Wrong Asian, Again

what a runaway, a hit-and-run driver & a Malaysian singer all have in common

A couple years ago I wrote about “ the curious case of the other Anna May Wong,” a mysterious Asian woman who kept popping up in my research, mistakenly labeled as Anna May Wong, when I knew she was someone else entirely. Her cat-eye makeup, bobbed hair, and plump cheeks clearly distinguished her from the real AMW. When I finally got to the bottom of it, I found out the woman was named Jue Quon Tai, also known more commonly by her married name, Quon Tai Lachman.

Quon Tai came from a prominent Chinese American family in the Northwest, spent a good part of her youth performing on the vaudeville circuit, and later married artist and film director Harry Lachman. Once Harry’s film career took off, Quon Tai became a well known party hostess in Hollywood circles. As it turns out, Quon Tai and Anna May were quite good friends, being the modern-minded Chinese American gals that they were. I write briefly about the Lachmans in my book…