Upcoming Events
Unmasking Anna May Wong
Unmasking Anna May Wong honors Chinese American actress and legend, Anna May Wong. The exhibition pays tribute to the trailblazer and icon who challenged conventions against all odds and paved the way for greater diversity and representation. Look behind the curtain and explore her life beyond Hollywood. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
AAPI Westport Book Club
Join AAPI Westport Book Club for an evening with author Katie Gee Salisbury and a discussion of Not Your China Doll, her biography of Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first Asian American movie star. Hosted at the Westport Museum of History and Culture.
Screening of Shanghai Express at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Join us for an in-depth look at the 1932 classic film Shanghai Express starring Anna May Wong. This drama filled film will have you on the edge of your seat as a group of hostages are held captive on a train in war-torn China. Following the screening of Shanghai Express, join Dr. SunAh Laybourn and Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll, in a discussion delving into the groundbreaking career of Anna May Wong, the film’s star and the first Asian American woman to achieve significant recognition in Hollywood. Participants will explore Wong’s role in shaping the portrayal of Asian characters in early cinema and her impact on the industry’s representation of Asian American actors. The conversation will also address the challenges she faced due to racial stereotyping and how her work paved the way for future generations of Asian American performers. Additionally, the discussion will reflect on the film’s portrayal of China and its cultural implications, considering both historical context and contemporary perspectives. Movie buffs and novices alike will enjoy learning about how this classic film provides a new lens through which we can view modern day Hollywood. We recommend viewing this in tandem with our November 24th screening of Always Be My Maybe followed by a discussion led by Dr. SunAh Laybourn.
Dr. SunAh Laybourn is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Memphis. Her research examines questions of race, identity, and belonging. She is the author of Out of Place: The Lives of Korean Adoptee Immigrants (New York University Press, 2024). In 2023, Dr. Laybourn organized Memphis's first month-long celebration honoring Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Additionally, she is the host of WYXR 91.7FM’s Let’s Grab Coffee, a weekly radio show featuring experts from around the world, who are investigating our most pressing social issues and common curiosities (also available on Apple and Spotify).
Katie Gee Salisbury is the author of Not Your China Doll, a new biography of Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first Asian American movie star. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Believer, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and elsewhere. She was a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in 2021 and gave the TED Talk “As American as Chop Suey.” She also writes the newsletter Half-Caste Woman. A fifth-generation Chinese American who hails from Southern California, she now lives in Brooklyn.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Screening of The Toll of the Sea at the Chinese American Museum
Join the Chinese American Museum at 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 16th, at the historic Pico House (424 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012) for a special, colourized screening of The Toll of the Sea (1922). Featured will be exclusive commentary and Q&A courtesy of Anna Wong, niece of Hollywood star Anna May Wong, and Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll. Watch Anna May Wong in her first leading role and explore her life and legacy beyond film in conversation with experts of the icon.
About the Film:
The Toll of the Sea is a 1922 silent film directed by Chester M. Franklin, produced by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, and distributed by Metro Pictures. The film tells the tale of the young Lotus Flower (played by Anna May Wong) who rescues an American man, Allen Carver (Kenneth Harlan), from the sea during his trip to China. The two fall in love amidst the cherry blossoms, but Carver breaks his promise to bring Lotus Flower to his homeland by ultimately departing alone. By the time the two former lovers meet again, much has changed, and their reunion proves to be more than bittersweet.
About the Speakers:
Anna Wong grew up mere miles from Hollywood, where her aunt, the iconic Asian American film star Anna May Wong, made an unforgettable mark on cinematic history. Although Anna herself never felt a pull towards acting, she has always been inspired by the cultural impact and inclusiveness that her namesake strove to achieve. In her own career—whether she’s representing artists, planning events, producing and developing TV projects, or engaging in philanthropy—Anna is dedicated to raising awareness of Asian American issues and advancing the cause of equality. Anna also serves on the board of directors for the Friends of the Chinese American Museum.
