List of famous Japanese Americans
The following is a list of famous Japanese Americans who have made significant contributions to the American culture or society artistically or scientifically, or have appeared in the news numerous times:
- Keiko Agena, actress (Gilmore Girls)
- George Ariyoshi, first Asian American governor of a U.S. state
- Ann Curry, newsreader on Today (mother is Japanese)
- Francis Fukuyama, economist and historian
- S. I. Hayakawa, former Senator from California and linguistics scholar
- Mike Honda, Congressman from California and community leader
- Paul Igasaki, former Vice Chair and acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Daniel Inouye, Senator from Hawaii
- Lance Ito, judge, presided over O. J. Simpson criminal trial
- Michio Kaku, scientist known for his string field theory
- Yuri Kochiyama, the late Japanese American civil rights activist and friend of Malcolm X
- Dorinne K. Kondo, anthropologist
- Robert Matsui, Congressman from California and chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
- Norman Mineta, politician and current Secretary of Transportation
- Pat Morita, actor and comedian
- Chad Morton, running back for the Washington Redskins
- Johnnie Morton, wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Karen Narasaki, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
- Isamu Noguchi, artist, sculptor, designer
- Ellison Onizuka, first Asian American astronaut; one of the "Challenger Seven"
- Yoko Ono, artist, widow of John Lennon
- Sharon Tomiko Santos, Democratic Whip of the Washington State House of Representatives
- Eric Shinseki - United States Army General, Army Chief of Staff, 1999-2003
- Ronald Takaki- historian, UC Berkeley professor
- Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic Gold Medalist figure skater
- Minoru Yamasaki, architect, best known for the New York World Trade Center "Twin Towers."
