The Magical History of Ching Ling Foo vs Chung Ling Soo

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 28! Sometimes our topical episodes are focused on the obscure history of Asian Pacific Islanders. Sometimes our topical episodes are focused on the weird history of Asian Pacific Islanders. For this episode, it's Asian Pacific history that is both obscure and weird. When it comes to the magicians Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo, this is a history that might be the first instance of yellow face in popular entertainment.  Born Zhu Liankui in China during the Qing Dynasty around 1854, the entertainer Ching Ling Foo was relatively successful stage magician who toured America, Europe, and much of the world. Chung Ling Soo pretended to be the same. In the nineteenth century, it wasn't unusual for European nations to not really have much experience with people of Asian Pacific descent. This is a story full of magic, identity theft, and challenges. To learn the rest of the history, you'll have to listen to the episode.  If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at [email protected]. Segments 00:25 Intro: Memories of Magic 02:40 The Magical History of Ching Ling Foo vs Chung Ling Soo