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25 Famous Asian Americans You Should Know

Over the years, the world has seen the rise of new demographics as a result of globalization. Among these many demographics, is the vibrant and influential Asian Americans.

As a growing population, Asian Americans are forging their paths and shaping the world around them in remarkable ways and various fields in a way that warrants not only recognition but also celebration.

From groundbreaking actors and visionary entrepreneurs to innovative leaders and inspiring figures. Asian Americans continue to break barriers, challenge stereotypes and change the world.

In this article, we will highlight 25 famous Asian Americans that you should know about.

1. Kamala Harris

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H.E Kamala Harris, the first female vice president of the United States is also the first Asian American to hold the position. Born on October 20th, 1964, Kamala Harris’s heritage is a blend of Indian and Jamaican roots.

Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was an Indian immigrant, while her father, Donald J. Harris, is of Jamaican heritage. Before becoming the American VP, Harris was the Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017 and the United States Senator from California from 2017 to 2021.

Learn more about 30 other influential female politicians in the USA here!

2. Tiger Woods

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Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods is a legend in the world of professional golf. Woods is of mixed heritage, with his father, Earl Woods, being African American, and his mother, Kultida Woods, of Thai and Chinese descent.

He is a world beater, having won numerous awards in his industrious career. This includes 15 major championships, making him one of the most accomplished golfers in history. Woods held the position of World No. 1 for a record-breaking 683 weeks throughout his career.

See our list of the most famous golf players here!

3. Indra Nooyi

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Business executive Indra Nooyi, also known as Indra Krishnamurthy, is an Indian American. Nooyi was born on October 28, 1955, in Chennai, India but later attained U.S. citizenship through naturalization.

She served as Pepsi’s chairman and CEO between 2006 and 2018. Nooyi has also worked as a strategy consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and as a product manager at Johnson & Johnson.

4. Satya Nadella

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Born on 19th August 1967, Satya Narayana Nadella is yet another business executive on the list. He was born in Andhra Pradesh state, India to a Hindu family.

He moved to the USA in 1988 to study for a master鈥檚 degree in Computer Science. Satya joined Microsoft in 1992, where he held different positions before being announced as the CEO in 2014.

He is the third CEO of Microsoft the previous ones being Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.

5. Michelle Wie

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Born on October 11th, 1989, Michelle Sung Wie West is an American professional golfer born of immigrants from South Korea. Wie has been an overachiever since early in her childhood.

At age 10, she became the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. Her accomplishments so far include the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open victory and participation in the successful U.S. Solheim Cup squad.

Read on the most famous golf players here!

6. Ken Jeong

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Born on July 13th, 1969, Ken Jeong is a Korean American actor, standup comedian, writer, producer, and former physician. Ken was born in Detroit Michigan to South Korean immigrant parents.

This by definition makes him a first-generation Asian American. He has been an active actor since 1995 and has starred in many high-profile films and Tv shows.

This includes the 3-part Hangover film series, NBC鈥檚 Community, and the self-written Dr. Ken (2015 鈥� 2017) which he starred as the lead.

7. Jeremy Lin

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Jeremy Shu-How Lin is a professional basketball player who at the peak of his career played for the L.A. Lakers, and Toronto Raptors to name a few teams. Lin was born in 1988 on August 23rd and is a Taiwanese American.

See our list of the 30 best Lakers players of all time here!

He was born to Taiwanese parents in Los Angeles, California. His father was an immigrant was his mother was American born. Lin was and remains a talented player.

His performances captivated many, generating a phenomenon in his honor called 鈥淟insanity鈥�. As of 2023, he is playing for Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers in the Taiwan P. League+.

8. Michelle Kwan

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Michelle Wingshan Kwan is a former figure skater and current American Ambassador to Belize. She was born on 7th July 1980 to Chinese parents Danny and Estella Kwan in California.

Michelle is known for her exceptional achievements as a professional figure skater. During her industrious career, she won nine national championships, five world titles, and two Olympic medals (silver in 1998, and bronze in 2002) in figure skating.

