Asian American

Since Parry Shen's breakout performance in Paramount Pictures/MTV Films' Better Luck Tomorrow – the first studio film to feature an all Asian American cast – he has continued to showcase…

Celeste Ng is the author of the novel Everything I Never Told You, which was a New York Times bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book of 2014, Amazon’s #1…

Yong Zhao currently serves as a Foundations Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas and was previously the Presidential Chair and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education…

Haiyan Wang is managing partner of the China India Institute, a research consultancy that creates winning global strategies with a focus on leveraging the transformational rise of China and India.…

Susan Au Allen came to the United States from Hong Kong on an invitation from the White House in recognition of her volunteer work for people with disabilities. She received…

Mona Weng is the Global Strategic Partnerships Manager for Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app owned by Google Inc. In her 20% time, Mona spearheads Google’s business…

Over the course of twenty-five years and fifteen stories, Ted Chiang has won numerous awards including four Nebulas, four Hugos, four Locuses, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best…

Dr. Kevin Pho is a practicing, board-certified internal medicine physician, a national media commentator, co-author of the book, Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for…

In 1994, while a sophomore at UC Berkeley, Lela Lee first created “Angry Little Asian Girl” after viewing offensive and chauvinistic cartoons in a festival of animation. Her friend took…

Jianying Zha is a writer, media critic, and China representative of the India China Institute at The New School. She is the author of Tide Players: The Movers and Shakers…

Angela E. Oh serves as the Executive Director of the Western Justice Center Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advances peaceful resolution of conflict. She has worked as an attorney, public…

Krys Lee is the author of the short story collection Drifting House and the recent debut novel How I Became a North Korean, both published by Viking, Penguin Random House.…

Charles Yu is one of the story writers for the HBO series Westworld. Charles was born in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia…

Vanessa Hua is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and author of ‘Deceit and Other Possibilities,’ which received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. She received a Rona Jaffe…

Erin Khuê Ninh comes to UC Santa Barbara by way of California's public school system. She attended public grade schools in Los Angeles, completed both her BA and PhD degrees…

Ti-Hua Chang has been a reporter with NBC news in New York since 1993. He has covered numerous stories, often traveling around the globe. In 1996, he won the prestigious…

Kelly Choi is a multiple Emmy Award–winning journalist, producer, and TV host and contributing editor to Eat This, Not That! The former host of Top Chef Masters, she is also…

Mia Alvar is a writer currently based in Santa Monica, CA. She was born in the Philippines and raised in the U.S. and Bahrain. Alvar graduated from Harvard College and…

Ken Liu is an author and translator of speculative fiction, as well as a lawyer and programmer. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, he has been…

Marilyn Tam, Ph.D. is a Speaker, Author, Consultant, Board Certified Executive/Corporate Coach, CEO of Marilyn Tam & Co. and Founder and Executive Director of Us Foundation. She was formerly the…

Internationally-renowned human rights activist, community organizer, and musician Arn Chorn-Pond inspires change through his incredible stories of surviving the Cambodian Khmer Rouge genocide. Subject of the Emmy-nominated documentary, The Flute…

Suzanne Whang is a multi-talented entertainer with a career spanning two decades as an actor, television host, and stand-up comedian. Since 1999, Whang has been hosting House Hunters, the #1…

Jenn Lim is the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness, a company she and Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos.com) co-founded to inspire science-based happiness, passion and purpose at…

In the ever-evolving landscape of education in America, Michelle Rhee has been working tirelessly for the past two decades to give children the skills and knowledge they will need to…

Betty Liu is the Executive Vice Chairman for NYSE Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE). Liu oversees the NYSE marketing strategy, including customer-centric messaging, brand, digital…

Roy Choi is widely known as the godfather of the food truck movement thanks to his success with the much-celebrated Kogi Truck. At a time when chefs and food trucks…

Josephine Park is Associate Professor of English and a member of the faculty steering committee of the Asian American Studies Program. She received her PhD from UC Berkeley, and she…

Jane Hyun is the author of Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, co-author of FLEX, and Founder and President of Hyun & Associates. She is an executive coach and leadership strategist to…

Kip Fulbeck is a pioneering artist, spoken word performer, author, and filmmaker exploring multiracial identity. He has been featured on CNN, MTV, The Today Show, and PBS, and has performed…

Jay Sean is the international superstar behind songs such as “Down,” featuring Lil Wayne, and “Do You Remember,” chart-topping hits from his U.S. debut album All or Nothing, which helped…

Helen Zia is the author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People, a finalist for the prestigious Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize. President Bill Clinton quoted from…

Gordon G. Chang is the author of Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World, released by Random House in January 2006.  Showdown focuses on nuclear proliferation in general and…

Sheng Wang developed and honed his comedy in the thriving standup community of the San Francisco Bay Area. He performs jokes based on personal experiences and observations and addresses common…

Ming Tsai's love of cooking was forged in his early years. Ming was raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he spent hours cooking alongside his mother and father at Mandarin Kitchen,…

George Takei, a Japanese American who—from age 4 to 8—was unjustly imprisoned in two US internment camps during World War II, is an outspoken supporter of human right issues and…

Dat Phan is the Original Winner of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and is a Headlining Comedian touring live across the U.S. He has made numerous TV and movie appearances including…

SuChin Pak is most proud of her work as the host and co-producer of the documentary series, “My Life Translated.” A personal, narrative doc series for MTV, the show follows…

Masi Oka is a Japanese American actor and digital effects artist. He has performed in many films and TV shows. He has recently finished filming a role in Get Smart,…

Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist who is also known for her work in performance art, music, and filmmaking. She is the widow and…

Karen K. Narasaki is an independent civil and human rights consultant. President Barack Obama appointed Ms. Narasaki to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in July of 2014. She is…

Irene Natividad, a recognized leader for women in the United States, wears many hats.  Ms. Natividad is President of the Global Summit of Women, an annual international gathering of women…

Award-winning journalist Lisa Ling is the host of This is Life with Lisa Ling,  on CNN. Ling was formerly the executive producer and host of Our America on the Oprah…

Aimee Liu is the author of "Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders," a sequel to her acclaimed memoir of anorexia nervosa, "Solitaire." "Gaining" proves that healthy nutrition is…

Bobby Lee, best known from his numerous years as a cast member on Fox’s long running comedy series Mad TV, was most recently seen as a regular guest on E!’s…

James Kyson Lee is a Korean American actor best known for his role of Ando Masahashi on the NBC television series Heroes. Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea. His…

Ang Lee is a film director, producer and screenwriter who was born on October 23, 1954, in Taipei, Taiwan. Lee attended the National Taiwan College of Arts, where he graduated…

Dr. Henry C. Lee is one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists. Dr. Lee’s work has made him a landmark in modern-day forensic sciences. He has been a prominent player…

Yul Kwon won the hit CBS reality show Survivor: Cook Islands during 2006's controversial, racially segregated season. On his way to victory, Kwon skillfully led a multi-ethnic team, earned a…

Evelyn Hu-Dehart is Professor of History, and Director of the center for the study of race and ethnicity in America at Brown University. She joins Brown from the University of…

Phoebe Eng is a national lecturer, social change strategist and author of the critically acclaimed Warrior Lessons, her groundbreaking account of race, empowerment and leadership in a changing world. As…