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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Daughter of the Dragon 9781324095132 Paperback
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- Authors:
- Huang, Yunte (University of California, Santa Barbara)
- Year Published:
- 2024
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Format:
- Paperback
- Illustrations Note:
- 40 black-and-white images
- ISBN:
- 9781324095132
- Number of Pages:
- 400
- Publication Date:
- 17/09/2024
- Publisher:
- WW Norton & Co
- Place of Publication:
- New York
- Language:
- English
- SKU:
- 9781324095132