Actors/Actresses
The first Asian woman to be nominated for a best actress academy award.
Merle Oberon - 1936 The Dark Angel
Born in Mumbai - Maori
First Asian American Woman to be elected into Congress.
Patsy Mink - 1965 HI
Japanese
Went in her father's place to fight for China.
Mulan- 1998
First Asian winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rabindranath Tagore -1913
India for Social Reform work
One of the first two Japanese-American Women to graduate with a medical degree.
Dr. Kazue Togasaki - 1933 Women's Medical College in Philadephia
First Asian American woman to be a teacher in San Francisco.
Alice Fong Yu - 1926
Chinese
Won an Oscar for portraying Ghandi.
Ben Kingsley - 1982 Ghandi
Father was of Asian descent
First Asian - Pacific male to be a congressman in congress.
Dalip Saund - 1957 CA.
Indian
She made friends with an alien named Stitch.
Lilo -2002
Hawaiian
First Asian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mother Theresa - 1979 - Peace
India
He is known as the Chinese Schindler by issuing visas to thousands of Jews during World War 2.
Dr. Feng Shang Ho
Believed he saved 5000 Jews
Transgender woman that teaches Hula dancing in Hawaii and has a documentary.
Kuma Hina
Hawaiian
Co-wrote the song Up Where We Belong for an Officer and Gentleman becoming the first Pacific Islander to win an Academy Award.
Buffy Sainte- Marie - 1982
Identifies as Mi'Kmaq
First woman with a disability to be elected to congress and first Thai.
Tammy Duckworth - 2012 Illinois
Lost both legs in the Iraq War
Thai- Chinese
She went on a journey to save Te Fiti with her rooster.
Moana - 2016
Polynesian
First Muslim and Iranian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Shiran Ebadi- 2004 - Peace
Iran
One of the first Asian American women to be a dancer in the entertainment industry during the 1930's and 1940's.
Dorothy Toy
First Asian/Pacific Islander to win Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
Sarah Lancaster -2022 Minnesota
First Indian from India to win an Academy Award.
Bhanu Athaiya - 1983 Award for Best Costume Design - Ghandi
First Native Hawaiian to serve in the Senate.
Daniel Akaka - 1990 HI
Hawaiian , Chinese
He was raised by a bear and other animals in the Jungle.
India
First Turkish man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in literature.
Orhan Pamuk - 2006
Granted the Medal of Honor for his bravery in World War 2.
Army Sgt. Hiroshi Miyamura
Won 2021 Territorial Teacher of the Year for American Samoa.
Sabrina Suluai - Mahuka - 2021
Samoa
Won an Academy Award for best original score and best original song.
A.R. Rahman - 2008 Slumdog Millionaire - You Are My Destiny
First person of Filipino ancestry elected to the Senate.
John Ensign - 2001 NV
Hiro and Baymax become secret super hero(s).
Big Hero Six -2014
Japanese
First Arab Woman and first Yemeni to be awarded the Nobel Peace prize.
Tawakkul Karman - 2011 - Peace
Yemen
Transgender woman advocating for transgender rights since the 1990's.
Cecilia Chung - 1990's
The percent of teachers that are Asian American in the United States.
3.7% -2023
Played Short Round in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and recently won an academy award for best supporting actor.
Ke Huy Quan -2023 Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
The first African - American and Asian - American Vice President.
Kamala Harris -2021
Indian
The rings are very powerful and can be used for good.
Shang- Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings -2021
Chinese - American
First Nobel Laureate in Physiology and Medicine.
Har Gobind Khoraha - 1968
Asian and Indian
Known as the " First Lady of Physics" and the Chinese Marie Curie and graduated from the University of California Berkley in 1940 with a PH.D.
Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu -
First Asian American Superintendent for the Oakland Unified School District.
Carol Quan - 1997