9. Mindy Kaling

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One of the leading figures in the entertainment sector is Vera Mindy Chokalingam. She is multitalented, doubling as an actress, comedian, screenwriter, and even a producer.

She was born on June 24, 1979, to an American mother of European ancestry and an Indian father. Mindy won a lot of praise for her performance as Kelly Kapoor in the popular TV show “The Office.” She also worked as a writer and producer on ‘The Office’.

She is also credited as a contributor in various capacities to films such as Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Fox’s The Mindy Project.

10. Sandra Oh

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Born on July 20th, 1971, Sandra Miju Oh is a renowned Canadian-American actress of Asian descent. She was born to South Korean immigrants Oh Young-nam and Oh Jun-su in Nepean, Ontario.

An accomplished actor, perhaps one of her most iconic role is the character of Cristina Yang in the popular medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.”

She has also appeared in the movies Turning Red (2022), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and the series Killing Eve by BBC.

11. Kal Penn

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Kalpen Suresh Modi popularly called Kal Pennis an Asian American actor and public figure. Kal was born on April 23, 1977, in Montclair, New Jersey.

His father is of Gujarati Indian descent while his mother is an American. He has starred in several films including Harold & Kumar, House, and How I Met Your Mother among others.

He took a break from acting between 2009 and 2011 to serve as the Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement during the Obama presidency.

Discover some remarkable facts about Obama’s first Presidential election here!

12. Constance Wu

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Constance Wu, born on March 22, 1982, is an American actress of Taiwanese descent.

She played Jessica Huang in the popular television series “Fresh Off the Boat,” which is one of her most iconic roles.

Wu has more memorable roles in films such as Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Hustlers (2019), and Lyle, Lyle, and Crocodile (2022), among others.

13. John Cho

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Cho Yo-Han professionally John Cho was born on June 16th, 1972, and is an accomplished Asian American actor born in Seoul Korea. His family moved to the USA while he was a small child.

He is widely recognized for his breakthrough role as Harold Lee in the “Harold & Kumar” series alongside Kal Penn (discussed above).

Some of his recent films include Colombus, Searching, and Cowboy Bebop, and has been cast in the upcoming season 2 of The Afterparty.

14. Anjali Sud

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Anjali Sud is an American businesswoman and tech executive of Indian descent. She was born on August 13th, 1983 in Detroit Michigan to Punjabi Hindu immigrants.

In July 2017, she was appointed the CEO of Vimeo and still holds the position. Under her leadership, Vimeo has experienced remarkable growth and transformation, becoming a leading platform for video creators and businesses alike.

15. Aziz Ansari

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Aziz Ansari, born on February 23rd, 1983, is a critically acclaimed actor, entrepreneur, and stand-up comedian. He was born in South Carolina to Indian immigrant parents and his talent has taken him to the very top rubbing elbows with the best.

As an actor, he has been active since 2004, starring and appearing in numerous films. These include Parks and Recreation, Master of None, and Flight of the Conchords.

Two Emmys and a Golden Globe are among the accolades that Aziz has received so far in his career.

16. Daniel Akaka

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Akaka was an esteemed Asian American politician and educator of Chinese heritage. He was born in Honolulu on September 11th, 1924.

Akaka is most known for serving as Hawaii’s senator from 1990 to 2013. He also served in the US military early in his life during World War II. Sadly, Daniel passed away on 6th April 2018 at age 93.

17. Steven Yeun

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Yeun Sang-yeop known professionally as Steven Yeun, is an Asian-American actor. He was born on December 21st, 1963 in Seoul to Je and June Yeun.

He has been an active actor since 2004 and he rose to the big stage for his role in The Walking Dead as Glenn Rhee. His other films include Invincible, Final Space, Beef, Tales of Arcadia, and The Humans (2021) among others.

