Hollywood trailblazer Anna May Wong to be first Asian American featured on U.S. currency?
The woman who once played the lead role in the cult classic horror movie The W (Wong, 1989) is on a quest to get an American dollar bill to be the first Asian-American actress to appear on the currency. With the currency currently in circulation, the actress hopes to raise awareness of the importance of Asian-Americans on the U.S. economy.
Anna May Wong is hoping to raise awareness of the role Asian Americans play in the U.S. economy with her latest project with the U.S. Mint. Wong would like to see the U.S. government issue a $1 bill featuring an Asian-American character to represent Asian-Americans’ economic value to the U.S. economy. The actress, who plays the lead role in the cult classic horror movie The W, is also a model. She has also appeared in a few music videos and she is an accomplished fashion designer.
The Mint is not the only organization that would want to have Wong, who first won an Oscar for The W as well as her supporting role in the 1988 film, the first Asian-American actress to ever appear on an American $1 coin, to appear on the denomination. Others include the Hawaii Mint, MintDirect, American Numismatic Association, and Numerex.
Wong, who also plays one of the lead roles in the Chinese horror film The Third Son, hopes that the U.S. government will recognize the importance of Asian-Americans before she sees one of the new $1 bills.
“I think it’s a great idea to represent Asian Americans,” said Wong of being the first Asian American woman featured in an American coin. “I have always been a fan of money, so it’s about time that we have an Asian American in the U.S. dollar. It will be great to see the government recognize our diversity and the contribution that we have in the U.S. economy.”
The actor said if it happens, then