Katie Gee Salisbury is a fifth-generation Chinese American writer and photographer based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Believer, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and elsewhere. In 2021, she was a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship and gave the TED Talk “As American as Chop Suey” about her photojournalism project on Chinese restaurant workers in New York. She also authors Half Caste Woman, a newsletter dedicated to sharing research and ruminations about Anna May Wong, and, in 2024, she released her debut biography Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong.
**Unmasking: The Toll of the Sea is in conjunction with the Unmasking Anna May Wong exhibit.
Be sure to visit Unmasking Anna May Wong, CAM’s latest exhibition that honors film legend Anna May Wong. Currently on view until January 26, 2025, the exhibit showcases Wong as a trailblazer that fought racism, discrimination, and stereotyping in the film industry. The exhibit features a variety of objects, ranging from Wong’s personal effects to memorabilia from her films. Learn more about who Anna May Wong was behind the silver screen -- from her childhood in LA Chinatown, to her iconic fashion sense, and her social activism outside of Hollywood.
In Conversation with Laura Lee at Watchung Booksellers
Watchung Booksellers, OCA New Jersey, and AAPI New Jersey present an evening in conversation with Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll, moderated by Laura Lee, former president of OCA New Jersey. Free and open to the public.
Book Talk with Kyros AI
Learn about Katie’s journey from Stanford humanities major to book editor at HarperCollins and Amazon and beyond! Katie’s work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and elsewhere. In 2021, she gave the TED Talk “As American as Chop Suey.” She also writes the newsletter Half-Caste Woman.
In Conversation with Darby Li Po Price at Portland Chinatown Museum
Set against the glittering backdrop of Los Angeles during the gin-soaked Jazz Age and the rise of Hollywood, Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong celebrates the first Asian American movie star, bringing an unsung heroine to light and reclaiming her place in cinema history.
Join us on October 12 as we welcome author Katie Gee Salisbury to PCM for a book talk and signing highlighting this exciting new biography. She will also be in conversation with Professor Darby Li Po Price, who teaches Asian American film courses at Merritt College.
Admission is free. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.
In Conversation with Jyothi Natarajan at Broadway Books
We are pleased to welcome Katie Gee Salisbury who will read from and discuss her book Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong.
Set against the glittering backdrop of Los Angeles in the gin-soaked Jazz Age and the rise of Hollywood, Not Your China Doll celebrates Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star, to bring an unsung heroine to light to reclaim her place in cinema history. Before Constance Wu, Sandra Oh, Awkwafina, or Lucy Liu, there was Anna May Wong. In her time, she was a legendary beauty, witty conversationalist, and fashion icon. Plucked from her family's laundry business in Los Angeles, Anna May Wong rose to stardom in Douglas Fairbanks's blockbuster The Thief of Bagdad. Fans and the press clamored to see more of this unlikely actress, but when Hollywood repeatedly cast her in stereotypical roles, she headed abroad in protest. Anna May starred in acclaimed films in Berlin, Paris, and London. She dazzled royalty and heads of state across several nations, leaving trails of suitors in her wake. She returned to challenge Hollywood at its own game by speaking out about the industry's blatant racism. She used her new stature to move away from her typecasting as the China doll or dragon lady, and worked to reshape Asian American representation in film. Filled with stories of capricious directors and admiring costars, glamorous parties and far-flung love affairs, Not Your China Doll showcases the vibrant, radical life of a groundbreaking artist. The Guardian writes “Katie Gee Salisbury effectively leverages her personal experience with systemic injustice, as well as her wide-ranging knowledge of Hollywood and cinema, to give Wong the biography that she has long deserved but unfortunately has not yet received,” and author Lisa See praises the book as “enlightening, nuanced, and honest.”
Katie Gee Salisbury has spoken and written about Anna May Wong on MSNBC, in the New York Times, and in Vanity Fair. She also writes the newsletter "Half-Caste Woman." She was a 2021 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship finalist and gave the TED Talk "As American as Chop Suey." A fifth-generation Chinese American from Southern California, she now lives in Brooklyn. Not Your China Doll is her first book.
