Anna May Wong Quarter

Bruce Lee is a household name. So is Jackie Chan. George Takei is his own meme, at this point.

However, none of these titans can lay claim to the title of being the first Chinese-American movie star. That honor is reserved for Anna May Wong (1905 – 1961).

Wong’s stardom, and her incredible struggles to achieve her position and success, propelled her both into the public eye and the history books. So, she is a natural inclusion as one of the prominent women honored by the American Women Quarters Program.

Biography

Wong Liu Tsong was born in Los Angeles on January 3, 1905. She was the second of eight children, a second-generation Chinese-American born to Sam Sing and Gon Toy Lee, who owned a laundromat.

She was given her English name, Anna May, by her family. The young Californian developed her love of movies at an early age. She would often skip school – where she suffered bullying for her heritage – to attend movies.

By age 11, Wong had decided that she wanted to be an actress. She created her stage name, Anna May Wong, as a nod to both of her names.

She got her chance to begin acting three years later. A casting call for The Red Lantern (1919) was looking for Chinese actors, and Wong used a family friend’s connections to secure her first role – albeit as an extra.

She continued to be cast as an extra for the next two years, and eventually dropped out of high school to pursue her craft. She landed her first leading role in 1922 when she was cast as Toy Ling’s wife in Bits of Life.

Unfortunately, both the legal and cultural environments in the United States were not very friendly to minorities at the time. Wong found her options limited due to laws that said even onscreen interracial couples could not kiss.

So, she departed for some crucial acting experience in Europe. During this period, she acted in The Flame of Love, which ushered her into the talking movie era.

She spent the first half of the 1930s bouncing between the US and Europe for roles. One of her most famous movies was Shanghai Express (1932), in which she appeared with Marlene Dietrich.

Wong continued to act in various roles until the end of the decade. However, she likely found resistance due to her genuine ethnicity, as opposed to yellowface, and did not get as many leading roles as she would’ve liked.

Wong found herself often relegated to supporting roles, many of which called for her to conform to ethnic stereotypes. However, her infectious manner and charisma transcended these roles for many audience members, both Asian and white.

Wong encountered two challenges in the 1940s. First, World War II was underway, and the Second Sino-Japanese War took place as adjunct to the main conflict. Thus, Wong found herself struggling to stick to her typical roles and speak out on behalf of her Chinese countrymen, who were dying in great numbers at the hands of the Japanese.

The other issue was, sadly, one that many actresses face in Hollywood: her age. As she moved into her late thirties, audiences began to have difficulty believing her as the quirky and spunky sidekick. So, she retired from acting in 1942, though not entirely.

Wong supported herself during this period and for the rest of her life through investments in real estate. She converted her Santa Monica home into a fourplex of apartments, and went on to own and manage several properties in the Los Angeles area.

Her last notable screen appearance occurred in 1951. She starred as the title role in the television show called The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong. Though the detective show lasted only a single season, it was the first time an Asian-American woman had been cast in her own television show.

Unfortunately, Anna May Wong’s health began to deteriorate shortly after the show’s cancellation. She had been a heavy drinker for many years, and the internal damage led to a hemorrhage in late 1953.

She continued to act sporadically the rest of the decade, but it was clear that time was not in her favor. Though she hoped to return to the limelight in 1961 through a role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, her health prevented her from filling the role. She died of a heart attack on February 3, 1961.

Legacy

Anna May Wong’s life generated a series of firsts for the United States of America. During her lifetime, Asian-Americans were regarded primarily as second class citizens.

Wong’s roles helped break through that status quite a bit. Her role in 1937’s Daughter of Shanghai, a co-starring project with Korean-American actor Philip Ahn, placed the two as the first Asian-American romantic couple depicted on screen. And, as mentioned, she was also the first Asian-American to host her own television show and one of the first Asian-American leading actresses.

For her efforts, she was commemorated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, shortly before her death. After her passing, she also became the namesake for awards given by two groups – the Asian-American Arts Awards and the Asian Fashion Designers.

However, Wong’s place in history may have faded in recent years due to how early her contributions occurred. So, her appearance on her 2022 quarter is, in part, a way to introduce Anna May Wong to the newer generations.

The 2022 Quarter

The coin itself was the fifth and final quarter released in the inaugural year of the Mint’s American Women Quarters Program.

As is the case with all of the quarters in the series, the Anna May Wong quarter is a Washington quarter. The image of America’s first president remains the coin’s design on its obverse.

Ms. Wong appears on the coin’s reverse in a classic and simple artistic pose. She rests on her hand, and is surrounded by bright marquee lights. Her name appears next to her in a familiar Hollywood script.

The quarter is just the latest honor for Anna May Wong. She paved the way for other Asian-Americans, including the big names that populate our celebrity lists today.