Famous Asian Americans

In recently years, "ethnic" has become vogue. I'll resist a rant about that to admit that there does seem to be more racial diversity portrayed in the entertainment industry now then when I was a kid. People of bi-racial and multi-racial background have especially changed standards of beauty. Still, there is a lot of room for improvement.

So to give a little extra props, and to remind myself why I should be proud to be an Asian American, I present my list of awesome Asian Americans. These are all people of Asian decent, who are also Americans. Their talent has inspired me, and their ethnicity has comforted me. Hopefully I'll be able to keep updating and expanding this list accordingly.

Kristi Yamaguchi
Won gold for team USA at the 1992 Olympics in women's ice skating singles.


George Takei
Best known for his role as Sulu on Star Trek, he also survived the American internment camps during WWII, and is an outspoken gay rights advocate.


Amy Tan
Her award-winning novels, like Joy Luck Club, examine issues that are inherent to being an Asian woman and having immigrant parents.


Margaret Cho
Multi-talented, her stand up comedy routines about Asian American racial issues stand out for their wit and hilarity.


Ben Fong-Torres
Renowned rock music journalist, who has written for Rolling Stone and the San Francisco Chronicle.


John Cho
A versatile actor, he starred in Better Luck Tomorrow, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, and the most resent Star Trek movie.


Rachael Yamagata
Singer-songwriter and pianist, she's collaborated with such music greats as Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, and Jill Cunniff.


Chris Chu
Frontman for The Morning Benders, he's wrote and co-produced their new album, Big Echo, which is taking 2010 by storm. Also, much love to his fellow Asian American band members, Jon Chu and Tim Or.

Honorable Mentions

Sandra Oh
Asian Canadian actress, who has starred in award-winning independent films, including Wilby Wonderful, Sideways, and Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity.


George Masa
His passionate work helped create The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As a Japanese immigrant he was not eligible for citizenship, but he was a true American.