01/07/2026
Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American movie star and the first Asian American actress to become internationally famous, was born on this day in 1905. Wong is often remembered for her efforts to combat racial inequality and ethnic stereotypes in early film.
Born Wong Liu Tsong in Los Angeles, Wong was a third generation Chinese American, who grew up working at her family's laundry business but her dream was to star on the silver screen. The West Coast was just beginning its reign as the center for film studios, and young Wong was enthralled. By the age of nine she had chosen her stage name, Anna May Wong. At age 17, she landed her first leading role in the Technicolor film "The Toll of the Sea," a performance that received rave reviews.
Critical praise continued to follow Wong but the only jobs being offered were for supporting roles depicting stereotypical characters. Her hopes for leading roles were limited, as the laws of the day even prevented in*******al kisses from appearing on-screen. Frustrated by the limited options, and a tendency for Hollywood to cast non-Asians for Asian characters, Wong pursued stage and screen roles elsewhere. Her travels brought her to Europe, where she developed a glowing reputation, but she eventually moved back to Hollywood. She continued to be met with and challenge typecast roles for the duration of her career, which lasted for 40 years and included 54 films.
While Wong began acting in the silent film era, she is one of the few actresses who successfully made the transition to cinema with sound. Her contributions to the film industry have been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a pillar depicting her image in the "Gateway to Hollywood" sculpture.
To introduce children to Anna May Wong's fascinating life, we recommend "Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story" for ages 5 to 9 at https://www.amightygirl.com/shining-star
For adult readers, we recommend "Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong" (https://amzn.to/47ghvBX) and "Anna May Wong: From Laundryman’s Daughter to Hollywood Legend" (https://amzn.to/4aE22ON)
For books for children and teens about Asian-American Mighty Girls, visit our blog post "60 Mighty Girl Books for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=33613
To inspire children and teens with the stories of artistic girls and women - both in real-life and fiction - visit our "Creative Arts" book section at http://amgrl.co/2ibkDIQ
And for hundreds of children's books that explore racism and prejudice in both modern and historical contexts, visit our "Racial & Ethnic Discrimination" book section at http://amgrl.co/2wE6Jbl
