Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: George Ariyoshi, first Asian-American to serve as governor

George Ariyoshi, born March 12, 1926 in Honolulu, Hawaii, is the first Asian American to serve as governor of a U.S. state.  He was elected as the third governor of Hawaii and is the longest serving governor for the state.

He began politics in 1954 when he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives.  In 1958 he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial Senate and then the next year, Hawaii State Senate.  

He was elected lieutenant governor in 1970 with Governor John Burns.  When Burns fell ill in October 1973, Ariyoshi stepped in as acting governor.  He was elected as governor in 1974 and served until 1986.  Term limits prevented him from running for another term. 

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Jonny Kim, Korean-American astronaut

Jonny Kim, born in 1984 to South Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, California, is an astronaut, a former Navy SEAL, and received a Doctor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School.  NASA announced that he is in training for a 2024 moon landing.

Sheesh!

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Walter "Sneeze" Achiu, first Chinese-American to play in the NFL

 

Walter Tin Kit "Sneeze" Achiu, born August 3, 1902 in Honolulu, Hawaii, was the first Chinese-American to play in the National Football League.  He played running back and defensive back for the Dayton Triangles from 1927-1928.  Later he became a successful pro wrestler.  

He passed away in March 1989.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Norman Mineta, first Asian-American mayor of a US city

Norman Mineta, born November 12, 1931 in San Jose, California, is the first Asian-American to be elected major of a major US city.  In 1971, he ran against 14 candidates but became the first Japanese-American mayor of a major US city.  

He was elected to the US House of Representatives for California's 13th congressional district.  

In 2000, he was appointed by President Clinton as US Secretary of Commerce, making him the first Asian-American to appointed to a presidential post.

In 2001, Bush appointed him as Secretary of Transportation, becoming the only Democrat to serve in W's cabinet and the first Asian-American to hold the position.  

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Roger Tsien, awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2008

Dr. Roger Tsien, born February 1, 1952 in New York City, New York, was awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry in 2008.  A Chinese-American, Tsien suffered from asthma growing up and spent much time indoors, conducting chemistry experiments in his family's basement.

He won the Westinghouse Talent Search at 16.  He received his PhD in physiology in 1977 from Churchill College in Cambridge, England.

He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Osamu Shimomura and Martin Chalfie in 2008 for their wok for "the green fluorescent protein; discovery, expression and development".

He passed away in August 2016.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Laura Joh Rowland, Chinese-Korean-American mystery author

I have read every book in Laura Joh Rowland's excellent Sano Ichiro, a samurai-detective set in feudal Japan, in the late 1690s to the early 1700s.  I enjoyed them very much and was not happy when she ended the series.  Oh, well.

She is the daughter of Chinese-American and Korean-American immigrants and grew up in Michigan. Her first novel of the Ichiro series Shinju was published in 1994.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Leroy Chiao, Taiwanese-American astronaut

Leroy Chiao, born August 28, 1960 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Taiwanese immigrants, has traveled into space aboard the space shuttles three times.

He has won numerous NASA awards, the De la Vaulx Medal, and has been inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: James Wong Howe, first Asian-American to win an Academy Award

James Wong Howe, born August 28, 1899 in China, is the first Asian-American to win an Academy Award.  He won for Best Cinematography for his work on The Rose Tattoo at the 28th ceremony in 1956.

He was nominated ten times for Best Cinematography winning a second time for Hud at the 36th ceremony in 1963.  

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Jubilee, Chinese-American superhero

Jubilation Lee, or Jubilee, is a superhero and a member of the X-Men.  She is the daughter of Chinese immigrants and born in Beverly Hills, California.  After her parents were murdered, she was sent to an orphanage.  However, she ran away and hid in the Hollywood Mall, stealing food to survive.  That is when her mutant powers begin to manifest themselves.

Her first appearance was in The Uncanny X-Men #244 in May 1989.  She has been a member of Generation X and the X-Corps.  

Shiro Yoshida, or Sunfire, made his first appearance in X-Men #64 in January 1970, but although an earlier member of the X-Men than Jubilee, he maintains his distance from the team and from the West.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Michelle Yeoh, Star Trek: Discovery actress

The lovely Michelle Yeoh, born August 6, 1962 in Ipoh, West Malaysia, is an award-winning actress, who appeared in Star Trek: Discovery as Captain Philippa Georgiou.  She has played a Bond Girl in Tomorrow Never Dies as well as numerous martial arts films, first appearing with Jackie Chan.  She appeared in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and its sequel.

