List of Chinese Americans
This is a list of notable Chinese Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants who have made exceptional contributions to various facets of American society.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Chinese American or must have references showing they are Chinese American and are notable.
Arts
Dance
- Goh Choo San – ballet dancer and choreographer
- Shen Wei – dancer, choreographer and visual artist; MacArthur fellow
- Fang-Yi Sheu – principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company
Fashion design
- Malan Breton – fashion designer
- Luly Yang – fashion designer
- Angel Chang – fashion designer
- Monika Chiang – fashion designer
- Wenlan Chia – fashion designer
- Doug Chiang – movie designer and artist
- David Chu – co-founder of clothing company Nautica
- Diana Eng – fashion designer
- Joe Allen Hong – fashion designer for Neiman Marcus
- Jen Kao – fashion designer
- Jonathan Koon – fashion designer, business entrepreneur
- Derek Lam – fashion designer
- Phillip Lim – fashion designer
- Peter Mui – fashion designer, actor, and musician
- Mary Ping – fashion designer
- Peter Som – fashion designer
- Anna Sui – fashion designer
- Vivienne Tam – fashion designer
- Yeohlee Teng – fashion designer
- Alexander Wang – fashion designer
- Kaisik Wong – fashion designer
- Vera Wang – fashion designer
- Jason Wu – fashion designer
- Joe Zee – creative director of Elle magazine; host of fashion TV series ''All on the Line''
Literature
- Bette Bao Lord – writer, novelist
- Eileen Chang – writer
- Kang-i Sun Chang – writer and literary scholar
- Lan Samantha Chang – writer; director of the Iowa Writer's Workshop
- Victoria Chang – poet, children's writer, and essayist
- Ted Chiang – speculative fiction writer
- Frank Chin – novelist, playwright, and essayist
- Marilyn Chin – poet
- Ben Fee – writer and labor organizer
- David Henry Hwang – playwright
- Gish Jen – writer, novelist
- Ha Jin – novelist, winner of the National Book Award for Waiting
- Maxine Hong Kingston – novelist, The Woman Warrior
- R. F. Kuang – fantasy novelist, The Poppy War
- Jean Kwok – writer, novelist
- Edward Michael Law-Yone – writer, journalist; father of Wendy Law-Yone
- Wendy Law-Yone – writer
- Chin Yang Lee - writer
- Gus Lee – writer
- Carolyn Lei-Lanilau – writer
- Yiyun Li – winner of the 2006 PEN/Hemingway Award
- Ed Lin – writer, first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards
- Tao Lin – writer
- Eric Liu – author and speechwriter for former US President Bill Clinton
- Malinda Lo – writer, young adult novels, Ash
- David Wong Louie – writer
- Marie Lu – writer
- Ling Ma – writer, Severance
- Adeline Yen Mah – author and physician
- William Marr – engineer, poet, translator, and artist
- Chanel Miller – artist and author of Know My Name
- Anchee Min – author, Red Azalea
- Celeste Ng – writer, novelist
- Lisa See – writer
- Sui Sin Far – late 19th/early 20th century Chinese-English American author and journalist
- Arthur Sze - poet
- Mai-mai Sze - writer and artist
- Amy Tan – best-selling author, The Joy Luck Club
- Timothy Tau – writer, novelist, screenwriter, film director
- Jade Snow Wong – writer
- Shawn Wong – novelist, Homebase, American Knees; writer; professor
- Timothy C. Wong – sinologist, translator, and literary theorist
- Xu Xi – English language novelist based in Hong Kong
- Geling Yan – novelist and screenwriter
- Gene Luen Yang – graphic novelist, whose book American Born Chinese was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award
- Laurence Yep – two-time winner of the Newbery Honor
- Connie Young Yu – writer, historian, lecturer, and 2016 "Woman of the Year" California Senate District 13
- Judy Yung – writer
- Kat Zhang – author of young adult and middle grade novels
- Jenny Zhang – essayist, poet, novelist
- Jenny Tinghui Zhang – novelist
Theater
- Ping Chong – contemporary theater director
- Dan Kwong – playwright
- BD Wong – Tony Award-winning actor, M Butterfly, ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''
Visual arts
- Bernice Bing – painter
- Cai Guo-Qiang – artist and gunpowder works designer
- Ernie Chan – comic book artist/inker for Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
- Ching Ho Cheng – Cuban–born contemporary artist
- Alan Chin – multidisciplinary artist
- Mel Chin – artist
- Lenore Chinn – realist painter
- Han Hsiang-ning – painter
- Hon Chew Hee – Chinese–Hawaiian painter
- Tessa Hulls - artist
- Maya Lin – architect
- Haven Lin-Kirk – artist and designer, Dean of the USC Gayle Garner Roski School of Art and Design
- Hung Liu – painter
- Reagan Louie – American photographer
- Seong Moy – painter and printmaker
- I. M. Pei – architect, designed the Louvre Pyramid
- Mimi So – jewelry designer
- May Sun – artist, public art
- Fan Tchunpi – painter, ceramicist
- Frank Wong – dioramist
- James Wong Howe – nominated for ten Academy Awards for cinematography, won twice
- Marjorie Wong Hee – Chinese–Hawaiian painter, teacher
- Martin Wong – painter
- Tyrus Wong – artist
- Frank Wu – science-fiction illustrator
- Xu Bing – artist
- Zhao Suikang - artist
Business
Financial
- Gerald Chan – son of T.H. Chan, property investments
- Ida Liu – Global Head of Citi Private Bank
- Tim Chen – co-founder and CEO of NerdWallet
- Yan Huo – co-founder of Capula Investment Management, 8th largest hedge fund in Europe by assets
- Alfred Lin – venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital
- Ken Lin – founder and CEO of Credit Karma
- Norman Liu – CEO and president of GECAS
- Look Tin Eli – co-founder of the Canton Bank of San Francisco and one of the prime movers in the rebuilding of Chinatown after the 1906 quake
- Li Lu – hedge fund manager and founder and chairman of Himalaya Capital
- Dominic Ng – CEO and president of East West Bank
- Lou Pai – CEO of Enron Xcelerator, a venture capital division of Enron
- Donald Tang – former vice-chairman of Bear Stearns
- Oscar Tang – financier and philanthropist
- Gerald Tsai – financier, former chairman and CEO of Primerica
- Gary Wang – co-founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX
- Mun Charn Wong – former executive of Transamerica Corporation
- Peng Zhao – CEO of Citadel Securities
Food
- Roger H. Chen – founder of Tawa Supermarket Inc., also known as 99 Ranch Market
- Andrew Cherng – co-founder of Panda Express, billionaire
- Bob Chinn – owner of Bob Chinn's Crab House, highest grossing restaurant in America
- Johnny Kan – founder of Kan's Restaurant
- Ping Tom – Chicago-based food industry businessman; uncle of Lauren Tom
Industrial
- Ting Tsung Chao – founder of The Chao Group and Westlake Chemical
- Albert Chao – co-founder of Westlake Chemical, son of Ting Tsung Chao
- James Yuan Chao – chair of the Westlake Chemical Corporation, son of Ting Tsung Chao
- Allen Chao – founder of Allergan, plc pharmaceutical and medical device co.