Screening of Shanghai Express at Olympia Film Society
Shanghai Express and Post-Film Author Talk w/ Katie Gee Salisbury
6pm doors & 7pm film
$13 GA & $10 OFS
Join us for a special 4K restoration of Shanghai Express. After the film concludes, Katie Gee Salisbury, the author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong, will be in attendance to discuss the life and career of Hollywood’s first Asian American movie star. Books will be available for purchase at the screening.
Dir: Josef von Sternberg / 1932 / 80 min
“Directed by Josef von Sternberg, this movie has style — a triumphant fusion of sin, glamour, shamelessness, art, and, perhaps, a furtive sense of humor.” – Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
About Katie Gee Salisbury:
Katie Gee Salisbury is the author of Not Your China Doll, a new biography of Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first Asian American movie star. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Believer, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and elsewhere. She was a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in 2021 and gave the TED Talk “As American as Chop Suey.” She also writes the newsletter Half-Caste Woman. A fifth-generation Chinese American who hails from Southern California, she now lives in Brooklyn.
Accessible Seating:
When purchasing tickets in advance, mark “Wheelchair / Accessible.” Accessible seating sections are located on the main floor in various areas for sight, hearing, size, and mobility needs. If you are comfortable sharing your needs, email boxoffice@olympiafilmsociety.org before purchasing so we can better assist you and ensure your time at the theater is enjoyable.
Book Talk & Screening of Shanghai Express at Western Washington University
The English Department at Western Washington Unviersity would like to invite you to a screening of Josef von Sternberg's Shanghai Express, with an introduction by Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll, a new biography of Anna May Wong. Q&A session to follow. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 8 at 4:00pm in Miller Hall 152!
This even is co-sponsored by Film and Media Studies, East Asian Studies, and Ethnic Studies.
For disability accommodation, please contact DRS@wwu.edu. Western is an equal opportunity institution.
Screening of Piccadilly at Grand Illusion Cinema
95th anniversary! Featuring an in-person Q&A with Katie Gee Salisbury, author of the new biography, Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong.
Anna May Wong stars in E.A. Dupont's PICCADILLY, the mesmerizing silent masterpiece about a maid who overcomes her station to become the toast of London. As his nightclub suffers to a convoluted love triangle among the staff, Wilmot (Jameson Thomas) has a chance encounter with scullery maid Shosho (Wong) and enlists her talents as both a beauty and a dancer to reignite the club's spark. This rediscovered classic also stars Gilda Gray as the enchanting dancer Mabel, who shines alongside Wong, and Alfred Junge's astonishing set design looks better than ever thanks to brilliantly restored footage by the British Film Institute.
“Dupont transforms the stuff of melodrama into a compelling tragedy of passion with a theme of racial injustice and exploitation.” Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
“Wong is the kind of gorgeous that burns right through a camera lens, and the kind of mesmerizing that seems without effort or end.” Janice Page, Boston Globe
Jade Phoenix Club at Golden City Restaurant
An evening with guest speaker Katie Gee Salisbury at Golden City Restaurant
$60 per person (includes 8 course dinner)
$90 per person (includes 8 course dinner and a book)
$130 for dinner for two people and one book
For reservations or more information, email Charlayne at charlaynetj@outlook.com
Chinese Canadian Museum
In her time, Anna May Wong was a legendary beauty, witty conversationalist, and fashion icon. Plucked from her family’s laundry business in Los Angeles, Anna May Wong rose to stardom in Douglas Fairbanks’s blockbuster The Thief of Bagdad. Fans and the press clamored to see more of this unlikely actress, but when Hollywood repeatedly cast her in stereotypical roles, she headed abroad in protest.
