Anna May Wong: Hollywood’s First Chinese-American Movie Star.

Anna May Wong’s career stretched from silent cinema through the talkies and the golden age of Hollywood, to TV.

Anna May Wong, born Wong Liu Tsong on January 3, 1905, in Los Angeles, California, was the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood and one of the first Asian-American actresses to gain international recognition. Her legacy is a testament to talent, resilience, and the enduring fight against racial barriers in the entertainment industry.

Growing up near Chinatown in LA, Wong was captivated by the magic of movies. She started acting as a teenager and got her first credited role in the 1922 silent film The Toll of the Sea, one of the earliest Technicolour features. Her performance was widely praised, and she became a prominent figure during the silent film era.

Anna May Wong, The Toll of the Sea, 1922

Despite her talent and charisma, Wong faced constant discrimination. Hollywood in the early 20th century was steeped in racial stereotypes, and Asian roles were often given to white actors in yellowface. Wong was frequently typecast as the "Dragon Lady" or the doomed, exotic beauty, and she was denied leading roles opposite white actors due to anti-miscegenation laws and studio prejudices. One of the most painful examples was being passed over for the role of O-Lan in The Good Earth (1937), which was instead given to German actress Luise Rainer, who won an Oscar for it.

Frustrated by these limitations, Wong moved to Europe in the late 1920s, where she found greater creative freedom and starred in several successful films. Fluent in English, German, and French, she worked with top directors and gained a following abroad. Upon returning to the U.S., she continued to advocate for more respectful and authentic portrayals of Asians in film.

In the 1950s, Wong made history again with The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong, the first U.S. television series to star an Asian-American actress. She remained a cultural icon until she died in 1961.

In 2022, Anna May Wong was honoured as the first Asian-American featured on U.S. currency, appearing on the quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program—an overdue recognition of her groundbreaking contributions to American cinema and culture.

Anna May Wong broke barriers and paved the way for future generations of Asian-American actors. Her story remains a powerful reminder of the struggles faced—and overcome—by trailblazers in the fight for representation.