May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, so we at SMOSH thought we'd pay tribute to some of the awesomest Asians in American history. Asian Americans have irreversibly shaped our culture with their art, science, philosophies, and ways of life. Their contributions have enriched and deepened our perspective, our knowledge of ourselves, our technological achievements, and thanks to Jackie Chan, our belief that we can leap off a 50 foot building, get hit by a bus, get up, and immediately battle a dude with a sword. Here are some stand outs from the Asian American community.
10. Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee not only popularized martial arts in America, but broke down racial barriers and helped Americans from all walks of life become willing to see and accept Asian Americans and their various cultures. He was also the first American to successfully defeat Kareem-Abdul Jabbar at open combat.
9. Margaret Cho
A vocal proponent of not only Asian American rights, but gay rights, and women's rights in America, Margaret has used her comedy to help empower three distinct and important groups. Most people spend their lives empowering right around zero groups, Margaret Cho's got three. Yesterday I almost empowered a group, then I got lazy and fell asleep watching The Price Is Right with a half-chewed twizzler still in my mouth.
8. George Takei
An important gay icon as well, George Takei has helped America learn to accept, well, at least George Takai. He was also the first Asian American to be allowed on the Star Ship Enterprise, and the first Asian American to voice the role of Old Man Samurai in Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword.
7. Steven Chu
Steven Chu is the United States Secretary of Energy and won the Nobel Prize of his work developing laser cooling techniques and the magneto-optical trapping of atoms using lasers. If you win a prize and the thing you won it for has the word "laser" in it more than once, you deserve to be on this list. Also a tireless advocate in the fight against global warming. The only thing I do tirelessly is look for a place to lie down.
6. The Mandarin
Hoping to find a means of avenging himself upon the civilization that had taxed him and rendered him homeless, the Mandarin explored the forbidden "Valley of Spirits," where no one had dared to set foot for centuries. There he found the skeleton and starship of Axonn-Karr, an intelligent dragon-like alien the planet Maklu IV, who had come to Earth centuries ago and died. And that was all before breakfast this morning.
5. Yo Yo Ma
A brilliant musician who has traveled the world playing to hushed audiences and heads of state. He music is full of passion and vigor turning people on to classical music that otherwise would given it a second look. To the best of my knowledge, he has never played Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time," and I believe that trend will likely continue to be the case.
4. High Expectation Asian Father
To achieve great things, you need to have exceptional standards. That's where High Expectation Asian father comes in. NO ONE has higher standards, and no meme drives to to higher levels of achievement. We will one day make you proud, dad!
3. John Cho
He's freakin' Harold of Harold and Kumar, AND he's (another)sword fighting Sulu in the new Star Trek? The man has RANGE. Plus he plays in a rock band and has cool hair. I wish he would be my friend.
2. Darren Criss
Hey, what's the breakout star of "Glee" doing here? Well, Darren Criss is half Filipino. Fact. Also, he can sing, AND pull off wearing a stupid stupid jacket.
1. Samurai Jack
Jack strongly exhibits the characteristics of a stoic hero. He is unfailingly polite and humble despite the completely alien nature of the futuristic world he inhabits and never scoffs at or disparages the customs of the people he encounters (as unpleasant as they seem to him at times). Despite his almost hopeless situation, he does not bewail his destiny, and seeks only for a means to go home. Truly an Asian American role model, Samurai Jack has defeated 11 more alien robots than Martin Luther King Jr., and 23 more alien robots than Caesar Chavez.
Who are some of your Asian American heroes? Let us know in the comments!
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