B.D. Wong speaks about diversity
marissa luck - March 6th, 2008Bradley Darryl Wong is a Tony Award winner, a renowned television and movie star, and a contemporary writer. He is also an openly gay Asian-American.
B.D. Wong spoke about his challenges at Ardrey Auditorium on Feb. 28. As he walked in he was greeted with an enthused crowd and warmed up the audience with updates from his phone regarding American Idol.
Wong then moved into his speech, making parallels between being gay and Asian-American.
“I grew up learning that American dynamic of wanting to fit in,” Wong said. “When I was little I didn’t see many Asian-Americans on TV unless they were made fun of, were boring or had servile jobs. But all this inspired to change this.”
Wong pursued this goal as he told his audience how he met his high school mentor to pursue his dream as an actor. However, after high school he attended San Francisco State, where he later dropped out.
“San Francisco State was not for me, so I moved to New York,” Wong said. “The teachers at SFS didn’t know what to do with me from an ethnic point of view…I thought I was this All-American boy until I was casted as a Coolie, who were seen as the butt of jokes. My ethnicity was a real discomfort that I wanted to break away.”
In 1988 Wong debuted in David Henry Hwang’s Broadway “M. Butterfly,” playing Song Liling, a male Chinese spy who successfully poses as a woman in a 25-year relationship with a French diplomat. The play was a hit and helped Wong embrace being a messenger for Asian-Americans, revealing all the pain and the rage he felt living in a white culture. Furthermore his debut was successful for Asian-Americans, who were finally being recognized in the entertainment industry, and for himself.
“It was a great opportunity to feel beautiful,” Wong said.
After accepting his race, Wong admitted to the crowd how he remained “tight-lipped” about being gay. Only after his memoir, Following Foo: The Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man, was published in 2003 did Wong become openly gay. He told the audience how there was no such thing as being “halfway” out about being gay; either one is out or not at all.
“Declaring who I was without hesitation one of the reatest gift ever given,” Wong said. “I was actually happy with myself. I think the two things that I pushed away, Asian-American and me being gay, is what made me great.”
Approved by Student Activities Council (STAC), People Respecting Individuals and Sexual Minorities (PRISM) submitted a proposal to bring Wong to Flagstaff.
According to STAC, their bylaws for 2007-2008 NAU school year states they must provide financial support to student organizations and departments that will enhance and enrich students’ lives on campus.
Michael Vaccaro, a freshman biology major and member of STAC, affirmed that STAC funded about 75 percent of the total cost to bring Wong to have him speak.
Chris Duarte, a junior sociology and criminal justice major and president of PRISM, and Kelley Horn, a counseling graduate student and career and academic adviser at the Gateway Student Success Center, submitted a proposal for this free campuswide event.
“I thought it would be an important presentation for both NAU and the Flagstaff community,” Horn said. “I think Mr. Wong’s message of being honest with oneself is significant to achieving personal happiness…We need to take time to learn about each other, get past the stereotypes and immerse ourselves in diversity.”
The ticket office distributed over 1,000 tickets for one of NAU’s biggest events of the year. The audience was appreciative of Wong’s message and gave him a standing ovation at the end.
Julie Toma, a sophomore zoology major, would have liked to thank Wong in person.
“It’s not easy to tell people their stories and because he was able to, I think a lot more people will try and be themselves rather than trying to be other people,” Toma said.
In addition, audience members praised Wong for his accomplishments.
“It was good to see him overcome adversity to help minorities break through the entertainment industry,” said Hunter Hardt, a freshmen undeclared major. “Now there is a better representation of whose living in America and in a more positive light.”
As he parted with the audience, Wong remarked how it is a new chapter in his life and is going with the flow.
“All I know is that I want to be part of change,” Wong said.