取消文化：匡靈秀《黃色臉孔》中的種族與正義思辨

Cancel Culture: Race and Justice in Yellowface

近十年來，全球社會出現了名為取消文化的現象，以言論批評以及消費抵制來反擊社會上的不公正。有些人認為取消文化是弱勢正義的一擊，是對結構性不公的反抗，有些人則認為這是一種變相的審查制度，可能成為破壞社會和諧的私刑正義。在西方社會，特別是美國，取消文化尤其在種族與性別的層面上反映了何謂正義、如何正義的思辨，如近來風起雲湧的「咪兔」（Me Too）運動以及「黑人的命也是命」（Black Lives Matter）運動。本論文透過華裔新銳作家匡靈秀（R. F. Kuang）的新作《黃色臉孔》(Yellowface）來討論正義的問題。《黃色臉孔》講述的是一個白人作家如何因緣際會獲得了一部華裔作家的遺作，將之重寫和出版，視為己作，因而遭到取消文化的攻擊的故事。在這部作品裡，誰才有資格講述亞裔故事的種族政治被強烈地突顯出來。它迫使我們去思考：書寫如何追求、獲得正義，以及對於文化挪用的反抗，乃至抵制，是否也有不那麼正義的一面？這些關於書寫與正義的討論，是當前亞裔美國文學研究不可或缺的重要面向。

Over the past decade, a phenomenon known as cancel culture has emerged in the global society, using criticism of speech and consumer boycotts to counteract social injustice. Some view cancel culture as a form of justice for the marginalized and as a protest against structural inequities, while others see it as a form of censorship that could turn into vigilante justice, potentially disrupting social harmony. In Western societies, particularly in the United States, cancel culture reflects on racial and gender issues, pushing us to ponder the nature and implementation of justice, as seen in the recent“Me Too”and“Black Lives Matter”movements. This article discusses the issue of justice through Yellowface, a satiric novel written by emerging Chinese American writer R. F. Kuang. It tells the story of how a white author serendipitously acquires the posthumous manuscript of a Chinese American author, rewrites and publishes it as her own, and subsequently faces all sorts of cancellation. In this work, the racial politics of who are entitled to tell Asian stories is prominently highlighted, prompting us to consider how writing can achieve justice. Additionally, it raises the question of whether resistance to cultural appropriation, including boycotts, may also commit some form of injustice. These discussions on writing and justice are indispensable aspects of Asian American literary studies today.