- David T. Hon – founder and CEO of Dahon bicycle co.
- Noel Lee – founder and CEO of Monster Cable
- Cyrus Tang – scrap metal and furniture magnate
Internet
- Fred Chang – founder of Newegg, billionaire
- Pehong Chen – founder of Gain Technology and Broadvision
- Perry Chen – co-founder of Kickstarter
- Steve Chen – co-founder of YouTube
- Ben Chiu – founder of KillerApp.com
- Tracy Chou – Project Include, former Pinterest and Quora engineer
- Daniel Ha – co-founder of Disqus
- Tony Hsieh – co-founder of LinkExchange, later CEO of Zappos online shoe store
- Chris Hulls - co-founder of Life360
- Jameson Hsu – co-founder and CEO of Mochi Media
- Justin Kan – co-founder Twitch
- Kai-Fu Lee – founding president of Google China
- Ellen Pao – Reddit's CEO from 2014 to 2015, filed gender and race discrimination lawsuit against Perkins and lost
- Ben Silbermann – co-founder and CEO of Pinterest, billionaire
- Greg Tseng – co-founder and CEO of Tagged
- Yishan Wong – CEO of Reddit ; director of engineering of Facebook
- Jerry Yang – co-founder of NASDAQ-100 component Yahoo!, billionaire
- David Yu – high tech investor and CEO of Betfair
Technology
- John S. Chen – CEO of BlackBerry; former CEO of Sybase
- Steve Chen – founder and CEO of Galactic Computing
- James Chu – founder, CEO and chairman of ViewSonic, one of the largest computer monitor brands
- Alfred Chuang – co-founder BEA Systems
- Weili Dai – co-founder of Marvell Technology Group
- Ping Fu – co-founder of Geomagic
- Ming Hsieh – co-founder Cogent Systems
- Jensen Huang – co-founder and CEO of NASDAQ-100 component NVIDIA
- Kai Huang – co-founder of Guitar Hero franchise
- Robert T. Huang – founder of Fortune 500 company Synnex
- David Ji – founded Apex Digital
- Min Kao – co-founder of Garmin
- David Lam – founder of Lam Research
- Deb Liu – CEO of Ancestry.com
- Patrick Soon-Shiong – founder of Abraxis BioScience and NantHealth
- Lisa Su – CEO and president of NASDAQ-100 component Advanced Micro Devices
- David Sun – co-founder and COO of Kingston Technologies
- Sehat Sutardja – co-founder of Marvell Technology Group
- Lip-Bu Tan – president and CEO of Cadence Design Systems
- Victor Tsao – co-founder of Linksys
- John Tu – co-founder of Kingston Technologies
- Alexandr Wang – founder and CEO of Scale AI
- An Wang – co-founder of Wang Laboratories
- Charles Wang – founder of CA Technologies, owner of the New York Islanders
- William Wang – founder and CEO of Vizio
- Ken Xie – founder of Fortinet and NetScreen
- Bing Yeh – founder of Silicon Storage Technology and Greenliant Systems
- Eric Yuan – founder and CEO of Zoom
- Min Zhu – co-founder of WebEx
Other
- Sam Chang – New York real estate and hotel developer
- James S.C. Chao – New York shipping magnate and father of Elaine Chao
- John Chuang – co-founder and CEO of staffing consultancy Aquent
- Andy Fang – co-founder of DoorDash
- Lew Hing – shipping, hotel, and canning tycoon
- Andrea Jung – Chair of Avon
- Christine Poon – business executive at Bristol Myers Squib and Johnson & Johnson, dean of Ohio State University Fisher College of Business
- Stanley Tang – co-founder of DoorDash
- Tony Xu – co-founder of DoorDash
Entertainment
- Stephen Chao – media executive
- Dan Lin – Hollywood film producer and former SVP at Warner Bros.
- Mynette Louie – producer and co-founder of Gamechanger Films
- John J. Sie – founder of Starz Inc.
