Asian Americans prideful of US coin for Anna May Wong

The news of Chinese American actress Anna May Wong becoming the first Asian American to appear on US currency has been met with excitement and hope from the Asian American community.

The US Mint began shipping quarters featuring Wong for circulation on Monday.

"Anna May Wong was a descendent of Chinese immigrants who was born and grew up in the US in the early 20th century. Her unremitting pursuit of ideals and hard work, as well as her unwavering belief enabled her to win achievements and recognition in the film and television industry," Cai Chenghua, president of the All-American Chinese Association, told China Daily.

Anna May Wong was born Wong Liu Tsong on Jan 3, 1905, in Los Angeles. She is considered the first Chinese American movie star in Hollywood. Despite having a substantial acting career that spanned silent film, sound film, television, radio and theater, Wong had to constantly battle the brazen racism that dominated Hollywood in her time.

In announcing the decision to depict Wong's image on the quarter, the US Mint said Wong was chosen for being "a courageous advocate who championed for increased representation and more multi-dimensional roles for Asian American actors".

"This quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments by Anna May Wong, who overcame challenges and obstacles she faced during her lifetime," Mint Director Ventris Gibson said in a statement on Oct 17.

Wong is one of five women being honored in the American Women Quarters Program, which seeks to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of American women.

The other four honorees are: writer Maya Angelou; Sally Ride, an educator and the first American woman in space; Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; and Nina Otero-Warren, a key figure in New Mexico's women's suffrage movement.

As a minority woman, Wong fought bravely against the odds in life, Cai said. He also commended Wong's solidarity with the Chinese, noting that she had deep feelings for China as a descendant of Chinese immigrants.

Wong donated her jewelry collection to help finance the Chinese effort during the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he said.

"We hope that more Wong Liu Tsongs will emerge in the US, who, while achieving success in their career, also care deeply about their hometown and contribute to the society," Cai said.

AAPI Equity Alliance, a coalition of community-based organizations dedicated to improving the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles and beyond, said in a statement to China Daily that Wong's trailblazing work helped others of color.

"Anna May Wong has always been a part of American history, paving the way for inclusivity and breaking the barriers on representation before many of us knew the impact it would have on modern society. On this trail blazed by Wong, AAPI Equity Alliance continues the work that she started — advocating for proper representation and the needs and rights of today's growing AAPI community," the statement said.

Wong was born to second-generation Taishanese Chinese American parents in Los Angeles, just one block north of Chinatown. She fell in love with films and acting at a young age. Wong was 14 when she was cast in her first role as an extra in the film The Red Lantern.

At age 17, Wong got her first leading role in The Toll of the Sea, which was a variation of the Madam Butterfly story.

However, despite her talents as an actress, Wong was often offered supporting roles of stereotypical Asian characters in films, such as an exotic slave girl or a "dragon lady", a stereotype depicting Asian women as strong, fierce and deceitful.

Throughout her career, Wong consistently pushed for greater representations of Asian American actors. Her hard work bore fruit. Wong was given the part of a prominent and sympathetic Chinese American doctor in The King of Chinatown in 1939. Her role in that film was considered a breakthrough for Wong and other Asian American actors.

In 1960, Wong became the first Asian American actress to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, about a year before she died of a heart attack at age 56.

Bing Chen, co-founder of Gold House, a nonprofit focused on elevating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to lead and succeed in culture and commerce, called the new quarter "momentous" and praised Wong as a star "for generations" in an interview with The Associated Press.

However, Chen noted that anti-Asian hate incidents and lack of representation in the media persist now.

"In a slate of years when Asian women have faced extensive challenges — from being attacked to objectified on screen to being the least likely group to be promoted to corporate management — this currency reinforces what many of us have known all along: (they're) here and worthy," Chen said in a statement to The Associated Press.

"It's impossible to forget, though, as a hyphenated community, that Asian Americans constantly struggle between being successful and being seen," he added.