Sofia Chang CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA Sofia Chang is the first Asian American CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. In its 110-year history, Girl Scouts has encouraged girls to embrace their unique strengths and create their own opportunities. Chang is also the mother of a Girl Scout, a Lifetime Member, and a […]
Kim Ng General Manager, Miami Marlins Kimberly Ng is the first woman to serve as general manager of a major professional sports league team in North America. She is also the first Asian American general manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. Ng has been a trailblazer in sports since her early years. Her interest
Helen Zia Author, Activist, Journalist Helen Zia is a tireless advocate for Asian Americans. She has been a key figure in Asian American activism since the murder of Vincent Chin in 1982, when Zia’s journalism and advocacy moved the Asian American community to demand justice for Chin. In addition, she played a crucial role in bringing
Katherine Tai U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Chi Tai is the first Asian American to serve in the position of 19th United States Trade Representative. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, Ambassador Tai is the principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy. She is the only member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet to
Michelle Wu Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, made history by being elected mayor of Boston in November 2021, winning 64% of the vote and becoming the first woman, the first person of color, and the first East Asian American elected as Boston’s mayor. Previously, Wu was the first Asian American woman
Judy Chu U.S. House of Representatives Representative Judy Chu was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2009. She is the first Chinese American woman to serve as a U.S. Representative. She represents the 27th Congressional District, which includes Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley of southern California. Chu currently serves on
Hazel Lee American Aviator (1912-1944) Maggie Gee American Aviator (1923-2013) Hazel Lee and Maggie Gee were the only two Asian American members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program. Though female pilots weren’t permitted to serve in America’s armed forces until 1974, women civilian pilots played a crucial role during World War II. WASP trained women
Anna May Wong International Film Star, Fashion Icon, Television (1905 – 1961) Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star and the first Chinese American actress to gain international recognition. Her career spanned silent film, sound film, television, stage, and radio. She resisted racism and typecasting in Hollywood as well as the practice
Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu Particle and Experimental Physicist (1912-1997) Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu was a leading experimental physicist whose career included working on the Manhattan Project. She was likely the only Chinese person to have done so. Wu is known as the “Chinese Marie Curie” and “the First Lady of Physics.” Wu’s experiments, which utilized radioactive cobalt
Iris Chang Author, Historian, Journalist, Political Activist (1968-2004) Iris Chang (張純如) was a Chinese American author, journalist, and human rights activist. In her research, particularly in The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II (1997), Chang made significant historical discoveries. Chang’s The Rape of Nanking was the first comprehensive account of the 1937 Nanking massacre. In this