She is a former Miss Malaysia and usually does her own stunts.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Kurt Chew-een Lee, first Asian American Marine officer

Kurt Chew-een Lee, born January 21, 1926 in San Francisco, California to Chinese immigrants, is the first Asian-American to become an officer in the US Marine Corps.  He was in high school when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and he joined the Marine Corps in 1944.  He graduated from The Basic School, USMC officer training in 1946 as second lieutenant, becoming the first non-white officer and the first Asian-American officer in the Marine Corps.

He served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.  He attained the rank of major on January 1, 1963 and retired in 1968.  He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts.  He passed away in March 2014.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Eugene Trinh, first Vietnamese-American astronaut

Eugene Trinh, born September 14, 1950 in Saigon, Vietnam, is the first Vietnamese-American to go into space.  He went aboard Columbia (STS-50) as a Payload Specialist in June-July 1992. 

He was Director of the Physical Sciences Research Division at NASA.  He received the Golden Torch Award from the Vietnamese American National Gala in Washington DC.  

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Patti Yasutake, Star Trek actress

Patti Yasutake, born September 6, 1953 in Los Angeles, California, is best known for her performance as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa on Star Trek: The Next Generation.  She also appeared in Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Stephanie Murphy, first Vietnamese-American woman elected to Congress

Stephanie Murphy, born September 16, 1978 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is the first Vietnamese-American woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives.

She was elected to the US House of Representatives for Florida's 7th congressional district, which includes Seminole County and northern Orange County, in 2016.  She was sworn into office January 3, 2017. 

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Gobind Behari Lal, first Asian-American to win Pulitzer Prize

 Gobind Behari Lal, born April 1, 1889 in Delhi, British India, became the first Indian to win the Pulitzer Prize.  He attended the University of California, Berkeley in 1912 and served as Science Editor for the San Francisco Examiner from 1925-1930.  

He shared the Pulitzer Prize for Reporting in 1937 with John O'Neill, William Laurence, Howard Blakeslee and David Dietz for their coverage of science at Harvard University.

He was one of the founding members of the National Association of Science Writers.

He passed away of cancer in October 1982 of cancer. 

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Ellison Onizuka, first Asian-American astronaut

Ellison Onizuka, born June 24, 1946 in Kealakekua, Hawaii (which was not even part of the US then), is the first Asian-American in space and the first person of Japanese origin to reach space.  He went into space twice, first on Discovery (STS-51-C) in January 1985 and then Challenger (STS-51-L) in January 1986.  He perished when Challenger blew up shortly after launch.

Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, California is dedicated to him.  He has an asteroid and a crater on the moon named after him.  The airport in Kona, Hawaii has been renamed Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, and he even has a shuttlecraft, which has appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, named after him. 

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Linda Park, Star Trek actress

Lovely actress Linda Park, July 9, 1978 born in Seoul, South Korea, is best known and beloved as Ensign Hoshi Sato, and later as Lt. Sato on Star Trek: Voyager.  She was raised in San Jose, California and graduated from Boston University's BFA Acting program.  Her first movie role was a brief appearance in Jurassic Park III with Laura Dern. 

Happy birthday, Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai, first Asian woman in space

Chiaki Mukai, born May 6, 1952 in Japan, is the first Japanese woman in space, the first Asian woman, and the first Japanese citizen go to into space twice.

Her first mission was aboard Columbia (STS-65) as payload specialist in July 1994.  She carried out experiments sponsored by NASDA, the precursor to the Japanese Space Exploration Agency.

Her second and final mission was aboard Discovery (STS-95) as payload specialist in October-November 1998. It was the final flight for astronaut John Glenn as well.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Rosalind Chao, beautiful and talented Chinese-American actress

Rosalind Chao, born September 23, 1957 in Anaheim, California, is everyone's favorite Chinese-American actress.  She is probably best known for her role as Keiko O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, for which she was nominated twice for Online Film & Television Association awards.

She appeared as Soon-Lee, Klinger's wife on M*A*S*H.  She also appeared in The Joy Luck Club, Murder, She Wrote, What Dreams May Come, Hawaii Five-O, and Mulan.

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: George Takei, celebrity icon and Star Trek actor

George Takei, born April 20, 1937 in Los Angeles, California, is one of the most beloved actors in all of moviedom.  He has played Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek universe since 1966.  He appeared in 52 episodes of the original series, provided the voice for Sulu in the animated series, starred in Star Trek: Voyager, and all six Star Trek movies with the original cast.

He provided voices for the English versions of Godzilla Raids Again and Rodan.  He appeared in the original series of The Twilight Zone, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O (both series), and Murder, She Wrote with Angela Lansbury.  

He got a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in October 1989.