[6] In February 1942, a few months after the United States entered World War II, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066.

[2][9] During the early 1950s, Suzuki attended five colleges,[2] and graduated from San Jose State University,[4][5] earning teaching credentials for elementary and secondary schools.

[2][4][10] While touring with the company, Suzuki took on gigs singing in nightclubs to cover her expenses, and ended up becoming a local celebrity at the Colony Club in Seattle in 1955,[2][10][11] appearing for three years and more than 2,000 consecutive performances.

[2][4] She recorded several albums for RCA Victor, including her 1958 eponymous album, Pat Suzuki (also known as Miss Pony Tail, after the nickname she had acquired during the Colony Club years),[4][11] and went on to win the Downbeat National Disc Jockey Poll award for "America's best new female singer" that year.

She actually turned down the role at first ("I thought it was too big for me"),[3] for which she later won the Theatre World Award for an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, in 1959.

[14] Suzuki and Flower Drum Song costar Miyoshi Umeki were photographed by Philippe Halsman for the December 22, 1958 cover of Time.

Suzuki had married photographer Mark Shaw on March 28, 1960[16][17] and had given birth to their son David shortly before the film was being shot;[18] in addition, Kwan had recently become notable for starring in The World of Suzie Wong.

[23] Suzuki's haunting studio cover version of "How High the Moon" (music by Morgan Lewis and lyrics by Nancy Hamilton) was released on her eponymous album in 1958.

[26] The cover is anachronistically featured in the motion picture Biloxi Blues[27] during the opening credits[6] and in a later dance scene between the characters Eugene Jerome and Daisy (played by Matthew Broderick and Penelope Ann Miller, respectively).