Updated April 20, 2023
May 25, 2021
This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Cox is celebrating members of the AAPI community who are breaking barriers. In the last year, there have been many barriers the Asian American and Pacific Islander community have endured. There are far too many stories about violence against Asian elders, unprovoked racist remarks being hurled at AAPI people. The AAPI community and allies are breaking barriers by sharing experiences, uplifting AAPI voices, and fighting racism together.
Cox is proud to spotlight four AAPI faces you should know from your TV screen to the tennis courts. Read more about their amazing, barrier-breaking stories.
Michelle Yeoh
The Malaysian-born actor became the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for best actress for the role of Evelyn Wang in “Everything Everywhere All At Once”. And the first Malaysian to win any Academy Award in any category.
She began her film career in Hong Kong action films, in which she performed most of her own stunts. After moving to the U.S., she gained international recognition for starring in movies like, “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.
In “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, she had a great list of co-stars to work with including Vietnamese-American actor Ke Huy Quan, who played Evelyn’s husband, Waymond Wang, who won for Best Supporting Actor. He’s the only API performer who has won the Best Supporting Actor category since the Oscars began 95 years ago.
Co-star Stephanie Hsu, whose family immigrated to the US from China, was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Joy Wang, Evelyn and Waymond’s daughter.
Co-director of EEAAO Daniel Kwan won for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Pictures categories. Taiwanese-American producer Jonathan Wang was also included in the film’s Best Picture win.
If all of the above wasn’t impressive enough, EEAAO received three more nominations from the work of API talent: Japanese-American Shirley Kurata for Best Costume Design, Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang for Best Original Score and Japanese-American singer-songwriter Mitski for Best Original Song.
R'Bonney Gabriel
R'Bonney Gabriel made history as the first Filipino American to win Miss USA and then later crowned Miss Universe — making her the first Filipino American to win the title.
The 28-year-old is mixed: Filipino on her dad's side and white on her mom's. She told ABC station KTRK, "I feel like I have a very big responsibility to not only share my culture as a Filipina and a Texan, but I really want to show people the importance of embracing who you are. My dad moved to America from the Philippines on a college scholarship with about $20 in his pocket. He wanted to pave a new life for himself. He met my mom in Texas, who is a country woman from Beaumont. I'm a very proud Filipina Texan."
During the Miss Universe pageant, R'Bonney combined her talents as a fashion designer with her heritage. Creating a swimsuit cape inspired by the story of the Phoenix Rising, who emerged from adversity to become stronger, smarter, and more powerful. The cape was sustainably dyed and designed using plastic bottles. She tied fashion into her response during the final question round. "As a very passionate designer — I've been sewing for 13 years — I use fashion as a force for good," she said. "In my industry, I'm cutting down on pollution through recycled materials when I make my clothing. I teach sewing classes to women that have survived from human trafficking and domestic violence."
Steven Yeun
Steven Yeun is an American actor who was born in Korea and grew up in Michigan. When he was younger, he claimed to have two personalities. At school, he was subdued, but at home, or the Korean church his family attended, he was more assertive. Seeking a kindred spirit for this sense of duality, he recalls that he would never miss an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “I was really drawn to Will Smith,” Yeun remembers. “When you think about the Fresh Prince, it was kind of that concept.” “He’s caught between places, just trying to be himself.” These days, Yeun sees this polarity differently, asserting that it has been a “source of my own truth and power,” which the 37-year-old actor has channeled into a thrilling career, full of inspired performances across many genres.
Yeun first came to prominence through his role as Glenn Rhee on the popular television series, “The Walking Dead.” He was an original cast member of the production and his popularity grew until he departed after several seasons. In recent years, Yeun has ramped up his movie career, earning numerous accolades to include The Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Burning.” His other credits include “Okja,” “Sorry to Bother You,” and his Netflix comedy, “Beef.”
Yeun made history as the first Asian-American to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, for his role as Jacob Yi, a South Korean immigrant who relocates to rural Arkansas in the nineteen-eighties, in the film “Minari.”
He was quoted saying, “We’re at a moment where life and society move because of things like [award nominations],” “So, I’m happy to be part of a process, but the last thing I want to be is defined by one portion of who I am.”
Naomi Osaka
Osaka is a Japanese global sports icon, professional tennis superstar, team owner, and activist. She is the first Asian player, male or female, to hold the No.1 rank by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam singles title when she defeated Serena Williams in 2018 at the U.S. Open. Osaka began playing tennis at the tender age of 3. Osaka and her older sister Mari were taught and coached by their father, Leonard Francois. He drew inspiration from the Williams sisters' performances at the 1999 French Open and their father, Richard Williams Jr's, teaching and coaching tactics.
Unique to Osaka is her family dynamic and upbringing. Born in Osaka, Japan, she is the proud daughter of a Haitian father and a Japanese mother (Tamaki Osaka). Their family moved to Long Island, NY, from Japan, and when living in Long Island, Osaka lived with her paternal grandparents, who only spoke Creole. Under the same roof, Osaka's mother conversed in Japanese and brought over customs and traditions into their new lives in the U.S. growing up in a family surrounded by uniquely different cultures intertwined amongst each other represents the melting pot that is the United States.
The summer of 2020 hit the boiling point for civil unrest, and Osaka felt it was the right time to act. Following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Osaka joined athletes from the NBA and other organizations in protest by deciding she would not play in her semifinal match at the Western & Southern Open. Osaka's presence, or lack thereof, and influence, led the WTA to suspend play for a day. WTA's Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said of Osaka that "her activism has shone a light on how we as individuals and sports leagues can collectively make an impact. Not only is she a phenomenal tennis player, but she also demonstrates how athletes have an opportunity to use their platform for something bigger than the game or themselves. Her actions are nothing short of inspiring and she is so very deserving of this recognition."
More Ways to Celebrate This Month