- Andrea Wong – president of International Production for Sony Pictures Television and president of International for Sony Pictures Entertainment
Actors
- Awkwafina – actress and rapper
- Tyson Beckford – model and actor
- Ross Butler - actor
- Chloe Bennet – actress and singer
- T. V. Carpio – actress and singer
- Tina Huang — stage, television actress
- Tia Carrere – actress, singer
- Flora Chan – actress
- JuJu Chan – actress
- Michael Paul Chan - actor
- Emily Chang - actress
- Louis Ozawa Changchien – actor
- Rosalind Chao – actress
- Zoë Chao – actress and writer
- Fala Chen – actress
- Hank Chen – actor and comedian
- Joan Chen – actress, The Last Emperor, director
- Lynn Chen – actress, Saving Face
- Kevin Cheng – actor and singer
- Cheng Pei-pei – actress, known for films Come Drink with Me and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
- Karin Anna Cheung – actress, Angela, in Quentin Lee's feature film The People I've Slept With
- Feodor Chin – actor, writer, director
- Lori Tan Chinn – actress
- Annabel Chong – adult film actress
- Peter Chong – film and stage actor
- Tommy Chong, Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician, part of comedy duo Cheech & Chong
- China Chow – actress, model
- Kelsey Chow – actress
- Michaela Conlin – actress
- Auliʻi Cravalho – actress and singer
- Darren Criss – Broadway and television actor, singer and songwriter
- Tiffany Espensen - actress
- Roger Fan – actor
- James Hong – actor and director
- George Hu – actor
- Kelly Hu – actress
- Madison Hu – actress, Bizaardvark
- Celina Jade – actress, singer and martial artist
- Malese Jow – actress and singer on Unfabulous and The Vampire Diaries
- Archie Kao – actor and model
- Lawrence Kao - actor
- Matthew Yang King - actor
- Michelle Krusiec – actress
- Nancy Kwan – first Chinese-born star in Western cinema
- Brandon Lee – actor, son of Bruce Lee
- Bruce Lee – kung fu actor, son of Lee Hoi-chuen
- Jason Scott Lee – actor
- Michelle Lee – actress, martial artist and stuntwoman
- Peyton Elizabeth Lee - actress
- Shannon Lee – actress, and daughter of Bruce Lee
- Kaylani Lei – pornographic actress
- Al Leong - actor and stuntman
- Ken Leung – actor, Lost, X-Men: The Last Stand
- Telly Leung - actor and singer
- James Hiroyuki Liao – actor
- David Lim — actor
- Julia Ling – actress, Chuck
- Dyana Liu – actress
- Lucy Liu – actress, Charlie's Angels, Kill Bill
- Liu Yifei – actress and singer
- John Lone – actor, most notable for his role as Puyi in The Last Emperor
- Jodi Long – actress
- Keye Luke – actor
- Tzi Ma – actor
- Byron Mann – actor, notable for playing the role of Ryu in Street Fighter
- Marie Matiko – actress
- Meiling Melançon – actress
- Matthew Moy – actor, 2 Broke Girls, most notable for the voice of Lars Barriga
- Olivia Munn – actress, model and television personality
- Irene Ng – actress, played the title character in Nickelodeon's The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo
- Melissa Ng – actress
- Haing S. Ngor – actor; won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in The Killing Fields
- Julia Nickson-Soul – actress, most notable for playing the role of Co-Bao in Rambo: First Blood Part II
- Jimmy Ouyang – actor, writer and comedian
- Will Pan – singer and songwriter
- Janel Parrish – actress and singer
- Ke Huy Quan – actor and stunt choreographer; played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Chester See – YouTube personality, musician, and Broadway actor.
- Ivan Shaw – actor
- Freda Foh Shen - actress
- Parry Shen – actor
- Robin Shou – actor, stuntman, martial artist
- Harry Shum, Jr. – actor, dancer, and singer in Glee and Shadowhunters
- Soo Yong – Hollywood and television actress.
- Kaiji Tang – voice actor
- Will Tiao – actor and producer
- Jennifer Tilly – actress, Bound
- Meg Tilly – actress
- Chuti Tiu – actress, Desire, 24, Dragnet, Beautiful, The Specials; former America's Junior Miss
- Kiana Tom – actress, television host, and exercise instructor
- Lauren Tom – actress, The Joy Luck Club, "Julie" on Friends
- Jessika Van – actress, singer, portrays "Becca" on MTV's Awkward
- Garrett Wang – actor in Star Trek: Voyager
- Ming-Na Wen – Macanese-born actress, ER, Mulan
- Samantha Win - actress, martial artist, stuntwoman and wushu taolu athlete
- Anna May Wong – first female Asian-American star of the screen
- Grace Wong – actress
- Michael Wong – actor
- Russell Wong – actor
- Victor Wong – actor
- Constance Wu – actress
- Daniel Wu – actor
- Jade Wu – actress, screenwriter, director
- Kevin Wu – YouTube star, once #1 all-time most subscribed comedian
- Leonard Wu – actor, producer and writer
- Bowen Yang – actor and writer, Saturday Night Live
- Welly Yang – actor and artist
- Michelle Ye – actress
- Kelvin Han Yee – actor
- Gwendoline Yeo – musician and actress
- Suzie Yeung – voice actress
- Keone Young – actor
- Eugenia Yuan – actress and daughter of Cheng Pei-pei
- Catalina Yue – actress, singer, model
- Victor Sen Yung – actor, portrayed Hop Sing in Bonanza
- Nan Zhang – actress, ''Gossip Girl''
Directors
- Arvin Chen – director and screenwriter
- Tze Chun – writer, director
- Esther Eng – director
- Dayyan Eng - writer, producer, director
- Ang Lee – Academy Award-winning director
- Quentin Lee – Canadian / American director, known for gay Asian stories
- Justin Lin – director, Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious
- Freida Lee Mock – Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder of the American Film Foundation
- David Ren – film director, Shanghai Kiss
- Timothy Tau – writer and director
- Wayne Wang – Hollywood director; won the Golden Shell
- Ruby Yang – film director
- Jessica Yu – Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker; film and television director
Musicians
- Jin Au-yeung – rapper, songwriter, actor
- Carmit Bachar – singer and member of the Pussycat Dolls
- Baiyu – singer, songwriter, actress, mtvU VJ
- Foxy Brown – rapper
- Dennis Ruowei Cao – a.k.a. One Child Policy, electronic musician
- Jaycee Chan – Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor
- Robert Chen – violinist, concertmaster of Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Chi Cheng – bassist of alternative metal band, Deftones
- Andrew Chou – member of hip-hop group Machi
- Chou Wen-chung - composer
- Dawen – singer, songwriter
- Leah Dizon – model and singer
- Khalil Fong – singer, songwriter
- Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul – singer and rapper member of the K-pop group, 2PM
- Hao Huang (pianist), composer, writer and professor at Scripps College
- Lucia Hwong – composer, musician, known for ethereal music and pipa
- Jon Jang – jazz pianist, composer, band leader
- Kelis – singer 1/4 Chinese
- Fei Xiang – a.k.a. Kris Phillips, pop singer and theater actor
- Larissa Lam – singer-songwriter, television host, music executive, film director
- Chihchun Chi-sun Lee – composer
- CoCo Lee – singer
- Dai-Keong Lee – composer
- Cho-Liang Lin – violinist
- Jenny Lin – pianist
- Joseph Lin – first violinist for Juilliard String Quartet
- Amber Liu – rapper and singer of K-pop group f(x)
- Kate Liu – classical pianist
- Justin Lo – Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor
- Zhou Long – winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Music
- Yo-Yo Ma – cellist
- Charles Mingus – jazz double bassist, composer, band leader
- Chino Moreno – vocalist and guitarist of Deftones
- Fats Navarro – jazz trumpeter
- Ne-Yo – R&B artist, 1/4 Chinese
- Richard On – guitarist-songwriter for rock band O.A.R.
