This is a list of notable Chinese Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants who have made exceptional contributions to various facets of American society.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Chinese American or must have references showing they are Chinese American and are notable.
Local and state
Wilma Chan - first Asian American California State Assembly Majority Leader (2002–2004); Democrat
John Chiang - California State Controller (2007–present); Democrat
Margaret Chin - member of the New York City Council representing Chinatown
March Fong Eu - former Secretary of State of California (1975–1994), elected in 1974, she won reelection four times; United States Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia (1994–1996); Democrat
Matthew K. Fong - California State Treasurer (1995–1999), adoptive son of March Fong Eu; Republican
Allan Fung - Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island; Republican
Tony Hwang - State Representative of the Connecticut General Assembly; Republican
Ed Jew - former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Democrat
Peter Koo - member of the New York City Council representing Flushing, Queens
Ed Lee - Mayor of San Francisco
Susan C. Lee - Delegate, Maryland House of Delegates of Maryland General Assembly; first Chinese American elected to Maryland General Assembly (2002–present)
John Liu - New York City Comptroller (2010-2013)
Alex Wan - member of the Atlanta City Council, first openly gay and first Asian American member
Shien Biau Woo (吳仙標) - Lieutenant Governor of Delaware (1985–1989), current president of the 80-20 Initiative; Democrat
Leland Yee (余胤良) - former California State Assemblyman, current California State Senator
Yiaway Yeh - mayor of Palo Alto, California; first Chinese American to hold the office
Mae Yih - Oregon State Representative (1977–1983), Oregon State Senator (1983–2003), first Chinese American to serve in a state senate; Democrat
Law and judiciary
Norman Bay - former United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico (2000–2001); first Chinese American United States Attorney
Margaret Chan - New York State Supreme Court Civil Branch justice in Manhattan
Denny Chin - judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (1994–present), first Asian American appointed as a United States district court judge outside of the Ninth Circuit
Ming Chin - Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California
Morgan Chu (朱欽文) - Partner, Chair of Litigation, former Co-Managing Partner of Irell & Manella; former President (2014–15) and board member (2009-15) of Harvard Board of Overseers
Amy Chua - professor of law; author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Dolly M. Gee - federal district judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California
Joyce Kennard - Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California
George H. King - federal district judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California
William F. Lee - co-managing partner of WilmerHale and fellow of the Harvard Corporation
Ronald Lew - federal district judge, United States District Court for the Central District of California; first Chinese-American federal judge outside of Hawaii
Goodwin Liu - Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
Brian Sun - trial lawyer
Thomas Tang - judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; first Chinese American federal judge
Delbert Wong - judge
Community and civil rights
Grace Lee Boggs (Lee 玉平) - community activist in African-American community; leftist writer
Chin Lin Sou - community leader
Wong Chin Foo (王清福) - 19th=century civil rights activist and journalist
Goo Kim Fui (古今辉) - President, United Chinese Society in Hawaii, 1892-1898; Played an instrumental role in uniting the Chinese and fighting for their rights during the anti-Chinese agitation in Hawaii in the 1880s
Wong Kim Ark (黃金德) - his lawsuit established the principle of citizenship by virtue of birth on US soil
Harry Wu (吴弘达) - human rights activist, focuses on Laogai prison camps and human rights in China
Sherman Wu - civil rights activist, famous racial discrimination incident by university fraternity
Helen Zia (謝漢蘭) - community activist and writer
Bonnie Tang- community activist
Science and academia
Sow-Hsin Chen - nuclear physicist
Leroy Chiao - NASA astronaut
Alfred Y. Cho - the "father of molecular beam epitaxy" and co-inventor of quantum cascade lasers
Wen Tsing Chow (周文俊) - missile guidance scientist, digital computer pioneer
Paul C. W. Chu (朱經武) - physicist, superconductivity
Leon Chua - professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley
Angela Lee Duckworth - professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, MacArthur Fellow
Huajian Gao - Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Engineering at Brown University
Lue Gim Gong (呂金功) - horticulturalist
Wen-mei Hwu - professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign specializing in compiler design, computer architecture, computer microarchitecture, and parallel processing
Henry C. Lee - forensic scientist
T. Y. Lin (林同炎) - civil engineer, bridgebuilder
Tung Hua Lin (林同驊) - professor (UCLA), aerospace and structural engineer
Kjell N. Lindgren - NASA astronaut
Edward Lu - NASA astronaut
