Anna May Wong to be first Asian American featured on US currency

Groundbreaking actor Anna May Wong is set to become the first Asian American to appear on US currency. The actor who broke into Hollywood during the silent film era will be featured on the US currency a century after she landed her first leading role.

Anna May Wong's image, with her iconic blunt bangs and pencil-thin eyebrows, will feature on the back of new quarters. The design has been introduced after the American Women Quarters Program which aims to highlight pioneering women in their respective fields.

This year, four other quarters were into production featuring poet and activist Maya Angelou; the first American woman in space, Sally Ride; Cherokee Nation leader Wilma Mankiller; and suffragist Nina Otero-Warren.

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"These inspiring coin designs tell the stories of five extraordinary women whose contributions are indelibly etched in American culture," US Mint's acting director, Alison Doone said.

Considered to be Hollywood's first Chinese American actor, Anna May Wong appeared in over 60 movies in a career spanning four decades.

Born in Los Angeles, Anna May Wong began acting at 14 and took a lead role in "The Toll of the Sea" in 1922. She faced racism in Hollywood struggling to break from stereotypical roles. Throughout her life, Anna May Wong advocated for greater representation of Asian American actors in Hollywood and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Anna May Wong died aged 56 in 1961.