tik Tok video of herself that challenges the status quo at her predominantly white school. When the two meet to discuss Korena’s actions, differences in their perspectives arise as they address what it means to be people of color in America.
“It was very ambitious for a thirty-minute play, but the theme of intersectionality is very important right now, all the things that make you a person,” said S’rae. “For Ms. Lu, that was being an immigrant, being Vietnamese, and being of an older generation. For Korena, that was being Black, younger, and being born in America.” S’rae explained that the play was unique in examining this intersectionality through its approach to modernizing “the themes of what’s going on right now in the world” and making it “accessible and relatable for everyone, no matter their race.” She added, “The conversation around Black and Asian communities isn’t often had. The characters say some very bold, interesting ideas,” pointing to examples of how Korena says, ‘people can’t be racist.’ Ms. Lu says, ‘young people always feel the need to speak up when they should keep their heads down.’ “It gives perspectives of different generations, classes, races, privileges,” said S’rae.
Throughout the meeting between student and teacher, Korena emphasizes the importance of speaking her mind and responding to racism in the community. “#SinceYallWantMeToBeWhite” is the title of the video that she makes, as she explains that she can only find acceptance by conforming to a certain standard and achieving success. She states she would be labeled as “problematic” if she behaves as her “unapologetic Black self.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Lu urges her to “keep your head down” and wait her turn, saying this is “how the world operates.” S’rae and Nguyen-duy both said it was their intention not to have the audience pick a side but to present both points of view, revealing a great deal of gray area in the characters’ perspectives.
S’rae said she drew inspiration from the idea of sensitivity trainings, during which people are often asked “outrageous and very specific questions.” She wanted the audience to leave the play with the understanding that conversation is always encouraged, even when others disagree. Nguyen-duy said his inspiration for the play, too, very much responded to the current times, as he wanted to address how the coronavirus has led to the spread of racism.
“My big emotional entry point to the play was how at odds I felt during this whole pandemic when there’s obviously a huge overturning movement about addressing systemic racism in America,” said Nguyen-duy. “At the beginning of the lockdown, there was some xenophobia against Asian and mostly Chinese American populations. My friends who are also Asian American jumped to the impulse of, ‘we are discriminated against,’ and to also address, as people of color, the struggle of Black people in America, under the same oppression. I don’t think the oppressions that two races face are at all comparable. I think they’re incredibly different, and I wanted to pick at those differences, hold a microscope up to them, and piece them apart for people.”
To read this article in Chinese (Traditional), please click here.
