By: Jingwei Zhao
Asians were certainly not that famous in America back in the 1900s, but this one definitely was! Born on the 3rd of January in 1905, Anna May Wong was an Asian American actress that started her own TV show. Sadly, she passed away at the young age of 56. Wong’s journey was not easy. She was often discriminated by movie creators simply because she was Asian.
Eventually, she managed to star as a successful TV lead and left her name on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. She fought and persevered in her beliefs, which was admired by others in the world and eventually became a popular celebrity before her untimely death. This courage and perseverance was recognized this year with the creation of the final coin of the “American Womens Quarters Program.” Anna May Wong will become the first Asian-American woman to be on a coin.
As a child, Wong quickly developed an interest in the movie-making industry. She would often skip school and spend her own lunch money just so she could pay to watch movies. When she was nine years old, she had her heart set on being an actress.
When she was 17 years old, she finally got her first acting role and lead in the film “The Toll of the Sea.” Wong knew that she was more talented than her fellow actors, but because she was Asian, the subjectivity of movie creators paid her far less than what she deserved compared to other white actors.
Due to the heavy discrimination, Wong decided to travel to Europe for better acting roles. However, she quickly found out that there was no big difference. In an interview, Wong stated that she did not enjoy the parts she was chosen to play.
“Why is it that the screen Chinese is nearly always the villain of the piece, and so cruel a villain—murderous, treacherous, a snake in the grass. We are not like that.” After facing so many obstacles in her journey to become an actor, Wong retired at the age of 37. She toured China for a few years before coming back to America.
Wong ended up as the lead for TV show “The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong.” In 1961, Wong decided to re-enter the film industry by appearing in the movie “Flower Drum Song.”
However, she never got the chance to as her life was cut short by a heart attack. Wong is now remembered as one of the first ever Asian-American actors and will be the face of the fifth coin in the “American Womens Quarters Program.”
It is important for people with different genders and races to be remembered, as it is a sign of culture, religion, and appreciation for others. If I were to choose a person to appear on a U.S. coin, I would most likely pick former President John F. Kennedy. He truly changed the country before his tragic assassination.