If you are among those still using real money, be sure to check your change starting today. You might get a quarter with the image of Anna May Wong on it.
The Anna May Wong Quarter is the fifth coin in the American Women Quarters™ Program. Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood. She left a legacy for women in the film industry.
Wong, born in Los Angeles in 1905, appeared in more than 60 movies throughout her career. In addition to her roles in silent films, television, and stage, she landed a role in one of the first movies made in Technicolor. She achieved international success despite racism and discrimination.
The quarter is the result of the American Women Quarters Program, a four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women to the development and history of our country.
RELATED: Movie about Anna May Wong planned, starring Gemma Chan
"Each time we redesign our currency, we have the chance to say something about our country — what we value, and how we've progressed as a society. I'm very proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America's most remarkable women," said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who had final approval over the choices.
The quarter was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Emily Damstra and sculpted by United States Mint Medallic Artist John McGraw.
“Many prominent actors from the 1920s and 1930s saw their name framed by lightbulbs on movie theater marquees, so I thought it made sense to feature Anna May Wong in this way,” said Damstra. “Along with the hard work, determination, and skill Anna May Wong brought to the profession of acting, I think it was her face and expressive gestures that really captivated movie audiences, so I included these elements next to her name.”
The Mint will begin shipping the quarters on October 24. If you’d prefer not to wait for circulating change, you can order the currency from the U.S. Mint.
Beginning in 2022, and continuing through 2025, the U.S. Mint will issue up to five new reverse designs each year. The obverse of each coin will maintain a likeness of George Washington, but is different from the design used during the previous quarter program.
 |
| Anna May Wong, the first Asian American female movie star. |
The other women in the first batch that the program is honoring are:
- Maya Angelou – celebrated writer, performer, and social activist
- Dr. Sally Ride – physicist, astronaut, educator, and first American woman in space
- Wilma Mankiller – first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation
- Nina Otero-Warren – a leader in New Mexico’s suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools
The American Women Quarters may feature contributions from a variety of fields, including, but not limited to, suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts. The women honored will be from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.
Upcoming, a quarter featuring the legendary teacher of hula and University of Hawaiʻi instructor Edith Kanakaʻole, will be minted.
The American Women Quarters Program is authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-330).
Look for these quarters in your change. Or shop online and enroll in this groundbreaking program to sign up to receive all four annual installments as they become available. Limited quantities will be produced, so enroll today to ensure you receive a complete collection!
“Anna May Wong was basically ‘hashtag representation matters’ decades before Twitter was even invented,” Paula Yoo told the New York Times. Yoo is a screenwriter in Los Angeles who wrote a children’s book about Wong’s life. “That’s why this quarter is important — because she’s minted, she’s part of Americana, she’s part of American history.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.
No comments:
Post a Comment