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yellowface

[ yel-oh-feys ]

noun

  1. facial makeup used by a white, non-Asian actor or entertainer when portraying an East Asian:

    In Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, the role of Cio-Cio San was performed in yellowface.



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Word History and Origins

Origin of yellowface1

First recorded in 1850–55; yellow (in the sense “Asian”) + face ( def )

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