u/Sno0pyBo0

🎥: https://www.instagram.com/lucyliu/

Ieoh Ming (I.M.) Pei was born in Guangzhou in 1917 and moved to the US at the age of 18 to study at Pennsylvania, MIT and Harvard.

He worked as a research scientist for the US government during WWII and went on to work as an architect, founding his own firm in 1955.

One of the 20th century's most prolific architects, he has designed municipal buildings, hotels, schools and other structures across North America, Asia and Europe.

🎥 credit to my favorite Black history content creator, Ashley B: https://www.instagram.com/ashleytheebarroness/

Today we celebrate Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X’s birthdays and their commitment to coalition building.

Yuri Kochiyama (May 19, 1921-June 1, 2014) was a Japanese American civil rights activist who was involved in civil rights organizing, advocating for the abolition of carceral systems, and uplifting the Asian American movement. She was also a close friend and political ally of Malcolm X. Kochiyama was in the audience of the Audubon Ballroom in New York on February 21, 1965 when he was assassinated and was one of the first people to rush to his side, famously holding his head in her lap as he passed away.

Malcolm X (May 19, 1925-February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary and Black nationalist leader who played a prominent role in Black liberation movements. His fight for dignity, justice, self-determination, and Black liberation continues to echo across generations, movements, and music.

Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X shared a deeply influential friendship rooted in mutual respect, anti-imperialism, and intersectional solidarity. Their dynamic blossomed into a powerful example of cross-racial activism.

https://www.biography.com/activists/yuri-kochiyama-malcolm-x-friendship

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/19/209258986/the-japanese-american-internee-who-met-malcolm-x

Cheryl Song appears in Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' music video and also in Rick James' 'Super Freak' music video

📽 Full interview here : First Non-Black Soul Train Dancer Cheryl Song Recalls How She Got The Show! | American Soul

💃🏻 https://www.instagram.com/cherylsong1/

According to Hollywood lore, Pat Morita did indeed pay it forward. Several years later, Morita watched a young Robin Williams perform at a San Francisco comedy club. Williams joked during the show that he was in poverty, and after the set was over, Morita approached Williams, pulled out his checkbook, and wrote a check for the same amount he had received from Foxx. In the years since Williams’ death in 2014, stories of his legendary generosity emerged, along with this tradition of 'paying it forward'.

Rest peacefully Redd Foxx, Pat Morita, and Robin Williams 🕊

https://geektyrant.com/news/heartwarming-story-of-pat-morita-being-helped-and-how-he-paid-it-forward-to-robin-williams

https://laughingsquid.com/redd-foxx-pat-morita-robin-williams-pay-forward/

🎥 clip is an excerpt from the 2013 biographical documentary 'American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs'

Upon her passing at age 100 on October 5, 2015, President Barack Obama issued a statement honoring the life and legacy of civil rights icon and philosopher Grace Lee Boggs. In the tribute, Obama praised Boggs for her century-long dedication to community organizing and social justice.

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/10/05/statement-president-passing-grace-lee-boggs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Lee_Boggs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Boggs_(activist)

In 1987, Dustin Nguyen burst onto the scene as Sergeant Harry Truman "H.T" Ioki on the hit TV series "21 Jump Street". Dustin starred alongside a cast that included Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson Peete, Steven Williams, and Peter DeLuise. He broke stereotypes and provided a positive representation of an Asian American character in mainstream television.

Besides starring alongside Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving in the film "Little Fish" (2005), he also started directing and producing his own projects in his native Vietnam. On TV, he starred in shows like "Seaquest DSV" (1994), "VIP" (1999-2002), the Cinemax series “Warrior" (2019-2023) and the Apple+ tv series "Dope Thief" (2025). Next up, he will join Lucy Liu and Ken Leung in the upcoming A24 and Peacock crime series "Superfakes" (2026).

https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/dustin-nguyen-cast-peacock-a24-superfakes-1236673693/

Dustin Nguyen IMDb

🎥: https://www.instagram.com/thecivicscenter/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patsy_Mink

"If Yan can cook so can you!"

Before Food Network, we had PBS! I grew up watching Chef Martin Yan on PBS. Chef Yan hosted over 3,500 episodes of the PBS cooking show Yan Can Cook since 1982. His shows have been broadcast in over 50 countries 📺👨🏽‍🍳

🎥: https://www.instagram.com/kqed/

🎥: https://www.instagram.com/mingna_wen/

Ming-Na Wen is one of a small list of Asian American actors to have their stars on the Walk of Fame. Recognized for her television work, Wen was the first Asian American actor to be signed onto a daytime drama portraying Lien Hughes on "As The World Turns" for four seasons. She also played Dr. Jing-Mei “Deb” Chen on “ER” for seven seasons. Wen is the acclaimed voice of Mulan in Disney’s 1998 animated film “Mulan”. She is also known for her work on Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, “The Mandalorian”, “The Bad Batch”, and “The Book of Boba Fett”.

Wen's Hollywood breakthrough came in the groundbreaking 1993 film “The Joy Luck Club", based on the novel by Amy Tan. It was the first major studio movie with an all Asian American cast. The ceremony was attended by her "The Joy Luck Club" co-stars Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom, and Rosalind Chao. Also present were veteran actors James Hong and Kieu Chinh.

Thank you Ming-Na Wen for being an inspiration to us all!

Source

🤩 Ming-Na is 63 years old! Asian don't raisin!

Contrary to popular belief, it was Filipino American Larry Itliong who led the Delano farm workers grape strike of 1965, not Cesar Chavez. Later joined by a coalition led by Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez, together they united Filipino and Mexican farmworkers in a fight for fair wages, union rights, and dignity in the fields. Because of Larry Itliong, hundreds of workers won their first union contracts --- and a voice.

Unfortunately for many years America lauded Cesar Chavez, nearly forgetting the work of Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz. However in 2015, California passed a law proclaiming October 25th (Itliong's birthday) as Larry Itliong Day to honor the Filipino American labor leader who pioneered the West Coast farmworker movement.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-it-is-important-know-story-filipino-american-larry-itliong-180972696/

Thuy Trang, famous as the original Yellow Ranger, was interviewed by Hollywood living legend James Hong in the 1995 documentary The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts: Hollywood Celebrities. In this rare interview, she discussed her journey as a Vietnamese refugee and her experience becoming a Power Ranger.

Wiki

Janet Jackson's "If" music video from 1993 received various accolades, including Best Female Video and Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards and a Billboard Award for Dance Clip of the Year. It was also voted the second best female video of the decade by Idolator. Watch this beautifully upscaled 4K video of Janet performing "If" at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards in a medley with "That's the Way Love Goes" 🔥

I have loved the "If" music video from the first moment I watched it. Everything about it: drop dead gorgeous Janet in her halter-style crop top and black pants with choker necklace, the strong Asian imagery and influence, the sensual underground Asian nightclub setting featuring futuristic touch-screen technology and surveillance cameras (which didn't exist at the time!) ~~ all evoking a cool AF cyberpunk Blade Runner-esque atmosphere. And of course, the intense choreography by the legendary Tina Landon is and will forever be ICONIC❗

But perhaps most importantly for me was seeing all the beautiful people who looked like me or similar to me in this video was truly awe-inspiring! 🤩

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hong_filmography
• James Hong IMDb