- Will Pan – singer-songwriter, rapper and actor
- Saweetie – rapper
- Bright Sheng – composer, conductor, and pianist
- Shunza – singer
- Tan Dun - composer
- Vienna Teng – singer-songwriter
- Kenneth Tse – classical saxophonist
- Sam Tsui – YouTube singer
- Mark Tuan – Taiwanese rapper of K-pop group Got7
- Lara Veronin – vocalist
- Wang Leehom – singer-songwriter, record producer, actor and film director
- Joanna Wang – singer
- Kiki Wong, guitarist of Smashing Pumpkins
- Chris Wong Won – Chinese Trinidadian rapper, member of 2 Live Crew
- Only Won – rapper, actor, martial artist, producer of Finding Cleveland
- Vanness Wu – actor, singer, director, producer
- Sophia Yan – classical pianist
- Catalina Yue – singer, songwriter, model
- Nancy Zhou – violin player
Other
- Chang and Eng Bunker – Siamese twins, pioneer immigrants
- Francesca Fiorentini – comedian and activist
- Ken Hom – chef, author and British television show presenter
- Lindy Li — political commentator
- Steven Ho – martial artist and stunt man
- Janet Hsieh – model and travel host of Fun Taiwan
- Eddie Huang – writer, celebrity TV chef
- William Hung – musician of American Idol fame
- Carrie Ann Inaba – judge on Dancing with the Stars
- Rupert Jee – owner of the Hello Deli next to the Ed Sullivan Theater; regular on Late Show with David Letterman
- Zach King - American Internet Personality; father is of half Chinese ancestry
- Miranda Kwok – screenwriter
- Shin Lim – close-up magician
- Afong Moy – "The Chinese Lady," pioneer immigrant
- May Pang – personal assistant and arts producer for John Lennon and Yoko Ono, romantic partner with Lennon.
- Ming Tsai – chef and restaurateur ; host of Emmy Award-winning television show East Meets West
- Shen Wei – choreographer, stage designer
- Kristina Wong – comedian
- Martin Yan – chef, host of Yan Can Cook
- Janet Yang - film producer
- Vern Yip – interior designer and TV host
Journalism and news media
- Ben Calhoun – radio journalist with This American Life
- Melissa Chan – journalist with ABC News and Al Jazeera America
- Sewell Chan – journalist, The New York Times
- Emily Chang – journalist from CNN
- Iris Chang – historian and journalist, Thread of the Silkworm and The Rape of Nanking
- Jeff Chang – journalist, hip-hop historian
- Laura Chang – science editor, The New York Times
- William Y. Chang – founder of the Chinese-American Times newspaper
- Adrian Chen – investigative journalist, staff writer at The New Yorker
- Christine Chen – journalist and anchor
- Julie Chen Moonves – newsreader on The Early Show and host of Big Brother
- Anna Chen Chennault – journalist, spouse of Claire Chennault, of the Flying Tigers
- Ron Chew – former editor International Examiner, founding member of Seattle Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association
- Howard G. Chua-Eoan – news director, Time magazine
- Connie Chung – became the second woman to co-anchor a major network national news broadcast
- Veronica De La Cruz – journalist, NBC News ; alternating anchor on both Early Today on NBC and First Look on MSNBC
- Ben Fong-Torres – journalist, Rolling Stone
- Cindy Hsu – news reporter at WCBS-TV in New York City
- Weijia Jiang - White House correspondent, CBS News
- Jennifer 8. Lee – journalist, The New York Times
- Melissa Lee – Emmy award-winning journalist, CNBC, NBC News, MSNBC, Bloomberg Television, CNN Financial News
- Portia Li – journalist
- Dion Lim – Emmy Award winning journalist
- Carol Lin – news anchor
- Sam Chu Lin – journalist, one of the first Asian Americans on network TV news
- Jo Ling Kent
- Laura Ling – journalist, sister of Lisa Ling
- Lisa Ling – journalist, known for her role as a co-host of ABC's The View and host of National Geographic Ultimate Explorer
- Betty Liu – news anchor, Bloomberg Television
- Richard Lui – news anchor of MSNBC
- Chiang Nan – newspaper editor
- Kaity Tong – news anchor for WPIX-TV in New York City
- Edward Wong – journalist, former writer for The New York Times
- Sheryl WuDunn – Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author
- Jeff Yang – columnist for The Wall Street Journal
- John Yang – Peabody Award winning news correspondent and commentator for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, Today, and MSNBC
- Angela Yee - radio personality at Power 105.1FM
- Al Young journalist, 1st Asian American Mainland U.S. newspaper sportswriter, editor, columnist.
- Anthony Yuen – journalist
Military
- Danny Chen – Private, United States Army Infantryman, was found shot to death after being racially harassed and beaten by his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan
- Arthur Chin – World War II pilot and fighter ace with Canton Provincial Air Force, National Revolutionary Army
- Larry Wu-tai Chin – CIA and Army translator and intelligence analyst 1944–1981, spy for China.
- David S. C. Chu – United States Army Captain, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, president/CEO of the Institute for Defense Analyses
- Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon – United States Navy Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
- John Liu Fugh – first Chinese American officer to be promoted to the rank of major general in the United States Army; first Chinese American to serve as Judge Advocate General of the Army
- Lau Sing Kee - United States Army; for heroism in World War I he became the first Chinese American to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the military's second highest award for valor.
