Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wongs Rendezvous with American History

Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) - The City University of New York (CUNY)

Born into the steam and starch of a Chinese laundry, Anna May Wong (19051961) emerged from turn-of-the-century Los Angeles to become Old Hollywoods most famous Chinese American actress, a screen siren who captivated global audiences and signed her publicity photoswith a touch of defianceOrientally yours. Now, more than a century after her birth, Yunte Huang narrates Wongs tragic life story, retracing her journey from Chinatown to silent-era Hollywood, and from Weimar Berlin to decadent, prewar Shanghai, and capturing American television in its infancy. As Huang shows, Wongs rendezvous with history features a remarkable parade of characters, including a smitten Walter Benjamin and (an equally smitten) Marlene Dietrich. Challenging the parodically racist perceptions of Wong as a Dragon Lady, Madame Butterfly, or China Doll, Huangs biography becomes a truly resonant work of history that reflects the raging anti-Chinese xenophobia, unabashed sexism, and ageism toward women that defined both Hollywood and America in Wongs all-too-brief fifty-six years on earth.