THE 80 MOST INSPIRING ASIAN AMERICANS OF ALL TIME
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THE 80 MOST INSPIRING ASIAN AMERICANS OF ALL TIME
11. Eric K. Shinseki
Valorous leadership under North Vietnamese fire won Shinseki two Distinguished Service Medals, the Bronze Star and several Purple Hearts -- and put him on the fast track to becoming one of the youngest Chiefs of Staff in U.S. Army history. He is likely to continue Daniel Inouye's tradition of the Asian American soldier-statesman of unimpeachable integrity.
12. Gordon P. Chung-Hoon
The destroyer under his command suffered a crippling kamikaze attack during a fierce naval battle off Okinawa. Rather than order an evacuation, Chung-Hoon rallied his men to maintain highly effective antiaircraft fire while performing repairs to enable the ship to limp to port. His distinguished leadership under heavy fire earned him the Navy Cross, and a half century later, an Aegis guided missile destroyer named in his honor.
13. Michael Chang
By winning the 1989 French Open at age 17, Chang ended a 36-year American men's drought and proved that Asian men -- even one with a 139-pound frame -- can outwit and outplay the field in the whitest of sports. By staying among the top 10 players for eight years, he made professional sports seem a viable career option for young Asian American males.
As a leading man Shigeta made celluloid history in 1960 by beating out a white rival to win Carroll Baker in A Bridge to the Sun. A year later his suave baritone and flawlessly debonair features wooed American audiences as Wang Ta in Flower Drum Song. With his immense screen presence and solid integrity, every one of Shigeta's roles added dignity to the Asian male image.
As the first non-white woman to serve in Congress, Japanese American Mink became a passionate and tireless advocate on behalf of women and disadvantaged minorites. She led the push for passage of Title IX in 1972 to ensure that girls have the same athletic opportunities as boys.
At a time when the only images Americans had of Asians were coolies and geisha girls, Hayakawa dazzled moviegoers with the beauty of Asian men. He became Hollywood's first bona fide Asian star, grossing $2 millions a year in 1920. His biggest mistake: turning down the lead in The Sheik which would make Rudolph Valentino a great leading man.
With an aggressive, high-flying acquisition strategy, Wang built Computer Associates into a software colossus second only to Microsoft. His outspoken personal style and ownership of the Islanders NHL team added panache to the image of Asian American corporate honchos.
In 1948, two decades before anyone knew what an Asian American was, a diminutive Corean American army doctor brought home a gold medal in platform diving from London. Four years later, he came home from Helsinki with another. He coached the U.S. diving team for the 1960 and 64 Olympics.
Ma's warmly erudite manners and passionate rapport with vintage cellos made him the icon of highbrow culture, proving that fame and fortune are within reach of even Asian Americans with goofy names and geeky talents. By embracing his cultural heritage at the apogee of his social and career trajectory, Ma added a golden lustre to his image.