Actors/Actresses
The first Asian to win an academy award for best actress.
Michelle Yeoh -2023 Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Malaysian
First Asian American man to be a member of the Senate.
Hiram Fong - 1959 HI
Chinese
The first Asian American to be a CEO of a fortune 500 company.
Gerald Tsai Jr. - 1986
The American Can Company
Chinese-American
This country created gun powder, the printing press and paper and magnetic compass.
China
She is known as the first native Hawaiian to earn a PH.D.
Isabella Aiona Abbot - Marine Biologist
Hawaii
1919-2010
The first Asian man nominated for an academy award.
Sessue Hayakawa -1957 The Bridge on the River Kwai
Japanese
This state has had more Asian American(s) represented in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Hawaii
Senate - 5
House of Representatives - 12
To date
He has been the CEO of Google since 2004.
Sundar Pichai - 2015
India
Lead the development of the tool bar for google known as chrome.
The N95 resprirator ( Mask) that construction workers and medical personnel wear daily was created by a Taiwanese - American.
Peter Tsai - Ph.D.
The first Chinese to graduate from an American University.
Yung Wing - 1854
Yale College
Chinese
The first Lebanese woman to be nominated for an academy award.
Nadine Labaki - Best Foreign Language Film
Capernaum -2018
Samoan woman that was a member of the House of Representatives and ran for President of the United States.
Tulsi Gabbard - 2013-2021
Samoa
He became the CEO of Broadcom in 2006 and is Malaysian born.
Hock Tan - 2006 Broadcom
Malaysia
A Native Hawaiian and navigator that created the Star Compass.
Nainoa Thompson -1980 Star Compass
Hawaii
The first woman from India to graduate from a University in India.
Chandramukhi Basu - 1882
University of Calcutta
Indian actress that won Ms. World in 1994 and is a famous Bollywood actress.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
India
First man in the House of Representatives to be of Bagladeshi ethnicity.
Hansen Clarke - 2013
MI
Taiwan woman that took over as CEO for Advanced Mirco Devices when it was failing.
Lisa Su -2014
Taiwan
A Chinese-American reproductive biologist that help create the oral contraceptive pill known as birth control.
Min Cheuh Chang - Reproductive Biologist
First Pacific Islander to graduate from the University of Auckland.
Olive Virginia Malienafau Nelson - 1936
University of Auckland
Law Degree
Samoa
Returned to Samoa and became the country's first female barrister
First Asian woman to win an academy award for best supporting actress.
Miyoshi Umeki - 1957 Sayonara
Japanese
First woman in the House of Representatives to be of Taiwanese ethnicity.
Grace Meng - 2013
New York
The first woman and immigrant to run a fortune 500 company as the CEO.
Indra Nooyi - 2006 PepsiCo
Indian American
A nationally recognized advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and equity.
Cecilia Chung - Transgender Law Center
The first Pacific Islander that is also an amputee to graduate from Yale Law School.
Right leg amputated from cancer
Koloa Ha'afulhao Wolfgramm - 2022
Yale Law School
Brigham Young University for undergraduate degree
Tonga
A transgender drag performer that competed on Ru Paul's Drag Race All Stars.
Gia Gunn -2017
Japanese
The first transgender congress woman to be elected to the congress of the Philippines.
Geraldine Roman - 2016
Philippines
Transgender woman born in Algiers and is the CEO of Coty.
Sue Y. Nabi - 2020 Coty
Algiers
The first Asian American to serve in the military.
William Ah Hang - 1863 U.S. Navy
Civil War
Chinese
Syed Mir Hassan -
Pakistan
Scholar of the Qur'an and Arabic language
Professor of Arabic at Scotch Mission College