Anna May Wong, regarded as the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, is set to become the first Asian American to be featured on U.S. currency.
The U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program, which was first announced in January 2022, will feature Wong on a new quarter. The program honors women who have made contributions in a variety of fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, the humanities, science, space, and the arts. Wong is one of five women chosen, with her coin being the last to be released next Tuesday.
Anna May Wong: The reverse (tails) of the quarter will show her head resting on her hand
The reverse (tails) of Wong’s quarter will show her head resting on her hand along with her full name and the bright lights of a marquee sign, while the observe (heads) side will show a portrait of George Washington.
Wong received widespread acclaim for her roles in more than 60 films over the course of her career, including one of the very first Technicolor productions. She was the first Asian American woman to lead a U.S. television program in 1951, “The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong.”
After experiencing discrimination in Hollywood, she went on to work in Europe, according to the U.S. Mint. She also performed on stages 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.
The other four coins already released this year featured Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller and Nina Otero-Warren.
