‘Finally, they know her’: Anna May Wong, the first Asian-American star in Hollywood and now the first to grace US currency
- As Anna May Wong quarters roll out, children and adults alike are learning about the actress and reflecting on her legacy
- She appeared in more than 60 movies, yet discrimination was pervasive – she was once passed over for the role of a Chinese peasant in favour of a white actress
The second-graders rushed from room to room at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles, making buttons, collecting stickers and seeking clues to trivia questions about a long-ago acting legend, Anna May Wong.
Everyone who finished the scavenger hunt would get a prize – a freshly minted quarter bearing an image of Wong, who recently became the first Asian-American woman to grace US currency.
For these children, it’s hard to imagine a time when Wong, once the country’s most celebrated Asian-American actress, was mostly relegated to playing villains or housemaids.
Perhaps when they are older, they will reflect on the glimpse of history they witnessed at the museum – and realise how far the US has come, even as it has further to go.
Asian-Americans have gained ground on screen, from Fresh Off the Boat to Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All At Once.
About 6 per cent of lead actress roles in films in 2020 went to Asian-Americans, who are about 6 per cent of the US population, according to the University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA) 2022 Hollywood Diversity Report.