Chinese stars in Hollywood: How times have changed

“You should be so lucky you’re even allowed in here!” That was what the Chinese-American actress Irene Tsu was told in 1968 when she was filming “The Green Berets” with John Wayne.

Irene was dining with fellow Asian-American actor George Takei when a man tried to intimidate them out of a restaurant in the southern state of Georgia.

Many Asian-American actresses throughout Hollywood’s history have faced racism and discrimination. They even lost out on playing the role of Asian characters to white women.

This was what happened to Anna May Wong, when she lost out on the lead role in “The Good Earth” to the white actress Luise Rainer, who went on to win an Academy Award.

But things are changing in Hollywood thanks to the success of movies like “Crazy Rich Asians” and the much-anticipated “Mulan,” which comes out next year.

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Video by Cindy Martin based in Los Angeles, the United States.