This month, we honor the legacy of 31 extraordinary individuals who have shaped our world in countless ways. From the realms of sports and entertainment to science, politics, and the arts, these individuals have shattered barriers, challenged stereotypes, and inspired generations with their achievements.

• Ajay Bhatt - An Indian and American computer architect. In 1994, he and his team created USB technology, making it easy to connect different components to computers.
• Grace Lee Boggs - A Chinese American civil rights and labor activist. Her support for causes such as the Black Power movement, feminism and the environment spanned over 70 years. Most of her activism was concentrated in Detroit and, throughout her life, Grace Lee Boggs maintained the core belief that, if people work together, they can accomplish positive social change.
• David Chang - He founded the Momofuku restaurant group, which features restaurants around the world. Momofuku Ko earned two Michelin stars in 2009 and has retained them every year since. He also developed two Netflix originals: Ugly Delicious and Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
• Kalpana Chawla - The first woman of Indian descent to go to space. She served as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997 and tragically lost her life during the re-entry of the shuttle in 2003.
• Connie Chung - An award-winning broadcast journalist who has served as an anchor and reporter for major television news networks ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC and NBC.
• Victoria Manalo Draves - Became the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal when she placed first in the 1948 London Summer Olympics’ women’s three-meter springboard event.
• Tammy Duckworth - The first Thai American woman and the first female double amputee elected to Congress. She is an Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She was among the first handful of Army women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Dr. David Ho - In the 1990s as the United States was dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Dr. David Ho was a vital part of understanding the disease. A Taiwanese American physician and virologist, Ho’s research focused on both treatment and preventing HIV transmission. He is the founding scientific director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and was named the 1996 Time magazine Person of the Year for his invaluable work related to the disease. 
• Daniel Dae Kim - A Korean American actor known for his roles in popular television series such as "Lost," "Hawaii Five-0," and "The Good Doctor." Throughout his career, Kim has been a vocal advocate for Asian representation in Hollywood, challenging stereotypes and advocating for diverse storytelling.
• Michelle Kwan - A legendary figure in the world of figure skating. Born to Chinese immigrant parents, Kwan's journey from young skater to Olympic medalist and World Champion has inspired many. Beyond her achievements on the ice, Kwan has used her platform to advocate for various causes, including education, children's health and cultural diversity.
• Bruce Lee - Considered the most influential martial artist of all time. He is credited with helping to change the way people of Chinese descent were represented in American films.
• Corky Lee - A photographer and activist whose work focused on documenting and celebrating the experiences and contributions of Asian Americans. His photography reflected the diversity of the Asian Pacific American community, which was often overlooked by mainstream media.
• Maya Lin - A Chinese American architect who, as a 21-year-old student at Yale, won a competition to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. She has become known for her environmental advocacy and design of other civic sites such as the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.
• Yo-Yo Ma - An American cellist born to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world. He has recorded more than 90 albums, received 19 Grammy Awards and has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006.
• Bruno Mars - An American singer-songwriter and record producer born in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father has Puerto Rican and Jewish heritage, and his mother was of Filipino and Spanish ancestry. He is a “pop icon” known for his stage performances, retro showmanship and for performing in a wide range of musical styles. He has received 15 Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling artists of all time.
• Patsy Mink - The first Asian-American woman elected to Congress. She is known for her work on legislation advancing women's rights and education.  
• Li Na - A retired professional tennis player from China. Li Na formerly held the WTA No. 2 ranking in the world. She won two grand slam titles including the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open.
• Isamu Noguchi - One of the twentieth century’s most important artists and sculptors. His work is in museums all over the world, and some of his furniture pieces are widely and prolifically imitated.
• Karen O - Korean American lead singer, songwriter of the band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who was nominated for an Oscar in 2014 for Best Original Song for “The Moon Song.”
• David Oh - A Korean American lawyer and politician, as well as the first Asian American to hold elected political office in Philadelphia.
• Apolo Ohno - A retired short-track speed skater who became the most-decorated American athlete in the history of the Winter Olympics, earning eight medals – two gold, two silver and four bronze. Since retiring from the sport, he has become an author and motivational speaker.
• Yoko Ono - A Japanese American multimedia artist, singer, songwriter and peace activist.
• Naomi Osaka - A professional tennis player and former WTA No. 1 ranked player in the world. She holds four grand slam titles including the 2018 US Open, 2019 Australian Open, 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open.
• Seiji Ozawa - An internationally renowned orchestra conductor, perhaps most famous for his long tenure with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
• I.M. Pei - An architect who designed John F. Kennedy International Airport, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at Harvard and the Louvre Museum in Paris.
• Amy Tan - An American author of Chinese heritage, best known for the novel The Joy Luck Club, which was adapted into a 1993 film. She is also known for other novels, short story collections, children's books and a memoir.
• Mamie Tape - This eight-year-old Chinese American changemaker fought to desegregate schools in San Francisco in the 1880s. Tape v. Hurley was a landmark court case in the California Supreme Court in which the court found the exclusion of a Chinese American student from public school based on her ancestry unlawful.
• Ocean Vuong - A Vietnamese American poet, essayist and novelist. He is the recipient of the 2014 Ruth Lilly/Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation, 2016 Whiting Award and the 2017 T. S. Eliot Prize.
• Vera Wang - An American fashion designer born in New York City to Chinese parents, she is best known for her elegant and sophisticated wedding dress and haute couture collections. Wang gained international recognition for her wedding dress designs, which have been worn by numerous celebrities.
• Chien-Shiung Wu - A pioneer and pivotal figure in the history of physics. An immigrant to the United States from China, she did important work for the Manhattan Project and in experimental physics.
• Sam Yo - From Buddhist monk to acclaimed live theater actor to inspirational Peloton fitness instructor, Sam Yo now inspires millions of people as a passionate fitness guru. Before that, he sang and danced his way through 20 years in theater worldwide.

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