Anna May starred in acclaimed films in Berlin, Paris, and London. She dazzled royalty and heads of state across several nations, leaving trails of suitors in her wake. She returned to challenge Hollywood at its own game by speaking out about the industry’s blatant racism. She used her new stature to move away from her typecasting as the China doll or dragon lady, and worked to reshape Asian American representation in film.
In this talk moderated by UBC Professor of English Dr. Mary Chapman, biographer Katie Gee Salisbury will discuss the vibrant, radical career of a groundbreaking artist, bringing an unsung heroine to light and reclaiming her place in cinema history.
Cost: $5/annual pass holder; $8/general admission visitor; free for youth, student, and senior annual pass holders
In Conversation with Mila Zuo at University of British Columbia
Not Your China Doll: A Conversation on Anna May Wong, the First Asian American Film Star
*Note: this session will be recorded and posted online at a later date.
Co-sponsored by UBC Asian Studies; Centre for Cinema Studies; Centre for European Studies; Department of History; Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies; the UBC Film Society; and the Winnifred Eaton Archive.
With Katie Gee Salisbury, moderated by Mila Zuo
Katie Gee Salisbury is the author of Not Your China Doll, a new biography of Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Believer, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and elsewhere. She was a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in 2021 and gave the TED Talk “As American as Chop Suey.” She also writes the newsletter Half-Caste Woman. A fifth-generation Chinese American who hails from Southern California, she now lives in Brooklyn.
Mila Zuo is Associate Professor in Cinema and Media Studies at UBC. Her book Vulgar Beauty: Acting Chinese in the Global Sensorium (Duke UP, 2022) received the best book award in media, performance, and visual studies from the Association for Asian American Studies. Other articles can be found in Celebrity Studies, Women & Performance, Post 45, and Journal of Chinese Cinemas. In addition to her scholarly work, Zuo is also a filmmaker whose award-winning works have screened in numerous international film festivals, universities, and galleries.
History Book Festival
About the Festival
The History Book Festival is the first and only book festival in the United States devoted exclusively to history. With the help of our presenting funding partners—Delaware Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices | PenFed Realty—as well as our program and community partners, volunteers, and donors, the 2024 History Book Festival will be full of great discussions with authors of newly published narrative nonfiction and historical fiction. Our Keynote event is presented by Sally Mott Freeman and John K. Freeman, and our Closing event is presented by Griswold Home Care for Sussex and Kent Counties. Saturday’s Spirited Discussion, our gathering for attendees and presenters to celebrate and discuss their day, is presented by Dogfish Head Beer & Benevolence.
In conversation with Karie Bible at Larry Edmunds Bookshop
Author Katie Gee Salisbury signs Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong here at Larry Edmunds Bookshop. Discover how the first internationally famous Chinese American actress transformed Hollywood. Katie will be joined in conversation by Larebrary author event alumni Karie Bible. Free and open to the public.
The Los Angeles Breakfast Club
ABOUT THE BOOK: In her time, Anna May Wong was a legendary beauty, witty conversationalist, and fashion icon. Plucked from her family’s laundry business in Los Angeles, Anna May Wong rose to stardom in Douglas Fairbanks’s blockbuster The Thief of Bagdad. Fans and the press clamored to see more of this unlikely actress, but when Hollywood repeatedly cast her in stereotypical roles, she headed abroad in protest.
Anna May starred in acclaimed films in Berlin, Paris, and London. She dazzled royalty and heads of state across several nations, leaving trails of suitors in her wake. She returned to challenge Hollywood at its own game by speaking out about the industry’s blatant racism. She used her new stature to move away from her typecasting as the China doll or dragon lady, and worked to reshape Asian American representation in film. Biographer Katie Gee Salisbury will discuss the vibrant, radical career of a groundbreaking artist, bringing an unsung heroine to light and reclaiming her place in cinema history.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Katie Gee Salisbury is the author of Not Your China Doll, a new biography of Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, MSNBC, Vanity Fair, The Believer, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, and elsewhere. She also writes the newsletter Half-Caste Woman. A fifth-generation Chinese American who hails from Southern California, she now lives in Brooklyn.
