Sandra Oh, Mindy Kaling, BTS, and Hasan Minaj Named Among Most Influential Asians in American Culture

Hanh Nguyen

Add one more honor to Sandra Oh’s list. The “Killing Eve” actress, who was recently named to the Time 100, has landed on another list of 100 esteemed people: Gold House’s A100.

On Wednesday, Gold House – a collective of pioneering Asian founders, creative voices, and leaders – released its second annual A100 List celebrating Asians and Asian American & Pacific Islanders (AAPI) who’ve made transformative contributions to society. The list honors impactful Asians in a number of fields ranging from media and entertainment to social activism and politics.

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Oh has become the face of much of the increased representation for Asian Americans (the Korean Canadian actress acquired U.S. citizenship last year.) Not only is she one of the handful of Asian lead actors in a TV series, but she’s also the first actress of Asian descent to be nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and the first Asian woman to win two Golden Globes. She also became the first Asian woman to host the Golden Globe Awards this year.

Oh is in good company. Among the most familiar names on the list fall into the Creative Voices and Athletes category; besides Oh, the list includes:

  • Ali Wong: The writer and comedian released another stand-up special, “Hard Knock Wife,” in 2018 and this year co-stars with Tiffany Haddish in the lead vocal roles on “Tuca & Bertie” and opposite Randall Park in the rom-com “Always Be My Maybe,” both on Netflix.

  • BTS: This seven-member Korean boy band boasts a genre-spanning musical style and thought-provoking songs that have crossed over to Western culture. They recently performed on “Saturday Night Live.”

  • “Crazy Rich Asians” cast and crew: Constance Wu, Awkwafina, Henry Golding, Harry Shum, Jr., Ken Jeong, Nico Santos, Gemma Chan, Michelle Yeoh, and director Jon M. Chu changed the face of the rom-com.

  • Darren Criss: The musician, TV and Broadway star recently received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.”

  • Daniel Dae Kim: The “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0” actor filled in for Ed Skrein after he backed out of playing a role written as Japanese for “Hellboy.” But he’s also a TV producer who’s been able to change the face of TV from the top.

  • Dwayne Johnson: The actor continues to entertain each year on the big screen but it’s his positivity and big heart — often donating to charity through his Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation — that makes a huge difference to those who need it most. He was also honored on the Time 100 list recently, for the second time.

  • Hasan Minhaj: The comedian and journalist debuted his cultural and political commentary show “Patriot Act” on Netflix last year and has also been named to the Time 100.

  • Jason Momoa: The actor starred as “Aquaman” last year and has been cast in Apple’s upcoming drama “See” and the big-screen remake of “Dune.”

  • John Cho: The “Starring John Cho” meme became reality with his acclaimed thriller “Searching” last year, in the “Twilight Zone” episode “Wunderkind” this year, and for the upcoming live-action “Cowboy Bebop” coming to Netflix.

  • Lilly Singh: The Canadian comedian and host ranked among the Top 10 highest-paid YouTube stars in 2017. She’ll also be the first woman among the current generation of late-night hosts on the major broadcast networks, and the first ever to identify as bisexual, when “A Little Late with Lilly Singh” premieres this fall.

  • Marie Kondo: The Japanese organizational guru has a devoted following worldwide for her four books and Netflix’s “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” which teaches people how to declutter the homes and lives.

  • Mindy Kaling: In 2018 she co-starred in “Oceans 8” and “A Wrinkle in Time,” and this June she writes, produces, and stars in the comedy “Late Night.”

  • Naomi Osaka: The professional tennis player who represents Japan is the reigning champion in women’s singles at the U.S. Open and the Australian Open.

  • Nathan Chen: The figure skater is a two-time world champ, Olympic bronze medalist, and the first and currently only skater competing with five quadruple jumps.

  • Phillip Lim: The acclaimed designer has achieved critical and commercial success in the fashion world and most recently even released his own cookbook, “More Than Our Bellies,” which helped him connect with his Chinese roots.

  • Prabal Gurung: The Nepalese-American designer has wowed on the runway with his bold and vibrant styles that reflect his globe-trotting aesthetic. He was recently given a placement for his collection to be sold in a dedicated space at Bloomingdale’s.

  • Samin Nosrat: The chef, cookbook author, and TV host of “Salt Fat Acid Heat” connects communities around the world through her unifying principles of cooking and all-inclusive point of view. Check out IndieWire’s Consider This interview with Nosrat.

The full list can be found at the Gold House site.

This year also marks the first time that Gold House will launch the A1, a vote among the A100 for the single most impactful Asian in culture from the last year. Votes may be submitted at goldhouse.org/a1 until May 15.

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