International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It’s also an opportunity for us to reflect on how far we’ve come, what still needs to be achieved and how we can help each other achieve those goals. As Asian American women are making their mark in business, culture and politics, I wanted to shed light on some of these trailblazers who are making history right now:
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh is a Malaysian actress, best known for her roles in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She has also appeared in numerous British and American productions such as Star Trek: First Contact, Memoirs of a Geisha and Casino Royale (2006). In 2018 she began starring as Daenarys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.
Yeoh was born on 6 July 1962 in Ipoh, Malaysia to parents who were both doctors; she grew up speaking English and Cantonese at home but was not exposed much to Mandarin Chinese until later on when she moved to Beijing with her family at age 10. She went back to Malaysia after high school graduation before attending the Royal Academy of Dance where she studied ballet for three years while still continuing her Cantonese studies; later on she would study Wing Chun under master Samuel Kwok
Elaine Chao
Elaine Chao is a former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. She was the first Asian American woman to hold a cabinet-level position, serving under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 as labor secretary and then transportation secretary.
In addition to her government service, Chao has been president of United Way of America, director at Wells Fargo Bank and international banker with Citicorp (now Citigroup).
Chao was born in Taipei and came with her family to America when she was eight years old; she grew up in New York City before attending Harvard University where she graduated magna cum laude with degrees in economics and political science.”
Diane Wu
Diane Wu is a Chinese-American entrepreneur and engineer. She is the CEO of Zola, a wedding registry website that provides couples with personalized experiences to help them set up their homes together. Diane was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Enterprise Technology in 2015, as well as being a finalist for the MITX Innovation Awards that same year.
She was also named as one of Business Insider’s Top 50 Women in Tech in 2017 and 2018, and was included on the Forbes’ list of “30 under 30 in Retail” both in 2016 and 2017. In 2015, Diane was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business for her work founding Zola.
Connie Chung
Connie Chung was a journalist and news anchor, who became the first Asian American to anchor a national news broadcast. She was also the first Asian American to win an Emmy Award, as well as the first to win a Peabody Award.
Connie Chung was born in 1942 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother was born in China and her father was Korean-American; both immigrated to Hawaii before Connie was born. She grew up speaking both Cantonese and English fluently until she started school at Punahou School (an elite private school), where she had trouble learning how to speak without an accent due to bullying from other students there who called her “chink” or “slant eye” because of her race.
Shareeza Bhola (Sara)
Shareeza Bhola is a Pakistani American entrepreneur and founder of Sara’s Secrets. She is the first Pakistani American to launch a national brand of Halal cosmetics and skincare products.
Bhola was born in Karachi, Pakistan but moved to the United States when she was 13 years old with her family. She attended high school in New York City, where her parents had settled down after settling their immigration paperwork and getting jobs at local restaurants downtown Manhattan area. After graduating from high school at 19 years old, Bhola went on to study business at Baruch College where she later graduated cum laude (with honors). After graduating college she worked as an accountant for several years before deciding that she wanted something more fulfilling than just crunching numbers all day long so she decided to start her own business instead!
Asian American women are making their mark in business, culture, and politics.
Asian American women are making their mark in business, culture, and politics. The following three Asian American women have made a difference in the world of business and culture–and they’re just getting started!
- Eva Chen: Editor-in-Chief at Lucky Magazine
- Tina Fey: Actress and writer for 30 Rock
- Mindy Kaling: Actress who plays Kelly Kapoor on The Office (US)
In addition to these three wonderful ladies who have already done so much for our society, there are many more out there paving the way for future generations of young girls who want to follow their dreams.
Conclusion
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let us also take a moment to reflect on the achievements of these five Asian American women. Their stories remind us that although our community still faces many challenges, there is much to be proud of as well. We hope that their success will encourage others to follow in their footsteps and pursue their dreams no matter what odds may stand in their way.