ABOUT THE CLUB: Founded in 1925, the Los Angeles Breakfast Club still thrives with food, friendship, and fun. Our meetings are held in our clubhouse, Friendship Auditorium, located at 3201 Riverside Drive, near the corner of Los Feliz Boulevard, in Griffith Park. Best described as a variety show, attendees enjoy a catered breakfast, silly songs, club traditions, and an interesting presentation from a guest speaker.
TICKETS: Sales on labreakfastclub.com close 48 hours before breakfast. Non-members are $28 and Members receive a 25% discount when logged into their Membership Portal.
Please arrive between 6:45 - 7:00 AM sharp! Doors close at 7:15 AM. Your admission includes a buffet breakfast, enjoyment of our 99-year-old club traditions, plus a special presentation from our Speaker of the Week!
For our ticket refund and exchange policy, please click here.
Note: Membership discounts are a benefit for members current with their dues. If you would like to apply to become a member, click here for more information.
HEALTH & SAFETY: Surgical disposable face masks or medical-grade masks (i.e., KN95, KF94, N95) are strongly recommended when not eating or drinking, especially during the cold and flu season, and will be provided on request.
ANIMALS: Only Service Animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act are allowed indoors at this venue. Please keep pets and emotional support animals safely at home.
China Society of Southern California
Dinner program and presentation with author Katie Gee Salisbury. Doors open at 5:30 pm.
Cost: $40, pay at the door, cash or check payable to China Society of Southern California
The Book Club of California
An in-person presentation by Katie Gee Salisbury, author and photographer. Reception begins at 5:30 pm.
In conversation with Rachel Manwill at Greedy Reads
Katie Gee Salisbury joins us in Remington to present her book Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong, in conversation with book reviewer Rachel Manwill.
OCA Community Outreach Fair
Come say hello at the OCA and JACL National Convention! Katie will be sitting at a booth at the Community Outreach Fair, signing books, and chatting about all things Anna May Wong. A limited number of books will be available for purchase.
Screening of Shanghai Express
Special Features: Introduction by film historian Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong
"It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." The befeathered courtesan (Marlene Dietrich) meets a stoic Army man and ex-lover (Clive Brook) on the titular Shanghai Express traveling across war-torn China, but their wistful reminiscing is interrupted when a bandit (Warner Oland) demands an unscheduled stop. While the real Sino-Japanese war was in the headlines and revolution in the air, director Josef von Sternberg chose to portray a dreamscape of atmosphere, threat and sexual tension. Legendary cinematographer Lee Garmes won an Oscar® for his striking cinematography and Anna May Wong shines as a reformed courtesan trying to leave her past behind. The motley crew of characters share a train compartment as well as murky pasts and uncertain morals, yet it is ultimately Wong's character who exerts control over her destiny. DIR Josef von Sternberg; SCR Jules Furthman, from a short story by Harry Hervey; PROD Adolph Zukor. U.S., 1932, b&w, 82 min. NOT RATED
Screening of Pavement Butterfly
Special Features: Introduction by film historian Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong. Live piano accompaniment by Jon Mirsalis.
[GROßSTADTSCHMETTERLING: BALLADE EINER LIEBE]
Actress Anna May Wong, stifled by the racist limitations of Hollywood, found stardom and creative freedom in Europe. This rediscovered gem, the second of her three films with German director Richard Eichberg, showcases Wong's extraordinary talent in a role not based on her "exoticism" but on her screen presence and acting ability. A fan-dancer participating in a carnival act that goes wrong, Wong's dancer flees and finds refuge with an artist, becoming his muse. An encounter with her past leads her to escape again, this time to the streets, where she is rescued by a baron, who is captivated by her portrait and offers her salvation. Yet in glamorous Monte Carlo, she faces the ultimate choice: will she succumb to a life of luxury as a kept woman or embrace independence? Wong's nuanced performance reveals a woman fighting for agency, while breathtaking cinematography makes this one of the era's most visually stunning silent films. DIR Richard Eichberg; SCR Hans Kyser, from the novel by Adolf Lantz. Germany/UK, 1929, b&w, 96 min. Silent with German intertitles and English subtitles. NOT RATED
4K DCP restoration by Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, courtesy of Beta Film.
