Director Bong Joon Ho, author Chanel Miller, TV host Lilly Singh, tennis player Naomi Osaka and CNN correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta are all among this year’s 100 most influential Asians, according to this year’s Gold House list.
The A100 list is released annually in May, which is Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month. 2020 marks the third iteration of the nonprofit’s awards.
In a year where Asian representation in pop culture was championed, perhaps it’s not surprising that most of the nominees hail from the arts and entertainment industry. Directors including Taika Waititi and Lulu Wang, comedians including Bowen Yang and Hasan Minhaj and actors including Dwayne Johnson and Lana Condor were honored for their work. Meanwhile, musical sensations BTS and Blackpink also made the list.
However, nominees also came from a wide variety of other sectors. CEOs and founders of companies such as Mastercard, Doordash, Zoom and Jollibee were also honored, alongside several magazine editors and designers. The full A100 list, along with bios of each recipient, can be viewed on Gold House’s website.
The A100 selection process involved a public nomination, as well as input from 20 Asian nonprofits that ranged from the Coalition of Asian Pacific Islanders in Entertainment to Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a political organization.
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According to Forbes, in addition to Gold House members, a panel of “Icon Judges” also played a role in the final decisions. Members of the panel included Broadway star Lea Salonga, actor and activist George Takei, Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno, playwright David Henry Hwang and hip hop group Far East Movement.
Other judges were current and former executives from companies including YouTube, Yahoo! and Walt Disney Studios.
The release of the A100 list comes at a time when the Asian American and Pacific Islander community is facing a “pivotal juncture in our history,” a Gold House spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Unprecedented hope and progress — seen in IPOs and other major company exits to the Democratic Presidential Primaries and the Oscars and Golden Globes — quickly turned into hateful harassment and violence,” the spokesperson said. “The A100 spotlights significant contributions made by the Asian diaspora that transcend ethnicities, generations, industries, and continents — a powerful reminder that we have always been and will continue to be an integral part of the fabric of American society.”
Because live events are no longer possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gold House will celebrate the A100 and various AAPI achievements this month through multiple virtual events.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, future events include discussion in partnership with the 2020 Census about the Asian community, as well as watch parties featuring the casts and crews of major Asian films. Allure reports Gold House is also a collaborator on the All Americans Movement, a campaign to provide support and COVID-19 care for marginalized groups.
Information on upcoming virtual events is available on Gold House’s website.
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