Anna May Wong, who is regarded as the first Chinese American movie actress in Hollywood, is about to become the first Asian American to appear on US currency.
Wong will be featured on a new quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program of the US Mint. This initiative, which was first announced in January 2022, honours women who have contributed to various fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, the humanities, science, space, and the arts. The last coin to be released next Tuesday is Wong’s, one of the five selected women.
George Washington will be depicted on the observer (heads) side of Wong’s quarter, while the reverse (tails) side will have Wong’s head resting on her palm, along with her complete name and the flashing lights of a marquee sign, as reported by CBS News.
According to the US Mint, the actress was born Wong Liu Tsong on January 3, 1905, in Los Angeles. Her English name is Anna May, which her family gave her.
Wong received widespread acclaim for her roles in more than 60 films throughout her career, including one of the very first Technicolor productions. She was the first Asian American woman to host a US television programme, “The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong,” in 1951.
After experiencing discrimination in Hollywood, she went on to work in Europe, according to the US Mint. She also performed on venues in London and New York.
On February 3, 1961, one year before she passed away, she was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.