This panel focuses on the contributions of Chinese American performers in Classical Hollywood, examining the complex interplay of racial representation, labor activism, and artistic achievement that shaped Chinese Americans presence in the film industry between the 1930s and the 1960s. William Gow’s presentation investigates the impact of MGM's 1937 film The Good Earth on labor conditions for Chinese American extras, highlighting the successful efforts of Chinese American background players to secure formal representation within Hollywood's Central Casting hiring system. Karen Fang delves into the career of Tyrus Wong, tracing his journey from immigrant artist to influential figure in animation and visual arts, while exploring the methodological challenges of reconstructing Asian American histories. Katie Gee Salisbury examines the life and career of Anna May Wong, Hollywood's first Asian American movie star, focusing on her struggles against typecasting and her efforts to reshape Asian American representation in film. Together, we offer a nuanced perspective on the long history of Chinese American engagement with American cinema, addressing the role that Chinese Americans played in negotiating issues of labor, art, and racial identity in Hollywood in the early to mid-twentieth century.