Anna May Wong

Anna May Wong (Wong Liu Tsong) was born in 1905 to second-generation Taishanese Chinese Americans in Los Angeles, her early childhood spent growing up a few hills off of Chinatown on Figueroa Street as the only Chinese family on the block. Though this helped her assimilate into American culture, this also meant she was often at the brunt of racial taunts, which eventually lead to her transfer from public schooling to a Presbyterian Chinese school instead.
The relocation of U.S. motion picture production from the East Coast to the Los Angeles area meant that Wong saw many productions being shot around or in her neighborhood. She eventually started going to Nickelodeon movie theaters and became obsessed with “flickers,” nurturing her interest in the industry. Despite her father’s dismay, she pursued a film career regardless, begging filmmakers to give her roles, earning the nickname “C.C.C” or “Curious Chinese Child.” At 11 years old, she combined her English and Chinese names to create her stage name “Anna May Wong.”