This page lists some of the first Chinese Americans to
break into the top ranks of their chosen careers.
| When |
Who |
What |
More |
1919- 1975
|
James Wong Howe
b. 1899
d. 1976 |
Was the first Asian-American to win an Academy
Award (in cinematography). He won two Oscars out of 16 nominations
he received for some of his more than 130 films. |
Short
Bio |
1920- 1960.
|
Anna
May Wong
b. 1905
d. 1961 |
Became the first
Asian American movie star even though she was typically asked
to play stereotypes --her characters seemed to always tempt white
men and die in the end |
Short
Bio |
| 1931 |
Katherine
Sui Fun Cheung
b. 1904
d. 2003 |
Became the first
Asian-American woman pilot, amazing crowds with sensational loops
and rolls of her plane in air shows and often flew in air races. |
Short
Bio |
| 1939 |
Arthur
Chin
b. 1913
d. 1997 |
First American
fighting Ace. Volunteered for the Cantonese Air Force to fight
against the invading Japanese before the US joined the war effort. |
Short
Bio |
| 1940s |
Noel Toy Young
b. 1920
d. 2004 |
Was the first Chinese
American exotic dancer. She danced primarily in San Francisco
but also appeared in New York and acted in several movies. |
|
| 1942? |
Wah Kau Kong |
First Chinese American fighter pilot |
|
| 1948 |
Richard Tom |
Was the first Chinese American to win an Olympic medal. He won the bronze medal
in weightlifting at the 1948 Olympics held in London. |
|
1957
|
Tsung-Dao Lee
b. 1926
Chen Ning Yang
b. 1922 |
Became the first
Chinese Americans to win a Nobel Prize (for Physics) when they
disproved a quantum-physics law. |
Short
Lee Bio, Short Yang Bio |
1959-1977
|
Hiram L. Fong
b. 1906 |
Became the first
Chinese-American senator when Hawaii became a state, serving
three terms. |
Short
Bio |
| 1964 |
China Lee
b. 1942 |
First Chinese American Playboy playmate of the month. (That would be the August
1964 edition, for those looking to do further research. The next
Chinese American playmate was Diana Lee, May 1988). |
|
1969
|
Connie
Chung
b. 1946 |
Was the first
Asian American to anchor a news program for a national TV network
(CBS Evening News and others) and only the second woman to do
so. |
Short
Bio |
| 1974 |
March Fong Eu
b. 1922 |
Became the first Asian American woman to
hold a state elective office when she won the position of Secretary
of State, a position she held five times. |
Short
Bio |
| 1984 |
Lily
Lee Chen |
Became the first Chinese American council
member and mayor in the US when she was elected in the city of
Monterey Park, CA. |
|
| 1985 |
Taylor Wang b. 1940 |
Was the first Chinese American in space as well as the first ethnic Chinese and
only second Asian American to do |
|
1988
|
Michael
Chang
b. 1972 |
He is the youngest male to win a Grand Slam
and the first American man to win the French Open since 1955.
He was also the first Asian seeded in the top 10 world rankings
for tennis. |
Short
Bio |
| 1990 |
Chang-Lin Tien
b. 1936
d. 2002 |
Became the first
Asian American chancellor of major research university when he
was named chancellor of the University of California at Berkleley. |
Short
Bio |
| 1991 |
Leroy Chiao
b. 1960 |
Was the first
Asian to ever perform a space walk. |
Short
Bio |
| 1996 |
Gary
Locke
b. 1960 |
Became the first
Chinese American state governor when he was elected in the State
of Washington. |
Short
Bio |
| 1999. |
David
Wu
b. 1955 |
Was the first
Chinese American member of the House of Representatives, representing
the Oregon's First District.. |
Short
Bio |
2001
|
Elaine Chao
b. 1953 |
Became the first Asian American woman to
serve in the U.S. cabinet, when she was sworn in as President
Bush's Secretary of Labor. |
Short
Bio |