Rebecca Kuang's 'Yellowface' Satirizes Diversity Exploitation in Publishing

Rebecca Kuang's novel 'Yellowface' follows mediocre white author June Hayward, who steals a manuscript about Chinese World War I laborers from her deceased Asian American friend Athena Ling En Liu. Hayward rebrands herself as Juniper Song to appear racially ambiguous, whitewashes the text with her editor, and publishes it as 'The Last Front.' The book becomes a New York Times bestseller, earning Hayward speaking engagements and mentorship roles in Asian American programs. An anonymous Twitter account @AthenaLiusGhost exposes her plagiarism, triggering her psychological unraveling. Kuang's satire critiques how marginalized histories get repackaged for white audiences, with Hayward cutting tragic scenes as 'tragedy porn.' The narrative captures BIPOC frustrations over cultural appropriation in creative industries, using dark humor to highlight absurdities like Hayward's stereotypical observations about Asian women and Chinatown. Published by Harper Collins at £16.99, the psychological thriller explores identity politics and exploitation in publishing.