Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History by Yunte HuangMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of Daughter of the Dragon by Yunte Huang from W. W. Norton & Company via NetGalley.
Daughter of the Dragon is the third book in the Rendezvous with American History series by Yunte Huang. While this book focuses on Anna May Wong, the other two are about Charlie Chan and Chang and Eng Bunker. They are all standalone biographies so feel free to read one, two, or all and in any order.
Even though some of the movies don't hold up well, and Hollywood can be a terrible place, I still enjoy old movies. I grew up on them. I was thrilled to have a chance to read Anna May Wong's story because there were seemingly so few diverse actors, and she definitely left an impression. Her story is really amazing. I realize some people may consider her problematic because she perpetuated a stereotype. The book counters that she fought against a racist, homophobic, misogynistic society/system as best she could. She strongly supported the Chinese American community and felt responsible for representing China in a good light. I highly recommend it for those interested in Chinese American history.
For those who may be sensitive to racist terms or stereotypes, be aware that this book uses them within the context of how Asians were seen at the time. The book does not shy away from talking about the antagonistic relationship between Chinese and Japanese Americans, or the role Chinese Americans played in Japanese American internment.
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