- Wah Kau Kong – United States Air Force Second Lieutenant, first Chinese American fighter pilot
- Hazel Ying Lee – first Chinese American woman to earn a pilot's license; flew for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II as a Woman Airforce Service Pilot
- Kurt Lee – Major, US Marine Corps.; first Asian American Marine Corps officer, Navy Cross recipient
- Coral Wong Pietsch – United States Army Reserve Brigadier General, first female Asian American general officer
- Suzanne Vares-Lum
- Xiong Yan – student leader during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and now a chaplain in the United States Army
- James Yee – United States Army Captain and chaplain, formerly charged with sedition; author of the memoir For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire
- Jonathan A. Yuen – United States Navy Rear Admiral and commander of Naval Supply Systems Command
- Fang Wong – National Commander of The American Legion
Politics and government
National politics
- Elaine Chao – former Secretary of Transportation and former Secretary of Labor
- Lanhee Chen – conservative government policy academic, policy director in Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, news media political commentator
- Steven Chu – physicist, former Secretary of Energy, winner of 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for research in laser cooling
- Nancy-Ann DeParle – Director of the White House Office of Health Reform
- Gary Locke – United States Ambassador to China ; United States Secretary of Commerce ; Governor of Washington, first and only Chinese American to serve as a state governor
- Chris Lu – Assistant to former President Barack Obama and Cabinet Secretary
- Julie Su - acting United States Secretary of Labor
- Katherine Tai – 19th United States Trade Representative
- Tina Tchen – Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States, director of Office of Public Liaison during Obama administration
- Andrew Yang – unsuccessful 2020 presidential candidate
Congress
- Daniel Akaka – former US Senator from Hawaii; first Native Hawaiian US Senator; Democrat
- Judy Chu – first Chinese-American woman to serve as US Representative ; Democrat
- TJ Cox – US Representative from California ; Democrat
- Charles Djou – US Representative from Hawaii ; Republican
- Tammy Duckworth – US Senator from Illinois; former Representative from the 8th District of Illinois, Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; Democrat
- Hiram L. Fong – former US Senator from Hawaii; first US Senator of Chinese ancestry; Republican
- Vince Fong – Republican representing the 20th District of California; former member of the California State Assembly
- Ted Lieu – Democrat representing the 33rd District of California
- Grace Meng – Democrat representing the 22nd District of New York
- David Wu – first Taiwanese American US Representative, Democrat from Oregon
Local and state
- Duke Aiona – former Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii ; Republican
- Vicky Cayetano – former First Lady of Hawaii
- Elisa Chan – former member of the San Antonio City Council
- Steve Chan – member of the New York State Senate ; Republican
- Wilma Chan – first Asian American California State Assembly Majority Leader ; Democrat
- Ling Ling Chang – member of the California State Senate, member of the California State Assembly ; Republican
- Ed Chau – member of the California State Assembly ; Democrat
- John Chiang – California State Controller ; Democrat
- Lily Lee Chen – Mayor of Monterey Park, California; first female Chinese-American mayor in the United States
- Doug Chin – Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii ; Attorney General of Hawaii ; Democrat
- Margaret Chin – member of the New York City Council representing Chinatown
- David Chiu – Democrat representing the 17th Assembly District, California State Assembly
- Iwen Chu – member of the New York State Senate ; Democrat
- Kansen Chu – member of the California State Assembly, member of the San Jose City Council, member of the Berryessa Union School District Board of Trustees
- Jake Fitisemanu – member of the Utah House of Representatives ; Democrat
- March Fong Eu – former Secretary of State of California, elected in 1974, she won reelection four times; United States Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia ; Democrat
- Matthew K. Fong – California State Treasurer, adoptive son of March Fong Eu; Republican
- Allan Fung – Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island ; Republican
- Karen Goh – Mayor of Bakersfield, California; Republican
- Tony Hwang – State Representative of the Connecticut General Assembly; Republican
- Andrew T.F. Ing – Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii ; Democrat
- Ed Jew – former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Democrat
- James Kealoha – Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii ; Republican
- Peter Koo – member of the New York City Council representing Flushing, Queens
- Ed Lee – Mayor of San Francisco
- Harry Lee – longtime sheriff of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; first elected in 1979, he was re-elected six times and served 27 and a half years
- Susan C. Lee – Senator, Maryland Senate of Maryland General Assembly;first Asian American elected to Maryland Senate and first Chinese American elected to Maryland House of Delegates and Maryland General Assembly.
- John Liu – New York City Comptroller
- Jimmy Meng – fNew York State Assembly ; Democrat
- Kaleo Moylan – Lieutenant Governor of Guam, Member of the Guam Legislature ; Republican
- Kurt Moylan – Lieutenant Governor of Guam, Secretary of Guam ; Republican
- Lily Qi – Member of the Maryland House of Delegates ; Democrat
- William S. Richardson – 16th Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court, 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii; Democrat
- Sandra Ung – member of the New York City Council
- Alex Wan – member of the Atlanta City Council, first openly gay and first Asian American member
- Shien Biau Woo – Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, current president of the 80-20 Initiative; Democrat
- Gene Wu – Minority Leader of the Texas House of Representatives, member since 2013; Democrat
- Lily Wu – Mayor of Wichita, Kansas; Libertarian
- Michelle Wu – Mayor of Boston
- Rui Xu – member of the Kansas House of Representatives
- Leland Yee – California State Assembly, California State Senate, San Francisco Board of Supervisors ; Democrat
- Yiaway Yeh – mayor of Palo Alto, California; first Chinese American to hold the office
- Mae Yih – Oregon House of Representatives, Oregon State Senate, first Chinese American to serve in a state senate; Democrat
- Janice Zahn – Member of the Washington House of Representatives ; Democrat
Law and judiciary
- Norman Bay – former United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico ; first Chinese American United States Attorney
- Denny Chin – judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, first Asian American appointed as a United States district court judge outside of the Ninth Circuit
- Ming Chin – Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California
- Dorothy Chin Brandt – Acting Justice, New York Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Queens County
- Morgan Chu – Partner, Chair of Litigation, former Co-Managing Partner of Irell & Manella; former president and board member of Harvard Board of Overseers
- Amy Chua – professor of law; author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
- Mary Anne Franks – professor of law, author of The Cult of the Constitution, president of Cyber Civil Rights Initiative
- Dolly M. Gee – federal district judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California
- Joyce Kennard – Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California
- George H. King – federal district judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California
- William F. Lee – co-managing partner of WilmerHale and fellow of the Harvard Corporation
- Ronald Lew – federal district judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California; first Chinese-American federal judge outside of Hawaii
- Goodwin Liu – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
- Nicole Shanahan – attorney
- Brian Sun – trial lawyer
- Thomas Tang – judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; first Chinese American federal judge
- Jan C. Ting – professor of law; expert on immigration, national security, and taxation; 2006 Republican candidate for Senate
- Qian Julie Wang – Lawyer and memoirist
- Delbert Wong – judge
Community and civil rights
- Grace Lee Boggs – community activist in African-American community; leftist writer
- Chin Lin Sou – community leader
- Hung Wai Ching – community leader and businessman
- Goo Kim Fui – President, United Chinese Society in Hawaii, 1892–1898; played an instrumental role in uniting the Chinese and fighting for their rights during the anti-Chinese agitation in Hawaii in the 1880s
- Charles Goodall Lee – first licensed Chinese American dentist in the United States, financier of Chinese American Citizens Alliance in Oakland Chinatown, spouse of Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee
- Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee – first Chinese American woman voter in the United States
- Mabel Ping-Hua Lee – Chinese advocate for women's suffrage in the United States, community organizer in New York City's Chinatown, and leader of the First Chinese Baptist Church in Chinatown.
