John Chinaman and Yellowface

According to Moon, John Chinaman became the “common image of Chinese immigrant men” (32). This image is perpetuated in J.W. Conner’s version with such references to Chinese men’s laundry businesses and queues (called “tails” in this context). Although not overtly negative throughout the lyrics, the tone on the other hand, proves to be so. The play on the expression from the original song, “John Anderson, My Jo” to “John Chinaman, My Jo” is a sarcastic and condescending switch used to underscore feelings towards the Chinese. Obviously, the composer did not intend for the Chinaman to be literally understood as a “jo” or “sweetheart,” as seen in the first stanza where the lyrics tell how blest would one be if only the Chinese stopped “invading.” While the next stanza criticizes the Chinese men’s washing abilities, followed by another on food, the last serves as a warning to the Chinese not to become too complacent or greedy, another characteristic associated with the Chinese. Compared to other lyrics from different versions of this song, found in Yellowface, the lyrics of Conner’s rendition seem less violent and more ominous, as if violence need not be spoken outright but rather be understood as a potential future for any bold Chinaman.
The historical context of appearing in an Irish Song Book can be explained by the economic competition that existed between Irish and Chinese laundry services. Typically women ran Irish laundries and men ran Chinese ones, yet both speak to the difficulty of finding work in a white male dominated workforce. Since jobs were scarce for both of these minority groups, there was a real sense of threat for each side. As Moon notes at the end of Chapter 3, “In a certain sense, songs about conflicts between the Chinese and Irish were just as much a commentary on the role of the Irish in the United States as they were depictions of interethnic struggle” (56). In this instance, the lyrics show the strong-arming of the Chinese by the Irish while simultaneously showcasing the growing power of one minority group over another.
James T. Powers’ performance of “The Geisha. Chin Chin Chinaman” would most certainly be categorized as a yellowface performance by Moon. First examine the title of the piece. The repetition of “Chin” emphasizes the difference in names between Americans and Chinese, particularly that the Chinese names all sound the same or are gibberish-like. The performance, although only heard and not seen, is still a “yellowface” performance because according to Moon, “Yellowface became a way for performers to comment [on the Chinese]…by inscribing stereotypes onto the performer’s body…The most common device for distinguishing between Chinese and American on stage was a combination of pidgin English and gibberish” (40, 42). The vocal performance then, falls into this guideline, since there exists no audible words except for a string of syllabic sounds and noises strung together in what is to be the Chinese language. This lack of proper pronunciation fosters the idea of the Chinaman’s “otherness,” his unassimilated nature, and ultimately his inability to assimilate. Moon states in her book that such yellowface performances were one way to circulate ideas of Chinese difference and inferiority, leading to support of anti-Chinese attitudes (47). Powers’ performance qualifies to do just this by utilizing and exploiting one of the most well known differences that exists between people of different cultures: language. Without communication, it is impossible to convey true intentions, feelings, and beliefs. By not allowing the Chinese to have a voice (or one easily understood) in these songs, it was a way for Americans to exert cultural hegemony over them.