Anna May Wong is widely recognized as the first internationally recognized Chinese American actress. As a third generation Chinese American, Wong faced a substantial amount of racism as an actress during this time where white actresses were cast to play the roles of “oriental” women. According to Wong,when she was cast in a movie, she was almost always depicted as, “... the villain...And so crude a villain--murderous, treacherous, a snake in the grass." As a result of this experience, Wong devoted her life to being an activist for Chinese Americans within the film industry while inspiring and empowering Chinese Americans in all walks of life.