- Wong Chin Foo – 19th-century civil rights activist and journalist
- Wong Kim Ark – his lawsuit established the principle of citizenship by virtue of birth on US soil
- Harry Wu – human rights activist, focuses on Laogai prison camps and human rights in China
- Sherman Wu – civil rights activist, famous racial discrimination incident by university fraternity
- Xiao Qiang – MacArthur Fellowship for human rights activism, publisher of China Digital Times covering rights and censorship in China, journalism professor
- John C. Young – San Francisco Chinatown leader
- Helen Zia – community activist and writer
Science and academia
Nobel Prize
- Chen Ning Yang – 1957 Nobel laureate, Physics, Yang–Mills theory
- Tsung-dao Lee – 1957 Nobel laureate, Physics
- Samuel C. C. Ting – 1976 Nobel laureate, Physics
- Yuan T. Lee – 1986 Nobel Prize, Chemistry
- Steven Chu – 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics, US Secretary of Energy
- Daniel Chee Tsui – 1998 Nobel laureate, Physics
- Roger Y. Tsien – 2008 Nobel laureate, Chemistry
- Charles K. Kao – 2009 Nobel laureate in Physics who pioneered the development and use of fiber optics in telecommunications
Mathematics award winners
- Terence Chi-Shen Tao – Fields Medal, Clay Research Award, Crafoord Prize
- Shing-Tung Yau – Fields Medal, Wolf Prize, Crafoord Prize
- Andrew Yao – Turing Award
- Shiing-Shen Chern – Wolf Prize
- Wei Zhang – Clay Research Award
- Xinyi Yuan – Clay Research Award
Chemistry
- Ching W. Tang – inventor of the organic light-emitting diode and the hetero-junction organic photovoltaic cell ; winner of the 2011 Wolf Prize in Chemistry; known as the "father of organic electronics"
- Roger Y. Tsien – 2008 Nobel laureate, chemistry
- Peidong Yang – chemist; founding member of the scientific advisory board at Nanosys, a nanomaterials company; co-founder of Alphabet Energy
- Xiaowei Zhuang – Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and of Physics at Harvard University, member of National Academy of Sciences, MacArthur Fellow
- Zhijian Chen - Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is best known for his discovery of mechanisms by which nucleic acids trigger innate and autoimmune responses from the interior of a cell, work for which he received the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
- Xiaoliang Sunney Xie - biochemist, considered a founding father of single-molecule biophysical chemistry and single-molecule enzymology
Computer science
- Danqi Chen – AI professor at Princeton University working in Natural language processing, PhD from Stanford University, former student of Andrew Yao
- Jianlin Cheng – computer and data scientist; Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Missouri, Columbia
- Wen Tsing Chow – missile guidance scientist, digital computer pioneer
- Leon Chua – professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley
- Feng-hsiung Hsu – IBM developer of Deep Blue, which beat World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov in 1997
- Fei-Fei Li – AI researcher, Stanford University professor
- Kai Li – Princeton University
- Ming C. Lin – former Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, now at U. Maryland.
- Andrew Ng – AI researcher and entrepreneur: Google Brain, Baidu research, Coursera, Stanford University professor
- Carol E. Reiley: entrepreneur in health, robotics and AI, Andrew Ng's wife
- Pei-Yuan Wei – creator of ViolaWWW
- Wen-mei Hwu – professor at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign specializing in compiler design, computer architecture, computer microarchitecture, and parallel processing
- Andrew Yao – 2000 Turing Award recipient, Yao's principle, former professor at Princeton University
- Frances Yao – computer scientist, researcher in computational geometry and combinatorial algorithms; wife of Andrew Yao
- Yuanyuan Zhou – Princeton University PhD, currently UC San Diego
Engineering
- Huajian Gao – Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Engineering at Brown University
- Tung Hua Lin – professor, aerospace and structural engineer
- Tung-Yen Lin – structural engineer who was the pioneer of standardizing the use of prestressed concrete, founded T. Y. Lin International
- Lee Yuk-Wing – Professor of Electrical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mathematics
- Terence Chi-Shen Tao – child genius, Fields Medal winner, professor, MacArthur Fellow, Crafoord Prize, Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. He is the youngest participant to date in the International Mathematical Olympiad, first competing at the age of ten; in 1986, 1987, and 1988, he won a bronze, silver, and gold medal. He remains the youngest winner of each of the three medals in the Olympiad's history, winning the gold medal shortly after his thirteenth birthday. Tao received graduated from university at the age of 16 obtaining his bachelor's and master's degrees, received his PhD at the age of 20.
- Lenhard Ng – child prodigy who was once thought to be the "smartest kid in America". At age 10, he earned a perfect score of 800 on the math portion of what is now called the SAT, a feat considered to be a “remarkable achievement” when a high school junior or senior did it. Ng is a professor of mathematics at Duke University.
