Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History

Born into the steam and starch of a Chinese laundry, Anna May Wong (1905-1961) emerged from turn-of-the-century Los Angeles to become Old Hollywood's most famous Chinese American actress, a screen siren who captivated global audiences and signed her publicity photos--with a touch of defiance--"Orientally yours." Now, more than a century after her birth, Yunte Huang narrates Wong's 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, Wong's 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," Huang's 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 Wong's all-too-brief fifty-six years on earth.

Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Published: 08/22/2023
Pages: 400
Weight: 1.62lbs
Size: 9.55h x 6.42w x 1.28d
ISBN: 9781631495809


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 03/01/2023 pg. 25
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2023
Booklist 06/01/2023 pg. 18
Publishers Weekly 06/19/2023
Library Journal 07/01/2023 pg. 70
Shelf Awareness 08/19/2023
BookPage 09/01/2023