Qian Xuesen (钱学森) - professor of aeronautics, a founder of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, exiled to China
Frank Shu - professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley and University of California; San Diego and 2009 Shaw Prize recipient
Ching W. Tang - inventor of the organic light-emitting diode(OLED) and the hetero-junction organic photovoltaic cell (OPV); winner of the 2011 Wolf Prize in Chemistry; known as the "father of organic electronics"
Taylor Wang - first ethnic Chinese scientist to go into space, in 1985 on space shuttle Challenger
Chien-Shiung Wu (吳健雄) - Manhattan Project scientist; considerable contribution to Nobel Prize work by Tsung-dao Lee
Peidong Yang - chemist; founding member of the scientific advisory board at Nanosys, a nanomaterials company; co-founder of Alphabet Energy
Nai-Chang Yeh - physicist specialized in condensed matter physics; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Fellow, American Physical Society
Tsung-dao Lee (李政道) - 1957 Nobel laureate, Physics
Chen Ning Yang (楊振寧) - 1957 Nobel laureate, Physics
Samuel C. C. Ting (丁肇中) - 1976 Nobel laureate, Physics
Yuan T. Lee (李远哲) - won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986 "for his contributions to the dynamics of chemical elementary processes"
Steven Chu (朱棣文) - 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics, US Secretary of Energy (2009)
Daniel Chee Tsui (崔琦) - 1998 Nobel laureate, Physics
Roger Y. Tsien (錢永健) - 2008 Nobel laureate, chemistry
Charles K. Kao (高锟) - 2009 Nobel laureate in Physics who pioneered the development and use of fiber optics in telecommunications
Medicine and biosciences
Min Chueh Chang (張明覺) - co-inventor of the first birth control pill; made significant contributions to the development of in vitro fertilisation
Gilbert Chu (朱築文) - biochemist and Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and Biochemistry at the Stanford Medical School; older brother of Steven Chu
Yuan-Cheng Fung (馮元楨) - founder of modern biomechanics
David Ho - scientific researcher and the Irene Diamond professor at Rockefeller University in New York City
Alice S. Huang - virologist
Lin He - biochemist, received the MacArthur Fellowship in 2009
Yuet Wai Kan - pioneer of using DNA to diagnose human diseases, research enabled the Human Genome Project, recipient of Lasker Foundation award in 1991
Ching Chun Li - population geneticist and human geneticist
Choh Hao Li (李卓皓) - biochemist, discovered growth hormone, beta-endorphin and isolated luteinizing hormone
Min Chiu Li - first scientist to use chemotherapy to cure widely metastatic, malignant cancer
Anna Chao Pai - geneticist
Joe Hin Tjio - cytogeneticist, first person to recognize the normal number of human chromosomes
Chang Yi Wang - immunologist; NYIPLA Inventor of the Year Award in 2007 for her work on UBITh peptide immunogens
James C. Wang - discovered DNA topoisomerases
Sam Wang, neuroscientist and author
Xiaodong Wang, biochemist best known for his work with cytochrome c, won the 2000 Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, and 2006 Shaw Prize recipient
David T. Wong - discovered drug Fluoxetine and atomoxetine, duloxetine and dapoxetine
Flossie Wong-Staal - virologist and AIDS researcher
Junying Yu - stem cell biologist; recognized as one of the 2007 "Persons of the Year" by TIME magazine
Xiaowei Zhuang - Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and of Physics at Harvard University, member of National Academy of Sciences, MacArthur Fellow (2003)
Jianlin Cheng (程建林) - computer and data scientist; Associate Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Missouri, Columbia
Feng-hsiung Hsu (許峰雄) - IBM developer of Deep Blue, which beat World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov in 1997
Ming C. Lin, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Pei-Yuan Wei - creator of ViolaWWW
Andrew Yao (姚期智) - 2000 Turing Award recipient
Frances Yao - computer scientist, researcher in computational geometry and combinatorial algorithms; wife of Andrew Yao
Sun-Yung Alice Chang - professor of mathematics and chair of the department at Princeton University
Shiing-Shen Chern - mathematician in geometry
Chia-Kun Chu (朱家琨) - applied mathematician, Fu Foundation Professor Emeritus of Applied Mathematics at Columbia University
Terence Chi-Shen Tao (陶哲軒) - mathematician, Fields Medal winner (2006), professor (UCLA), MacArthur Fellow (2006), Crafoord Prize (2012), Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics (2014)
Paul Tseng - applied mathematician, professor at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Washington in Seattle
Shing-Tung Yau (丘成桐) - mathematician, Fields Medal winner (1982); MacArthur Fellow (1984), Crafoord Prize (1994), National Medal of Science (1997), Wolf Prize (2010)
Yitang Zhang - mathematician, known for establishing the first finite bound on gaps between prime numbers
Social sciences and humanities
Anthony Chan - chief economist, JPMorgan Chase; former economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and economics professor at the University of Dayton
Thomas W. Chinn (陈参盛 [陳參盛]) - co-founder of the Chinese American Historical Society
Gregory Chow (鄒至莊) – Class of 1913 Professor of Political Economy at Princeton University, known for Chow test