They Call Us Charlie Chan: Asian American Hollywood Then and Now with Jeff Yang and Phil Yu
Jeff Yang and Phil Yu, cohosts of the podcast THEY CALL US BRUCE and coauthors of the NY Times bestselling RISE, return to NCORE for a talk with Katie Gee Salisbury, author of NOT YOUR CHINA DOLL. In a session recorded live for their podcast, Yang, Yu and Gee will discuss the legacy of early Asian American Hollywood - particularly that of "oriental detective" Charlie Chan, inspired by real-life Chinese Hawaiian detective Chang Apana, but mostly depicted by white men in "yellowface" makeup.
Anna May Wong: Hollywood’s Unsung Heroine
History has long neglected the wild and inspiring story of Anna May Wong, a taboo-smashing star whose career left an indelible mark on Hollywood. In her time, she was a legendary beauty, witty conversationalist, and fashion icon. Plucked from her family’s laundry business in Los Angeles, Wong rose to stardom in Douglas Fairbanks’s 1924 silent blockbuster The Thief of Bagdad. Fans and the press clamored to see more of this unlikely actress, but when Hollywood repeatedly cast her in stereotypical roles, she headed abroad in protest.
Wong starred in acclaimed films in Berlin, Paris, and London. She dazzled royalty and heads of state across several nations, leaving trails of suitors in her wake. She returned to challenge Hollywood at its own game by speaking out about the industry’s blatant racism. She used her new stature to move away from her typecasting as the China doll or dragon lady and worked to reshape Asian American representation in film. Biographer Katie Gee Salisbury discusses the vibrant, radical career of a groundbreaking artist, bringing an unsung heroine to light and reclaiming her place in cinema history.
Anna May Wong and the Golden Age of Asian American Cinema with Jeff Yang and Arthur Dong
Authors Katie Gee Salisbury (Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong) and Jeff Yang (The Golden Screen: How Movies Made Asian America), discuss Anna May Wong and other underappreciated Asian American pioneers of the dawn of Hollywood. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong (Hollywood Chinese) moderates the conversation.
A book sale and signing follows.
Unmasking Anna May Wong Opening Reception
The Chinese American Museum invites you to the opening reception of our latest exhibition, Unmasking Anna May Wong on Thursday, May 23rd at 6:30 – 9:00 pm. CAM Members can have a special preview at 5:30pm.
Unmasking Anna May Wong honors Chinese American actress and legend, Anna May Wong. The exhibition pays tribute to the trailblazer and icon who challenged conventions against all odds and paved the way for greater diversity and representation. Look behind the curtain and explore her life beyond Hollywood. Unmasking Anna May Wong will run from May 24, 2024 – Jan 26, 2025.
Chinese Americans in Hollywood: A Virtual Conversation with Authors William Gow and Katie Gee Salisbury
Chinese Americans have been involved in the movie business since its earliest days, whether as extras, leading actors like Anna May Wong and Keye Luke, or Oscar-winning cinematographers like James Wong Howe. Join us virtually on May 22nd at 8 PM ET for a presentation on Chinese Americans in early Hollywood with William Gow, author of Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community, and Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong, followed by conversation and audience questions, moderated by Jenny Cho. Those in attendance will have a chance to receive free copies of William Gow and Katie Gee Salisbury’s books!
This event is co-hosted by OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, OCA-Greater Washington, D.C. chapter, and 1882 Foundation.
