Celebrate these famous Americans, including Bruce Lee, Dwayne Johnson, and Amy Tan, during AAPI Heritage Month.
The month of May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – a time to honor and celebrate the culture of Asian and Pacific Island people in the United States. As actors, journalists, musicians, scientists, activists, and more, these inspiring figures have made invaluable contributions to America both in the past and today.
1 of 18 Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who is of Samoan descent, has captured the world’s attention since his early days as one of the greatest professional wrestlers. He then pivoted into acting, starring in films such as The Scorpion King, Moana, and various films in The Fast and the Furious franchise. He is now one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood and was even named one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine.
American journalist Ann Curry worked as an anchor for NBC News, Dateline NBC, and the Today show. Her reporting on wars and natural disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, was vital to the process of gathering information and bringing aid to the areas. Curry, whose mother is Japanese, has won seven Emmy Awards in her career for her important and heroic coverage.
Born in Los Angeles in 1905, Anna May Wong is considered by many to be the first Chinese American movie star. During her long career, she appeared in over 60 films including Shanghai Express (alongside star Marlene Dietrich), Piccadilly, and The Thief of Bagdad. Despite her success, Wong faced horrific racism in Hollywood, to the point where she transitioned to European films in the hopes of greater acceptance.
American actor and activist George Takei rose to fame in his role as Hikaru Sulu in the television show Star Trek. The son of Japanese American parents, he has spoken openly about how he and his family lived in a U.S. internment camp during WWII. His story even inspired a Broadway musical that Takei starred in called Allegiance. In addition to his work as a voice actor, Takei is also a vocal activist who advocates for LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights.
5 of 18 Amy Tan
Novelist Amy Tan is best known for her best-selling book, The Joy Luck Club. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Tan began her career as a business writer before delving into the world of fiction. Her other works include The Kitchen God’s Wife and The Bonesetter’s Daughter. In addition to her novels, Tan has also written an autobiography and memoir which detail her experience living with Lyme disease and her complex relationship with her mother.
6 of 18 Maya Lin
In 1981, a competition was held to determine who would design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Out of the 1,421 submissions, the winner was Yale undergrad Maya Lin. Despite winning, Lin faced discrimination as a young Chinese American woman. Her memorial design was still used and has since been deemed a powerful and important piece of American history. Lin went on in her career to design many more memorials, buildings, and sculptures, many of which incorporate her views on environmentalism.
7 of 18 Kalpana Chawla
In 1997, NASA astronaut and mechanical engineer Kalpana Chawla made history as the first woman of Indian origin to go into space. She worked as a mission specialist and primary robotic arm operator aboard the Space Shuttle Colombia. In 2003, during her second mission to space, Chawla tragically died, along with her six crewmates, when the Colombia disintegrated during re-entry. She posthumously received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, born to Chinese parents in Paris, was considered a child prodigy since the age of four and a half. He has performed before multiple presidents, from John F. Kennedy, when he was seven years old, to Barack Obama, who awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. Ma’s eclectic musical style ranges from classical to bluegrass to traditional Chinese songs to rock music.
9 of 18 Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee
Born in 1896, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee was an American activist and minister. She was a leader in the women’s rights movement and campaigned for women’s suffrage; and even led a parade of nearly 10,000 people through New York. She was the first Chinese woman to earn a PhD. in economics and was director of the First Chinese Baptist Church of New York City.
10 of 18 Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba is an American TV personality and dancer who rose to fame during her time as a judge on the television show Dancing with the Stars. Inaba, who was born in Hawaii and is of Japanese and Chinese descent, has long been an active animal advocate. The proud owner of several rescue pets, she started the Animal Project Foundation in 2012 to support the welfare of rescued animals.
Patsy Mink was the first woman of color and the first Asian-American elected to Congress. As a Japanese American, she was born and raised in the state of Hawaii, which she represented in Congress from 1965 – 1986 and then again from 1990 – 2002. During her years in office, Mink was an early advocate for the Civil Rights Movement and fought for legislation that helped women, children, immigrants, and people of color. She was the major author and sponsor of Title IX, the groundbreaking 1972 legislation that ensured that females could not be excluded from any nationally funded education program.
12 of 18 Steven Yeun
American actor and producer Steven Yeun rose to fame on the critically acclaimed series The Walking Dead. Since then, he has broken into movies with the film Burning (2018) and Minari (2020), the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Acting in Minari, a film about a Korean immigrant family starting their own farm in Arkansas, was a deeply personal experience for Yeun, who is himself a Korean immigrant.
Along with being one of the most influential martial artists in history, Bruce Lee was also an accomplished actor, director, producer, screenwriter and philosopher. A citizen of both Hong Kong and the United States, Lee revolutionized the film industries of Hong Kong and Hollywood with movies such as Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, and Game of Death. Though he died at the age of 32, Lee’s acting and fighting was a cultural turning point for how Asian people were portrayed in films. In 1999, Lee was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.
Credit: ANDREW J MATUSKO PHOTOGRAPHY
14 of 18 Celeste Ng
American writer Celeste Ng is an accomplished novelist and short story writer. Born in Pittsburgh, her parents immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong. Her writing focuses on the Chinese American experience. Her first novel, Everything I Never Told You, won the Amazon Book of the Year award in 2014 and her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere, was adapted into a miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
15 of 18 Dr. David Ho
In the 1990s as the United States was dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Dr. David Ho was a vital part of understanding the disease. A Taiwanese American physician and virologist, Ho’s research focused on both treatment and preventing HIV transmission. He is the founding scientific director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and was named the 1996 Time magazine Person of the Year for his invaluable work related to the disease.
16 of 18 Ellison Onizuka
Ellison Onizuka was the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese origin to fly in space. As a NASA astronaut, engineer, and test pilot for the Air Force, he flew his first mission in 1985 on the Space Shuttle Discovery. In 1986, Onizuka died in the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, along with six of his crewmates. For his service, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. There is also a crater on the Moon named after him.
17 of 18 Tammy Duckworth
Ladda Tammy Duckworth is a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and Congresswoman representing Illinois. Duckworth was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot and combat veteran of the Iraq War. In 2004 she lost both legs and some mobility in her right arm when her helicopter was hit. Despite this, Duckworth continued to serve in the Army National Guard, became a member of the House of Representatives, and then a Senator. She is the first Thai American woman and first woman with a disability elected to Congress.
American neurosurgeon and medical reporter Sanjay Gupta currently serves as the chief medical correspondent for CNN. The son of Indian immigrants, Gupta did vital reporting during Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the Covid-19 Pandemic. He has also won multiple Emmy Awards for his reporting.
In Held in His Hand, you’ll find stories showcasing God’s interventions that provide safety in danger, offer reassurance in times of exhaustion or grief, foster friendships and support, and guide individuals on their journeys.
