Who is Anna May Wong? Here’s all about the first Asian woman to be featured on US currency

The new US currency will be shipping this Monday and will have Chinese American actor Anna May Wong on its tail end. Her image on the currency will show her chin resting on her hands.

Who is Anna May Wong?

Anna May Wong was the first Asian American Hollywood actress. She was a third-generation American whose acting career started with movies like "The Thief of Bagdad" in 1924 and "Toll of the Sea" in 1922. During that time, anti-Asian xenophobia was widely spread, and the Chinese Exclusion Act was still in effect.

Anna May Wong became famous for dying a thousand deaths because she played many villainous roles. She was known for her beauty in a way that was described as "exotic" or "oriental." As the first Asian woman, Anna May Wong went through many cases of discrimination where she was cast aside in favour of a non-Asian actress.




The discrimination against her created problems for Anna Wong in the Chinese American community as well. She was criticised for promoting stereotypes about Asian people. Anna May Wong died at the age of 55 in 1962. She even protested a lot against getting only antagonist roles. In an interview, she said she is tired of playing the roles of villains, murderers, snakes in the grass or anything like that.

FAQs:

1. On which coins will Anna May Wong be featured?
   The coin is a quarter, and the fifth is a series of quarters to feature prominent Asian-American women.
2. Who is going to play Anna May Wong in her biopic?
   The Crazy Rich Asians actress Gemma Chan will play the role.