I squealed like any other fangirl when I heard the news that Mattel was releasing a Barbie doll inspired by Anna May Wong. It was another welcome sign, along with the quarter release and biopic, that Anna May is being restored to her rightful place in Hollywood history and popular culture at large.
As a little girl, I loved Barbies. I loved dressing them, brushing their hair, and sending them out on imagined adventures. Maybe I loved them a little too much. I once declared to a childhood playmate with a flick of my ponytail: “I’m a Barbie and you’re not.” I don’t know where I got off making that assertion! I’m not even blonde.