What Was the China Doll?

parsing the meaning behind a loaded phrase

Anna May Wong poses in one of her flapper dresses, circa 1920s

When I set out to write a book about Anna May Wong, I had a specific intention in mind. I wanted to reframe the narrative around AMW’s life and career. Rather than characterize her as a tragic victim of racism and sexism — as many articles on the internet tend to do — my aim was to acknowledge her resilience and resourcefulness, and the agency she held over her own destiny in spite of the challenges she faced.

I came up with the title Not Your China Doll before I’d ever written a word of the book itself. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the title is a riff on I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck’s documentary on James Baldwin — and a reference to something James Baldwin once said. I liked turning the idea of the China doll on its head, a stereotype that Anna May Wong was so often made to play, and remolding it into a statement of defiance. No, I will not play your China doll anymore. Because I have thoughts and dreams and a voice. I will not be bound by the fantasy you project onto me.

My agent sold the book to Dutton at the beginning of March 2020. A week later the world shut down. Racked with anxiety and fear as I scrolled through the daily death counts around the world, I wondered whether anyone would even care about AMW by the time the global pandemic was over — that is, if we made it…