Anna mae wong biography for kids

Appearing in over sixty movies throughout her career, Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood. In addition to her roles in silent films, television, and stage, Wong landed a role in one of the first movies made in Technicolor. Internationally recognized, her legacy continues to influence entertainers around the world.

Anna May Wong was born on January 3, in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles, California. The second child of eight children, her birth name was Wong Liu Tsong, which means “Frosted Yellow Willows.” She was given the English name Anna May by her family. Her family was originally from Taishan, China, but her grandfather emigrated to the United States in the s. He opened a store in California near the area where gold had been discovered in In , Wong’s father, Sam Sing, was born in California.

Soon after, Sing’s father died while he was trying to rescue a woman that fell into a well. Sing returned to China, but came back to the United States a