Chinese Americans in Classic Hollywood: From Chinatown Movie Extras to Anna May Wong
Chinese Americans have been involved in the movie business since its earliest days, whether as extras, leading actors like Anna May Wong and Keye Luke, or Oscar-winning cinematographers like James Wong Howe. Join us for a presentation on Chinese Americans in early Hollywood with William Gow, author of Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community, and Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong, followed by conversation and audience questions. Hosted by Asian American Studies at Stanford, the Asian American Activities Center (A3C), and the Asian American Research Center at Stanford (AARCS).
BIO International Annual Conference: Writing Asian & Asian American Biography
As authors of current and forthcoming biographies, our panel will discuss the following questions: How can we pitch Asian or Asian American themed content for broad audiences? What surprises and challenges come from researching across language, borders, and specific art forms? How do we gain the trust of our subjects’ families, and how does the past reveal itself to the digital age? (ISSUES TRACK)
Moderator
Susan Blumberg-Kason is the author of Bernardine’s Shanghai Salon: The Story of the Doyenne of Old China and Good Chinese Wife: A Love Affair with China Gone Wrong. She is also the co-editor of Hong Kong Noir and a regular contributor to the Asian Review of Books, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, and World Literature Today. Her work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Pop Matters, and the South China Morning Post. Blumberg-Kason lives in the Chicago suburbs.
Panelists
Karen Fang is a film scholar and cultural critic who writes and speaks for museums and film festivals around the world. Her newest book, Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong, is a biography of the Chinese American immigrant artist who helped make the Disney animated classic Bambi. A specialist on the intersection of Eastern and Western aesthetics, Fang has also written about the cross-cultural influences between Hong Kong and Hollywood cinema and the impact of exotic artifacts on 19th-century British writing. Her writing on Tyrus Wong has also appeared in Smithsonian magazine, Hyperallergic, and on the popular public radio series The Engines of Our Ingenuity.
Katie Gee Salisbury is the author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong (Dutton, 2024), a new biography of the first Asian American movie star. Salisbury’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Believer, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and elsewhere. She was a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in 2021 and gave the TED Talk “As American as Chop Suey.” Gee Salisbury also writes the newsletter “Half-Caste Woman.” A fifth-generation Chinese American who hails from Southern California, she now lives in Brooklyn.
Sung-Yoon Lee, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, is the author of The Sister: The Extraordinary Story of Kim Yo Jong, the Most Powerful Woman in North Korea, published in America by Public Affairs in September 2023. Previously, Dr. Lee, born and raised in South Korea, taught Korean history at the Fletcher School, Tufts University.
Screening of Piccadilly + Book Signing
With live accompaniment by Ben Model
And discussion with Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll
$18 Public | $12 Members
E.A. Dupont's silent masterpiece stars the sultry Anna May Wong in her greatest role. After many years of supporting roles in Hollywood, Wong left for Europe in search of better work. And did she find it! Her electric, sexually-charged performance in Piccadilly is a revelation. Wong is mesmerizing as Shosho, the Chinese scullery maid at a Piccadilly nightclub who overnight becomes the toast of London - and the object of desire of all around her. Piccadilly was the brilliant apex to director E. A. Dupont’s trilogy of theater films (Varieté and Moulin Rouge), showcasing his signature mix of magnificent acting, dazzling imagery and balletic camera movements. (1929, 108 mins)
Opening Reception: Not Your China Doll: Anna May Wong's Trailblazing Career
Curated by Katie Gee Salisbury, the author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong, Pearl River Mart’s newest exhibition shines a light on the life and career of Hollywood’s first Asian American movie star.
Chinese Americans in Classic Hollywood: Anna May Wong, Tyrus Wong, and the Chinatown Extras Who Made Movie Magic
To kick off AANHPI Heritage Month, join Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC) for a virtual literary discussion with three authors who have written about the important contributions of Chinese Americans in Hollywood: Karen Fang, author of Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong, William Gow, author of Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community, and Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong. This virtual event is open to all Stanford alumni and will be moderated by New York Times best-selling author and journalist, Jeff Yang, author of The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America.