It's a current call of the musical Miss Saigon, and there's this incredible standing ovation.

People around me are clapping, breathlessly, some people are even crying.

And I feel like this should be such a proud moment because it's so rare to see a stage

full of actors who look like me getting a reception like this on Broadway.

But I just can't get this song out of my head.

I have home to the Mekong Delta.

May I present the most beautiful girls in Saigon, mini.

See my bikini? It's just the right song.

You can't. Don't do it, you're having a good time.

Hello and welcome to Code Switch. I'm Shireen Madisela Miraji, and I'm Cat Chow.

And today we're talking about Miss Saigon, which is a pretty famous and controversial musical

that's now back on Broadway.

For decades, it's been a flashpoint for really heated debates over representation for two

big reasons.

The first casting, when the show first started out, some of the actors were in yellow face.

So you had these white actors dressing up as Asian characters.

Make-up, prosthetics, the whole nine, which is really outrageous.

Yeah, and then the second big issue is that it perpetuates some of the ugliest stereotypes

about Asians.

But first Cat, can you break down what Miss Saigon's about for those of us who haven't seen it?

Okay, so there's kind of a weird story about how this musical even got started in the

first place.

...