jud ice ) ▁wasn ' t ▁such ▁a ▁heavy ▁issue ▁then . ▁I ▁was ▁just ▁in ▁great ▁Broadway ▁produ ctions ▁that ▁were ▁turned ▁into ▁films . ▁I ▁personally ▁never ▁felt ▁any ▁ra cial ▁problems ▁in ▁Hollywood ." ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁she ▁faced ▁a ▁severe ▁short age ▁of ▁strong ▁roles . ▁She ▁attributed ▁this ▁to ▁both ▁her ▁age ▁and ▁the ▁movie ▁enter prise ' s ▁a version ▁to ▁selecting ▁A si ans ▁for ▁non - As ian ▁roles . ▁In ▁earlier ▁years , ▁she ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁play ▁an ▁Italian ▁and ▁a ▁T ah it ian . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁there ▁were ▁more ▁Hollywood ▁films ▁about ▁A si ans . ▁K wan ▁could ▁have ▁capital ized ▁on ▁the ▁tr end ▁through ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁film ▁The ▁Joy ▁L uck ▁Club . ▁Because ▁the ▁film m akers ▁refused ▁to ▁exc ise ▁a ▁line ▁calling ▁The ▁World ▁of ▁Su zie ▁W ong ▁a ▁"... hor rible ▁rac ist ▁film ," ▁she ▁passed ▁on ▁the ▁role . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁K wan ▁co - star red ▁in ▁the ▁two - character ▁play ▁Arthur ▁and ▁Le ila ▁about ▁two ▁sib lings ▁who ▁struggle ▁with ▁their ▁Chinese ▁ident ities . ▁It ▁deb uted ▁in ▁the ▁Bay ▁Front ▁Theater ▁in ▁Fort ▁Mason , ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁two ▁weeks ▁later . ▁Vari ety ▁rev iewer ▁Jul io ▁Mart ine z ▁pra