- Jeffrey Yi-Lin Forrest – professor of mathematics, systems science, economics, and finance at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
- Wei Zhang – Professor of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Sun-Yung Alice Chang – professor of mathematics and former chair of the department at Princeton University
- Chen Wen-chen – professor of math at Carnegie Mellon, victim of Taiwan KMT persecution of dissidents
- Shiing-Shen Chern – Wolf Prize, considered one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century; worked on differential geometry and topology; known for Chern-Simons theory, Chern-Weil theory, Chern classes
- Chia-Kun Chu – applied mathematician, Fu Foundation Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics at Columbia University
- Chia-Chiao Lin – applied mathematician
- Tian Gang – Princeton University professor emeritus, student of S.T. Yau
- Paul Tseng – applied mathematician, professor at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Washington in Seattle
- Paul C. Yang – Princeton University, husband of Alice Chang
- Shing-Tung Yau – Fields Medal winner ; MacArthur Fellow, Crafoord Prize, National Medal of Science, Wolf Prize
- Yitang Zhang – mathematician, known for establishing the first finite bound on gaps between prime numbers
- Stephen Shing-Toung Yau – Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago
- Mu-Tao Wang – Professor of Mathematics at Columbia University, received a PhD in Mathematics in 1998 from Harvard University
Medicine and biosciences
- Priscilla Chan – Harvard-graduated pediatrician, Chan-Zuckerberg foundation
- Min Chueh Chang – co-inventor of the first birth control pill; made significant contributions to the development of in vitro fertilisation
- Gilbert Chu – biochemist and Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at the Stanford Medical School; older brother of Steven Chu
- Yuan-Cheng Fung – founder of modern biomechanics
- Lue Gim Gong – horticulturalist
- David Ho – scientific researcher and the Irene Diamond professor at Rockefeller University in New York City
- Alice S. Huang – virologist
- Lin He – biochemist, received the MacArthur Fellowship in 2009
- Yuet Wai Kan – pioneer of using DNA to diagnose human diseases, research enabled the Human Genome Project, recipient of Lasker Foundation award in 1991
- Henry C. Lee – forensic scientist
- Sandra Lee – dermatologist and Internet celebrity as "Dr. Pimple Popper"; now star of the TLC series Dr. Pimple Popper
- Ching Chun Li – population geneticist and human geneticist
- Choh Hao Li – biochemist, discovered growth hormone, beta-endorphin and isolated luteinizing hormone
- Min Chiu Li – first scientist to use chemotherapy to cure widely metastatic, malignant cancer
- Anna Chao Pai – geneticist
- Joe Hin Tjio – cytogeneticist, first person to recognize the normal number of human chromosomes
- Chang Yi Wang – immunologist; NYIPLA Inventor of the Year Award in 2007 for her work on UBITh peptide immunogens
- James C. Wang – discovered DNA topoisomerases
- Sam Wang – neuroscientist and author
- Shih-Chun Wang – neuroscientist and pharmacology professor
- Xiaodong Wang – biochemist best known for his work with cytochrome c, won the 2000 Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, and 2006 Shaw Prize recipient
- Leana Wen – physician; director of Planned Parenthood, Health Commissioner of Baltimore, author
- David T. Wong – discovered drug Fluoxetine and atomoxetine, duloxetine and dapoxetine
- Flossie Wong-Staal – virologist and AIDS researcher
- Junying Yu – stem cell biologist; recognized as one of the 2007 "Persons of the Year" by TIME magazine
- Kang Zhang – ophthalmologist known for resigning from University of California, San Diego due to unethical behavior
Physics
- Sow-Hsin Chen – nuclear physicist
- Alfred Y. Cho – the "father of molecular beam epitaxy" and co-inventor of quantum cascade lasers
- Paul C. W. Chu – physicist, superconductivity
- Qian Xuesen – professor of aeronautics, a founder of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, exiled to China
- Frank Shu – professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley and University of California; San Diego and 2009 Shaw Prize recipient
- Chien-Shiung Wu – Manhattan Project scientist; considerable contribution to Nobel Prize work by Tsung-dao Lee
- Yang Yang, physicist, solar cells. Professor at UCLA. Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, Materials Research Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.
- Nai-Chang Yeh – physicist specialized in condensed matter physics; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Fellow, American Physical Society
- Shoucheng Zhang – Stanford physicist
- Chen Ning Yang – 1957 Nobel laureate, Physics, Yang–Mills theory
- Tsung-dao Lee – 1957 Nobel laureate, Physics
- Samuel C. C. Ting – 1976 Nobel laureate, Physics
- Steven Chu – 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics, US Secretary of Energy
- Daniel Chee Tsui – 1998 Nobel laureate, Physics
- Charles K. Kao – 2009 Nobel laureate in Physics who pioneered the development and use of fiber optics in telecommunications
- Xiaoxing Xi – Physicist at Temple University]
Economics, Finance, Statistics, OR
- Anthony Chan – chief economist, JPMorgan Chase; former economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and economics professor at the University of Dayton
- Gregory Chow – Class of 1913 Professor of Political Economy at Princeton University, known for Chow test
- Jianqing Fan – professor of finance and statistics at Princeton University
- William C. Hsiao – economist, professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Ann Lee – professor, author and commentator on global economics and finance issues
- Bin Yu – Chancellor's Professor in the Departments of Statistics and of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences at University of California, Berkeley
Social sciences
- Angela Lee Duckworth – professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, MacArthur Fellow; wrote Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
- Peter Kwong – professor of Asian American studies at Hunter College and professor of sociology in the City University of New York system
- Yu Xie – Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Sociology at Princeton University; known for applying quantitative data science methods to sociology as well as Chinese studies
Humanities
- Wing-tsit Chan – professor in Chinese philosophy, wrote influential translations
- Him Mark Lai – professor of Chinese American studies
- Lin Yutang – Hokkien Chinese writer
- Huping Ling – professor of History at Truman State University, author
- Liu Kwang-ching – Historian of late imperial China; University of California, Davis.
- Betty Lee Sung – former professor of Asian-American Studies at City College of New York; 'leading authority' on Chinese Americans
- Andrew Lih – associate professor of Journalism at American University
- Teng Ssu-yu – Historian of late imperial China, at University of Indiana.
- Tim Wu – professor at Columbia Law School, in 2014 ran to become the first Chinese-American lieutenant governor of New York State but lost.
- C.K. Yang – Sociologist at University of Pittsburgh.
- Yang Lien-sheng – Sinologist. Harvard University.
- Yu Ying-shih – Historian of China; Harvard, Yale, and Princeton Universities.
- Zhao Yuanren – Linguist at Harvard and University of California, Berkeley.
