Anna May Wong To Be First Asian American Featured On U.S. Currency With New Quarter Going Into Circulation

The Chinese American actress Anna May Wong is going to be honored by being featured on a new quarter going into circulation on October 24, the U.S. Mint announced.

Wong’s career began in the silent film era, and she was synonymous with the “flapper” look for many years but also continued working in film and TV until her death in 1961 from a heart attack.

Wong will be featured on the “tails” side of the quarter, with the reverse being a classic George Washington carving first designed in the early 20th century.

The new design was made by Emily Danstra and carved by John P. McGraw.

“She is remembered as an international film star, fashion icon, television trailblazer, and a champion for greater representation of Asian Americans in film,” the statement from the U.S. Mint also said.

Wong’s first film acting role was in 1922 as an extra in The Red Lantern. She was subjected to intense discrimination through her career, including by having to play stereotypical and offensive sterotypical parts and being passed over by white actors in yellowface for certain big roles.

The most infamous incident of this was when MGM refused to consider want for the co-lead part O-Lan in The Good Earth, which ended up being played by white actress Luise Rainer in yellowface. Rainer even won an Academy Award for that character.

Likely because of this treatment stateside, Wang worked extensively in Europe and for other international productions, and lent her star power to B films late in her career that had more positive portrayals of Asian American characters in their stories.

Wong is the latest prominent woman in history to be honored in this series from the Mint called the American Women Quarters Program. Other women given coins this year were Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller and Nina Otero-Warren.