Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Women

​TACT has recognized the importance of Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) in many fields. Seven women are featured in Crossing Boundaries: Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, published by TACT in 2010. They are:

• MINK Patsy, Member of Congress
• KIM Willa, Costume Designer
• LEE Hazel Ying, World War II Pilot
• LILI'UOKULANI, Queen of Hawai'i
• LIN Maya, Artist and Architect
• TAPE Mamie, Student in Historic Court Case Tape vs. Hurley
• VU Thuy, News Journalist

​Download the entire booklet of 20 notables, written for Grades 4 – 8. Please contribute a $ 5 donation to help us continue the biography project.

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 Recommended Donation for
​     -Crossing Boundaries ($5.00)

Additional Biographies:

Additional biographies of eight outstanding women have been researched and illustrated by students from the APIA Biography Project, Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University. These have been have been re-written and adapted by TACT for primary grades.

Click on the individuals below to view or download:
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• ASAWA Ruth, Artist
• CHAO Elaine, Government Official
• CHEN Christine, News Reporter & Yoga Teacher
• FONG Heather, San Francisco Chief of Police
• NGUYEN Jacqueline, Judge
• OKUBO Mine, Artist
• VELORIA Velma, State Legislator
• WONG-STAAL Flossie, Scientist

​More Notable Women are Works in Progress:

Law, Politics

• CANTIL-SAKAUYE Tani, California Chief Justice, Filipino/Portuguese
• DUCKWORTH Tammy, U.S. House of Representatives, Thai/American
• EU March Fong, California Secretary of State, Chinese American
• NATIVIDAD Irene, political activist, Filipino American

Literature

• HO Minfong, Writer, Chinese/Thai American
• LAHIRI Jhumpa, Writer, Bengali American
• LIN Grace, Children’s Writer and Illustrator, Chinese American
• KINGSTON Maxine Hong, Writer, Chinese American
• PARK Linda Sue, Writer, Korean American
• UCHIDA Yoshiko, Writer, Japanese American
• WONG Jade Snow, Writer/Ceramist, Chinese American

Performing Arts/Entertainment

• AKIYOSHI Toshiko, Jazz Composer, Japanese American
• CHO Margaret, Comedian/ Actor, Korean American
• KWAN Nancy, Actor/Dancer, Chinese/English/Scottish American
• SALONGA Lea, Singer and Tony Award Winner, Filipino American
• SUZUKI Pat, Actor, Japanese American
• TAN Yuan Yuan, Principal Dancer, San Francisco Ballet, Chinese American
• UMEKI Miyoshi, Academy Award Winner, Japanese American
• WONG Anna May, Silent Film Actress, Chinese American
• WONG Marion, Writer, Director, Costume Designer, Co-star in1916 Film, Chinese American

Art

• BARRY Lynda, Comic strip artist, Filipino/Irish/Norwegian

Sports

• KWAN Michelle, Olympic Silver Medalist, Figure Skating, Chinese American
• YAMAGUCHI Kristi, Olympic Gold Medalist, Figure Skating, Japanese American

Medicine/Science

• CHUNG Dr. Margaret “Mom”, Physician, Chinese American
• WU Dr. Chien-Hsiung, Physicist, Nobel Prize Recipient, Chinese American

Education

• YU Alice Fong, Educator, First Teacher of Chinese descent in California ,1926