Museum of Chinese in America

In this interview, husband and wife, George and Ruth Wong, talk about how they were both performers at the China Doll Night Club. George Wong describes how he was born in China and trained in acrobatics there. When he was 9, he was in an acrobatic troupe that toured Europe. Ruth Wong was born in the United States but was sent back to China with her mother and siblings to get an education during the Depression Era. She talks about growing up in a neighborhood where she was picked on for being Chinese American. During World War II George Wong stayed in Sweden for six years and Ruth Wong was in the United States working in factory. After George Wong moved to the United States to be a acrobatic performer, he speaks about traveling in the US and how unexpected it was for strangers that he knew Swedish better than English. The two talks about how they met at the China Doll Night Club and what it was like to work there. They describe what it was like at the China Doll Night Club and what kind of people went there. They reminisce about the people they used to work with and reflect upon how trends have changed since in entertainment. They explain that part of the appeal of the China Doll Night Club was because there was no other Chinese American clubs in NYC at the time. They emphasize the ways in which the United States and especially New York City was diverse and how that can influence interracial relationships. George and Ruth Wong also describe what it was like having a daughter and working on the road. They recount how he quit performing once their children were of school-age and he began working in the restaurant business. They talk about their children and reflect upon how fame and performance are different today in comparison to when they were performing.