Now that it's May, the time has come to celebrate something pretty important: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. According to the event's website, it became official in 1992 since May is such a significant time when it comes to Asian immigrants' contributions to America's history.
"The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants," the site says.
Though there isn't nearly enough diversity in the entertainment industry, fortunately, it seems like that's changing (albeit slowly). We're seeing more AAPI celebrities, athletes, and musicians get the spotlight they deserve, even though we still have a long way to go when it comes to representation in Hollywood and in general, considering the rise in anti-Asian violence we've seen in recent years.
The time has come to celebrate the Asian American celebrities in the US who have made significant contributions to pop culture — and who are paving the way for those who come after them. Read on for AAPI stars who are making waves.
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Auli'i Cravalho
Auli'i Cravalho was still a teenager when she was cast as the title character in Disney's Moana and now that she's in her early 20s, this native Hawaiian's career is only growing. She recently starred in Hulu's teen rom-com Crush and is now in the Amazon Prime series The Power, and she's always been open about supporting her community.
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo's breakout role was in Disney's High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, but she's found true stardom (and Grammy wins) as a solo musical artist with hits including "Driver's License" and "Good 4U."
"My family and culture are a big part of who I am. I think it is important for people to embrace their culture and learn about their history," she told Just Jared about her Filipino heritage.
Naomi Osaka
Tennis legend Naomi Osaka isn't stopping at playing the sport — she has also started her own sports agency, as she announced in May 2022. Naomi is the first Asian tennis player to hold the No. 1 ranking by the Women's Tennis Association and has won multiple Gram Slams. She is currently expecting her first baby.
Jason Momoa
With roles in major projects including Game of Thrones and Aquaman, it's hard to ignore the mark that Jason Momoa has already left on Hollywood, all while being proud of his Hawaiian heritage. He even launched his own line of water in recyclable aluminum cans inspired by his love of Hawaii and his mission to protect the planet.
Sandra Oh
After starring in Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve, and even lending her voice to Pixar's Turning Red, Sandra Oh in 2019 became the first Asian woman in 40 years to win a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama. She famously said during her acceptance speech, "It's an honor just to be Asian."
Dwayne Johnson
From his wrestling career to Moana to the Fast & Furious franchise, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has always been outspoken about his love of his home state, Hawaii.
"There's no place like these islands. They are alive. And the mana is real — it's strong and powerful," he told Travel & Leisure. "You get lost in time when you're over here. In New York and LA, it's a nonstop treadmill. But you come out here and you just lose track of time. I'm a big evangelist when it comes to talking about aloha spirit and what that means."
Ali Wong
Ali Wong has had a seriously impressive comedy career. Not only is she a mom and an author with multiple Netflix specials under her belt, but she also starred in the streaming service's rom-com Always Be My Maybe and the smash hit Beef. Though she was born in California, Ali's parents are from China and Vietnam, and her Asian upbringing is often the subject of her comedy.
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Constance Wu
Best known for starring in Fresh Off the Boat and Crazy Rich Asians, Constance Wu is Chinese American. "It's exciting to see so many stories by and about Asian American people," she told The Guardian in 2019. "I'm very happy with the kind of change that's been happening."
Ross Butler
Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why star Ross Butler has been open about the lack of nonstereotypical roles for Asian actors in Hollywood. "We're a very underrepresented population in Hollywood, but we are the majority population of the world," he told Refinery 29.
"It's a weird dichotomy that we have here. It's starting to get better and we are starting to see more Asians in roles, but we're not seeing a lot of Asians playing roles [that are] not specifically written for Asians."
Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi most recently starred in Our Flag Means Death, though he's been at the top of his game as an actor and a filmmaker for a long time. He's also half Polynesian, something that he said made growing up in New Zealand hard on him.
"I think New Zealand is the best place on the planet, but it's a racist place," he told The Guardian. "People just flat out refuse to pronounce Maori names properly. There's still profiling when it comes to Polynesians. It's not even a color thing — like, 'Oh, there's a Black person.' It's, 'If you're Poly then you're getting profiled.'"
Hayley Kiyoko
Musician and actress Hayley Kiyoko has said that being biracial (she's Japanese, Scottish, and Welsh) "shapes you as a person."
"As an actress for example, I'm constantly going out for Asian American roles and 'I'm not Asian enough,'" she told Mandatory. "They will flat out say that. Then I'll go out for open ethnicity roles, and they will go, 'You're not white enough.' It's just part of who I am and what I look like."
Olivia Munn
Actress Olivia Munn recently became a mom to her first child with partner John Mulaney, and even paid tribute to her Chinese-Vietnamese heritage in giving her son the middle name Hiệp.
"I would see roles that were very ethnic neutral, but they would always go to the white girl," she said during a speech at USC. "[Then] somebody told me, 'Don't worry because one day they will have to match them to you.' It was that confidence that somebody else had changed my way of thinking. I didn't know how to think that way."
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Kamala Harris
Not only is Kamala Harris the first Black American to be elected vice president of the United States, but she's also the first South Asian American to hold the office, too. Though she was born in the US, her parents are immigrants from Jamaica and India.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen has always been open about her Thai heritage and its influence on her life (and the recipes she shares). And as she said on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the recent flare of violence against Asian Americans leaves her worried about her mom, Vilailuck "Pepper" Teigen.
"I automatically think of when my mom's without me, how do people look at her?" she said. "How do people treat her? A lot of mothers and fathers are being targeted around the country, and it's so obvious to me what the motive is. It doesn't seem to be obvious to the politicians out there who are saying, 'We're not quite sure of the motive.' But I think we know what it is."
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves has spoken out about his Asian background — his father is Chinese Hawaiian, and he even grew up in India. He told NBC Asian America in December 2021: "My relationship to my Asian identity, it's always been good and healthy. And I love it. We've been growing up together."
Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling — who was born in the US to Indian parents — may have gotten her start on The Office, but she's come such a long way since then. She runs her own shows now, including The Sex Lives of College Girls and Never Have I Ever, while also raising her two children as a single mom.
Simu Liu
In 2021, Marvel star Simu Liu wrote an essay for Variety calling for an end to the rising levels of anti-Asian racism in America, sharing the fear he has for his parents' safety.
"When I see photos of these Asian elders who have been attacked, I see the embodiment of my own parents’ journey; their dreams and their struggles, their sorrow and their unwavering optimism," he wrote.
Bowen Yang
In 2021, comedian and actor Bowen Yang went viral for his speech about Asian hate on Saturday Night Live as the show's first Asian American cast member ever.
He said at the time: "Fuel up. Do more. It's the year of the metal ox, which basically means a car. So everyone, get in, buckle up. It's no pee breaks! We ride at dawn, grandmas!"
Steven Yeun
Steven Yeun first became famous after starring in The Walking Dead, and lately, what he's known for most is starring in Beef alongside Ali Wong. He's also well known for the movie Minari, and after the success of his Netflix series, we have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of him soon.
Priyanka Chopra
In early 2023, Priyanka Chopra, who is married to Nick Jonas and mom to daughter Malti, hosted the South Asian Excellence at the Oscars event, where she praised the AAPI people in the room who worked so hard.
"These are people whose shoulders we stand on to be able to create this," she said in her speech, via The Hollywood Reporter. "These are all the guys who are hustling and demanding representation when no one was giving into them. And today we look around at this room and say, 'This is their moment.'"