William C. Hsiao - economist, professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Peter Kwong – professor of Asian American studies at Hunter College and professor of sociology in the City University of New York system
Him Mark Lai - Professor of Chinese American studies
Ann Lee - professor, author and commentator on global economics and finance issues
Andrew Lih (酈安治) - Associate Professor of Journalism at American University
Huping Ling - Professor of History at Truman State University, author
Betty Lee Sung (宋李瑞芳) - former professor of Asian-American Studies at City College of New York; leading authority on Chinese Americans
Tim Wu - professor at Columbia Law School, ran unsuccessfully to become the first Chinese American lieutenant governor of New York State in 2014
Jim Chen - professor and former dean at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law
Stephen Z.D. Cheng - Professor and former Dean in the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron, member of National Academic of Engineering
David Jung-Kuang Chiu - former Director of Asian Studies and Dean of University Advisement, Hofstra University
Way Kuo - President and University Distinguished Professor of the City University of Hong Kong, University Distinguished Professor and former Dean of Engineering at the University of Tennessee
Robert C. T. Lee (李崇道) - former President of National Chung Hsing University, veterinarian and brother of Tsung-dao Lee
Chang-Lin Tien - Chancellor of University of California, Berkeley (1990-1997)
Frank H. Wu - Chancellor and Dean of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (2010-2015)
Henry T. Yang - Chancellor of UC Santa Barbara
Nathan Adrian - Olympic medal winner, swimming
Johnny Chan - professional poker player
Michael Chang (張德培) - youngest male tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament
Ray Chang - baseball player
Nathan Chen (陳巍) - figure skater
Tiffany Chin (陳婷婷) - figure skater
Brian Ching (程拜仁) - soccer player for Houston Dynamo and the United States national team
Mark Chung - first American-Chinese soccer player to play for the United States national team
Amy Chow (周婉儀) - gymnast and Olympic medal winner
Norm Chow (周友賢) - UCLA Bruins offensive coordinator
Julie Chu - Olympic medal winner, ice hockey
Mark Foo - professional surfer
Christina Gao - figure skater
Chau Giang - poker player
Rudy Gunawan - badminton player
Tony Gunawan - badminton player
Ivana Hong - gymnastics
Jerry Hsu - skateboarder
John Juanda - poker player
Phillip King - tennis player, brother of Vania King
Vania King - tennis player who won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles
Karen Kwan - former figure skater, sister of Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan (關穎珊) - Olympic medal winner, figure skating
Jeremy Lin (林書豪) - professional basketball player
Corrie Lothrop - gymnastics
Chuck Sun - professional Motocross racer
Kevin Tan - Olympic medal winner, gymnastics
Ed Wang - professional American football player
Lisa Wang - rhythmic gymnastics
Kevin Wong - professional beach volleyball player and Olympian
Don Yee - sports agent
Al Young - World Champion drag racer
Caroline Zhang - figure skater
Chang and Eng Bunker (暹羅雙胞胎) - Siamese twins, pioneer immigrants
Vincent Chin - killed in a fight, considered by Chinese-American advocacy groups to be victim of bias crime and miscarriage of American justice
Bow Kum - victim of New York Chinatown gangsters, her murder started infamous tong war
Charles Goodall Lee - first licensed Chinese American dentist in the United States, financier of Chinese American Citizens Alliance in Oakland Chinatown, spouse of Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee
Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee - first Chinese American woman voter in the United States
Crystal Lee - beauty queen; Miss California 2013; the first runner-up in the Miss America 2014 pageant; Miss Chinatown USA 2010; Miss California Outstanding Teen 2008
Wenjian Liu - first Chinese American officer in the New York City Police Department to die in the line of duty in 2014
Liang May Seen, first woman of Chinese descent to live in Minnesota
Tyson Mao - speedcuber
Jacqueline Mates-Muchin - world's first Chinese-American rabbi
Betty Ong (鄧月薇) - flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11
Katherine Young (郑珣) - world's oldest user of the Internet
Yung Wing (容闳) - first Chinese and first Asian person to obtain a degree from an American college (Yale University)
Francis Chan, preacher, founder of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA
Ignatius C. Wang, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco from 2002-2009
Wing Yeung Chan - leader of New York Ghost Shadows street gang
Raymond Kwok Chow (周國祥) - also known as "Shrimp Boy", mobster, leader of the San Francisco Chapter of Chinese Freemasons and San Francisco Chinatown
Mock Duck (世荣模拟) - New York Chinatown mobster, leader of the Hip Sing Tong
Johnny "Onionhead" Eng (伍少衡) - leader of New York Flying Dragons street gang
Wayne Lo (駱文) - murderer who perpetrated the shooting at Simon's Rock College of Bard on December 14, 1992 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Danny Pang - private equity manager, accused of running a Ponzi scheme
Little Pete (馮正初) - San Francisco Chinatown mobster
List of Chinese Americans Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA
