I. Y. Yunioshi

I. Y. Yunioshi is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' 1961 romantic/comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's, which was adapted for the screen by George Axelrod based on Truman Capote's 1958 novella of the same title. The character of Mr. Yunioshi in the film, as portrayed by Mickey Rooney, has been the subject of extensive critical commentary and review since its theatrical release.

In the early 1960's and before, racially-charged humor was rather acceptable in American culture, although this general attitude began to change later in that decade, and more so afterwards. In 1961, The New York Times review of the film said that "Mickey Rooney's bucktoothed, myopic Japanese is broadly exotic." In 1990, The Boston Globe described Rooney's portrayal as "an irascible bucktoothed nerd and an offensive ethnic caricature". In 1993, the Los Angeles Daily News wrote that the role "would have been an offensive stereotype even played by an Asian; the casting of Mickey Rooney added insult to injury".

More recent characterizations include "cringe-inducing stereotype", "painful, misguided", "overtly racist", "inexcusable case of yellowface", "one of the most egregiously horrible 'comic' impersonations of an Asian (Mr. Yunioshi) in the history of movies", and a portrayal "border[ing] on offensive" that is a "double blow to the Asian community – not only is he fatuous and uncomplimentary, but he is played by a Caucasian actor in heavy makeup."

The portrayal was referenced in the 1993 film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story as an example of Hollywood's racist attitudes about Asians that Bruce Lee's success as a movie star would challenge. Specifically, when Lee and his girlfriend Linda Emery (portrayed in the film by Jason Scott Lee and Lauren Holly, respectively) watch Breakfast at Tiffany's in the theater, where despite laughing at the character, Linda suggests they leave midway through the picture after she notices that Bruce is upset at Rooney's stereotypical depiction of an Asian man.

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