18. Kumail Nanjiani

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Kumail Ali Nanjiani, born on February 21st, 1978, is a Pakistani-American comedian, actor, and screenwriter.

His portrayal of Dinesh in the popular HBO series “Silicon Valley”  was his breakthrough role. He then co-wrote the romantic comedy film “The Big Sick (2017)” with his wife Emily V. Gordon.

For the latter, he was nominated for the Academy Award for ‘Best Original Screenplay.’ Other movies in which Nanjiani has starred include Stuber, Men in Black: International, and Marvel’s Eternals.

19. Ken Leung

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Ken Leung is an Asian American film and tv star revered in the industry. He was born on January 21st, 1970 in New York City to Chinese immigrant parents.

Leung has had a very industrious career making his debut in Rush Hour (1998) as henchman Sang opposite bigwigs Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.

Some of his other films include X-Men: The Last Stand, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. TV shows include Lost, The Sopranos, and The Blacklist.

20. Kelly Hu

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Kelly Hu, an esteemed Asian-American actress and fashion model, was born on February 13, 1968. She is the child of two Asian Americans.

A Hawaiian-European-American mother, and a Chinese-American father, who met while living in Honolulu, Hawaii.

She appeared in a number of well-known films and television shows, such as X2: X-Men United, The Scorpion King, and “Phineas and Ferb.” She was Miss Teen USA in 1985 and Miss Hawaii USA in 1993 in the modeling world.

21. Jamie Chung

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Born on April 10, 1983, Jamie Jilynn Chung is a Korean American actress, former reality TV personality, and model. Chung gained recognition through her appearance on the reality TV show “The Real World: San Diego” in 2004 which is when she made her acting debut.

Since then, she has established a lucrative career in the entertainment sector as a star of numerous movies and television shows. Sucker Punch, The Hangover II, Big Hero 6, Once Upon a Time, Gotham, and Lovecraft Country are a few examples.

22. David Chang

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David Chang is an Asian American chef, author, podcaster, and restaurateur. He was born on August 5, 1977, in Virginia, USA to an American mother and a Korean father. 

Creating the Momofuku restaurant chain is perhaps his biggest and most recognizable achievement. Several well-known restaurants are part of this franchise, including Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ss盲m Bar, and Momofuku Ko.

On November 29, 2020, he became the first celebrity to win the $1,000,000 grand prize from the Southern Smoke Foundation.

23. Viet Thanh Nguyen

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Novelist and professor Viet Thanh Nguyen is of Vietnamese descent. Born on March 13th, 1971, his parents are a Vietnamese mother and a Vietnamese-American father.

Viet rose to recognition with his Pulitzer Prize鈥搘inning debut book, “The Sympathizer.” The novel is about a Vietnamese communist sympathizer navigating the dualities of loyalty and betrayal.

His writing has received praise from critics for its perceptive depiction of Vietnamese and Asian American realities.

24. Aubrey Frances Anderson-Emmons

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Asian-American actress Aubrey Frances Anderson-Emmons was born on June 6, 2007. She became well-known for her portrayal of Lily Tucker-Pritchett in the popular television program “Modern Family.”

Aubrey is the child of European-American Kent Emmons and Korean-American actress Amy Anderson.  Despite her youth, she displayed exceptional talent and emerged as one of the show’s main performers, adding to its success.

25. James Duval

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James Edward Duval is an Asian-American actor born on September 10th, 1972. He has a very decorated acting career starring in blockbusters.

He played “Frank the Rabbit” in the cult classic film “Donnie Darko” (2001). Other films include Independence Day (1996) and May (2002). While primarily recognized for his acting career, Duval has also dabbled in producing and directing.

In conclusion, while the above list is impressive, it barely scratches the surface as this compilation represents just a fraction of the countless remarkable individuals from the demographic.

Asian Americans have permanently shaped American culture, politics, and economy, as well as those of other countries. Future generations will definitely be motivated by the continuous appreciation of Asian American excellence, which will also promote a more varied and inclusive society.