University administration
- Jim Chen – professor and former dean at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law
- Stephen Z.D. Cheng – Professor and former Dean in the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron, member of National Academic of Engineering
- David Jung-Kuang Chiu – former Director of Asian Studies and Dean of University Advisement, Hofstra University
- Way Kuo – President and University Distinguished Professor of the City University of Hong Kong, University Distinguished Professor and former Dean of Engineering at the University of Tennessee
- Robert C. T. Lee – former president of National Chung Hsing University, veterinarian and brother of Tsung-dao Lee
- Wallace Loh - Former President of University of Maryland College Park
- Chang-Lin Tien – Chancellor of University of California, Berkeley
- Frank H. Wu – Chancellor and Dean of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law
- Henry T. Yang – Chancellor of UC Santa Barbara
Earth Sciences
- Sherry Chen – Hydrologist working for National Weather Service
Sports
- Nathan Adrian – Olympic medal winner, swimming
- Shayna Baszler – professional wrestler and mixed martial artist
- Johnny Chan – professional poker player
- Michael Chang – youngest male tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament
- Ray Chang – baseball player
- Karen Chen – figure skater
- Nathan Chen – figure skater, 2022 Olympic gold medalist
- Tiffany Chin – figure skater and 1985 U.S. national champion
- Brian Ching – soccer player for Houston Dynamo and the United States national team
- William Kwai-sun Chow - martial arts instructor
- Mark Chung – first American-Chinese soccer player to play for the United States national team
- Patrick Chung – Strong Safety for the New England Patriots
- Amy Chow – gymnast and Olympic medal winner
- Norm Chow – UCLA Bruins offensive coordinator
- Julie Chu – Olympic medal winner, ice hockey
- Mark Foo – professional surfer
- Christina Gao – figure skater
- Chau Giang – poker player
- Eileen Gu – Free style skier and Olympic gold medalist
- Rudy Gunawan – badminton player
- Tony Gunawan – badminton player
- Ivana Hong – gymnastics
- Jerry Hsu – skateboarder
- Michelle Jin - professional bodybuilder
- John Juanda – poker player
- Phillip King – tennis player, brother of Vania King
- Vania King – tennis player who won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles
- Jonathan Klinsmann – soccer goalkeeper for LA Galaxy
- Theodore Ku-DiPietro – soccer player
- Karen Kwan – former figure skater, sister of Michelle Kwan
- Michelle Kwan – Olympic medal winner, figure skating
- Alice Lee – chess player, FIDE Master
- Jeremy Lin – professional basketball player, NBA, Linsanity
- Alysa Liu – figure skater and 2025 world national champion
- Corrie Lothrop – gymnastics
- Tyson Mao – speedcuber
- Kim Ng – Major League Baseball executive
- Karlee Perez – professional wrestler known as Catrina and the WWE as Maxine
- Chuck Sun – professional Motocross racer
- Kevin Tan – Olympic medal winner, gymnastics
- Ed Wang – professional American football player
- Lisa Wang – rhythmic gymnastics
- Kevin Wong – professional beach volleyball player and Olympian
- Raymond Wu – professional poker player
- Don Yee – sports agent
- Al Young – World Champion drag racer
- Jennifer Yu – U.S. women's chess champion in 2019 and 2022
- Caroline Zhang – figure skater
- Rose Zhang - professional golfer on the LPGA Tour
Other
Astronauts
- Leroy Chiao – NASA astronaut
- Kjell N. Lindgren – NASA astronaut
- Edward Lu – NASA astronaut
- Taylor Wang – first ethnic Chinese scientist to go into space, in 1985 on space shuttle ''Challenger''
Gang leaders and criminals
- Wing Yeung Chan – leader of New York Ghost Shadows street gang
- Raymond Kwok Chow – also known as "Shrimp Boy", mobster, leader of the San Francisco chapter of Chinese Freemasons and San Francisco Chinatown
- Peter Chong – leader of San Francisco area Wo Hop To gang
- David Chou – perpetrator of 2022 Laguna Woods church shooting
- Mock Duck – New York Chinatown mobster, leader of the Hip Sing Tong
- Johnny "Onionhead" Eng – leader of New York Flying Dragons street gang
- Joe Fong – founder of San Francisco Chung Ching Yee street gang
- Katrina Leung – Double agent for both U.S. and China
- Wayne Lo – murderer who perpetrated the shooting at Simon's Rock College of Bard on December 14, 1992, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
- Danny Pang – private equity manager, accused of running a Ponzi scheme
- Little Pete – San Francisco Chinatown mobster
- Elliot Rodger – of mixed English and Malaysian Chinese descent who perpetrated the 2014 Isla Vista shootings
- Ming Sen Shiue – committed notorious 1980 murder, rape, stalking
- Stephen Tse – leader of Boston Ping On street gang
Crime victims
- Bow Kum – her murder was the precipitating event for infamous New York Tong war
- Vincent Jen Chin – beaten to death in 1982 racial hate incident by two White men considered by Chinese-American advocacy groups to be miscarriage of American justice
- Wenjian Liu – first Chinese American officer in the New York City Police Department to die in the line of duty in 2014
- Betty Ong – flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, alerted ground crews and kept the world informed of the hijacking in progress
Religious leaders
- Francis Chan – preacher, founder of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA
- Witness Lee --- Preacher for the Local Churches, founder of the Living Stream Ministry
- Chow Leung – Baptist missionary in Chicago, Chinese school founder, co-author of Chinese Fables and Folk Stories
- Gerrit W. Gong – Member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Jian Tan – Buddhist monk and current abbot of the Chung Tai Zen Center of Houston
- Jakusho Kwong – Zen Buddhist Master of Shunryu Suzuki lineage, founder and head abbot of Sonoma Mountain Zen Center
- Jacqueline Mates-Muchin – world's first Chinese-American rabbi
- Ignatius C. Wang – Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
- Shi Yan Ming – 34th generation Shaolin monk and founder of the USA Shaolin Temple
- Jimmy Yu – Chan teacher of Sheng Yen lineage, Associate Professor of Religion at Florida State University and founder of Tallahassee Chan Center in Tallahassee, Florida
Other
- Bei Bei Shuai – Prosecuted for murder and feticide due to a pregnancy loss after a suicide attempt.