Overview

"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."

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9781631495809

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Reviews

"A vital account of the life of Anna May (née Liu Tsong) Wong (1905-1961), the first Chinese American movie star . . . Huang's sympathetic treatment brings out the nuances of Wong's story, highlighting how she by turns acceded to and bristled against the stereotypes Hollywood asked her to play . . . It's a fascinating--and long overdue--close-up of a Hollywood trailblazer.--Publishers Weekly, starred review In a deeply researched and far-reaching biography, professor and award-winning biographer Huang positions Wong's career achievements in America and abroad against the geopolitical challenges of the 1930s . . . The result is a thorough, multilayered history of the too brief yet impactful life of a pioneering Chinese American woman artist facing racism and sexism in tumultuous times.""--Carol Haggas ""Booklist"" While Wong's life has recently been explored in historical fiction . . . most readers will find her real story even more engaging. Huang has created a page-turner nonfiction book with this biography by fleshing out the world in which Wong lived. Huang's lively, surprising, and all-encompassing biography of Anna May Wong should be on everyone's summer reading list.--Library Journal, starred review Daughter of the Dragon capably tracks Wong's life and career, creating a tender, fair portrait of an important performer . . . he presents a concise yet rich history of Asian American culture and politics at the turn of the century . . . Huang illustrates details about Wong with passion and fervor, clearly delineating her struggles and achievements. When Wong succeeds, readers will rejoice, and when her circumstances limit her, readers will feel her sorrow.-- ""Kirkus Reviews"""

"Daughter of the Dragon capably tracks Wong's life and career, creating a tender, fair portrait of an important performer . . . he presents a concise yet rich history of Asian American culture and politics at the turn of the century . . . Huang illustrates details about Wong with passion and fervor, clearly delineating her struggles and achievements. When Wong succeeds, readers will rejoice, and when her circumstances limit her, readers will feel her sorrow.-- ""Kirkus Reviews"""

Author Information

Yunte Huang, a Guggenheim Fellow, has taught at Harvard and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is a Distinguished Professor of English. The author of the Edgar Award–winning biography Charlie Chan and Inseparable, both NBCC finalists, Huang speaks frequently about American popular culture.

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