Convocation Speaker Gets Personal

Article by Jake Christensen
The Signpost (Weber State University newsletter)
(August 31, 2001)

Despite a low turn out, B.D. Wong gave an insightful speech at Convocations in the Shepherd Union Building Ballroom. He made the atmosphere conversational by sitting on the front of the stage. Wong's remarks centered on his struggle to achieve a healthy personal identity while becoming a successful Asian-American actor.

Students who were in attendance were very familiar with Wong's work and excited to be there.

He has appeared on screen in films such as Father of the Bride, and on Broadway in the award-winning M. Butterfly. He was born in San Francisco's Chinatown.

He mentioned his grandmother as an example.

"Until she died in 1996 at the age of 94, my grandmother never spoke more than a handful of English words."

Wong's own parents moved away from Chinatown. For Wong, this became a symbol of his cultural independence.

At an early age, Wong became aware that the diversity he saw in his own life was not as present in the media. As an Asian-American, this greatly affected his attitude as an aspiring actor.

"Even at a very young age, I was interested in steering as far away from my heritage as possible."

In a nation that purported to be diverse, Wong wasn't seeing that diversity on television. By his own account, there weren't enough Asian faces on the screen.

Wong spoke frankly about the pros and cons of show business, where the desire to make money often overrides issues like art and diversity.

Though he enjoys the medium of television, he said, "Lots of TV is crap. In sifting through programming, minorities have difficulty finding quality representation."

Despite an awareness that his own ethnic background could be an impediment to a successful performing career, Wong persevered. In spite of success in high school acting, one experience left him disillusioned.

At an audition where Wong was trying to be considered for one of several leading roles, he was cast in a bit part as an Asian caricature. The experience was infuriating and embarrassing. Wong says it led him into an attitude of self-hatred.

Wong's performance in M. Butterfly helped his personal and professional outlook. He initially was not interested in the project, but changed his mind after reading the script. For his performance in M. Butterfly, Wong won several awards, including a coveted Tony Award. Yet for Wong, the greatest reward was a healthier attitude toward life and acting.

Meeting with the press after Convocations, Wong mentioned how people make fun of the statement, Why can't we all get along? He posed the question differently.

Wong asked, "Why can't we have our own individuality, and you have your own individuality? And what's really wrong with that?"

Beyond issues of race, Wong sees other problems with media culture, especially the way youths are portrayed.

"It is almost a conspiracy against young people."

Wong covered many different aspects of being in the media. One that he concentrated on was the level of physical attractiveness portrayed, including having to be thin. Wong feels young audiences are often left feeling inadequate.

Wong hopes that his message and career will help break down the racial walls that still exist in society. In addition to speaking engagements, he will be appearing in two shows, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and the HBO Series Oz.

As a new father, Wong is especially grateful to have steady work. As a final goal, Wong hopes that when he is an old man he can say he acted with dignity and helped the causes he fought for.