The Lost Goddess of "Flower Drum Song"

I first saw Universal-International's "Flower Drum Song" (1961) , the summer of 1985. Mentally I had arrived at a more culturally sensitive point years before: no one in my family was allowed to refer to people in general as "Asian-American"- you were told to find out, politely what their cultural/national origin was. My mother took out an atlas and showed us how vast a continent we were 'tossing' these people into; our shame led to a better understanding and more detailed exploration of many cultures. I was able to assimilate into my parents world of un-used racial/cultural modifiers (like "She's pretty for a --- girl."); and a broader spectrum of the beauty in the world helped me identify with being 'American' even more.

I cataloged Nancy Kwan- who played Linda Low- as one of the screen goddesses to worship...unfortunately Hollywood had it's own plan. In her native Hong Kong she was sometimes billed as "The Chinese Bardot"; when she was promoted here as one of the stars of "Flower Drum Song", she was touted as "that bewitching Suzie Wong girl", a reference to a former movie role. Although Nancy Kwan has had a long and familiar advantage in Hollywood- she is a pioneer for Chinese-American film artist and truly is 'Hong Kong's gift to Hollywood'- she was not given the screen goddess status many believed she should have achieved. Tinseltown wasn't ready for a mutli-talented ASIAN-American; even if her mother was British.

I still search for her name in the credits of films...sometimes I do not recognize her right off because of her range, and am taken aback. I rent-buy-and borrow Hong Kong and mainland Chinese films that she has been in to admire her gift. I don't mind the 'leg-work', her talent has always been worth it!

FYI: Of the three actresses nominated for "Memoirs of a Geisha" none were Japanese. Michelle Yeou- although well-known for her Hong Kong-based star power- is not Chinese but Malaysian; Ziyi Zhang and Gong Li are both Chinese. There are approximately six vast regions and more than fifty countries in ASIA...always ask, don't assume.