Asian Americans are well represented in the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
Those named to the Time 100 ranged from celebrities Ali Wong, Naomi Osaka and Yo Yo Ma to business leaders such as Zoom’s Eric Yuan, Netflix’ Lisa Nishimura and Google/Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai. Time also named Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris to its list.
Wong received a shoutout from fellow Asian American celebrity Chrissy Teigen. She noted Wong’s brand of humor “defies every stereotype” not only for Asian Americans, but for women.
“She assures women that you can be loud, you can be funny, you can be silly, you can make fun of yourself, you can be gross, and you can talk about the hell that is childbirth and you don’t have to be proper about it. She makes it O.K. for us to be ourselves,” Teigen wrote.
Time heralded Naomi Osaka not for her athletic accomplishments which include three Grand Slam championships, but for her political outspokeness.
The once seemingly shy champion has matured into a young spokeswoman for things that matter-such as Black Lives Matter.
Osaka not only won the US Open, she did it while also bringing attention to seven Black Americans who lost their lives at the hands of police. Her face masks were adorned with the names of Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd , Philando Castile and Tamir Rice.
“Whatever power we have, the most lasting and life-Âgiving way we can steward that power is by using it to lift others up. Especially those who aren’t exactly like us,” WNBA star Maya Moore wrote about Osaka.
Perhaps it takes one superstar to know another. Legend Stevie Wonder took time to pen praise for classical music’s and American icon Yo Yo Ma.
The Motown idol called Ma an “extraordinary artist and true musical genius.” That’s high praise coming from someone who’s often described with acclaim himself. While Ma is already well known worldwide, he was singled out this year for launching his #SongsofComfort to sooth us all during this pandemic. He’s been followed by the likes of Carole King, James Taylor and the Indigo Girls.
In the business world, you know you’ve succeeded if the name of your business becomes a verb. How many of us have been invited to Zoom?
Eric Yuan is the man behind the company.
“The reason Zoom beat much bigger rivals was that it has a better user experience, with more dependable network connectivity—or in Eric’s own words, “It just works,”‘ wrote Sinovation Ventures CEO Kai-Fu Lee.
Netflix is another stand out during the pandemic, giving many of us something to do while stuck at home.
Lisa Nishimura is the woman who selects many of their shows as head of comedy, documentaries and independent films.
“When you log on to Netflix, you can tell which projects are hers because they foster empathy, compassion and understanding,” wrote Samin Nosrat, a noted chef and author.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is one of the world’s biggest brands. Sundar Pichai is the man at the top.
“Sundar Pichai’s uniquely American story—emigrating from India as a young adult and working his way to become CEO of a $1 trillion corporation—represents the best of what we aspire for our society. He used his natural gifts and strong work ethic to rise through the ranks of Google (now Alphabet) by leading many of their most successful products, such as Drive, Gmail and Maps, and officially took the reins of the company in December,” Chase CEO Jamie Dimon wrote.
Finally, don’t ever tell Kamala Harris not to do something. Kamala Harris ran for president after just a few years as a US Senator. She’s been criticized for being too ambitious, but she perseveres and in 40 days, could be elected to the second highest office of the United States.
“Kamala’s nomination is the realization of a dream that so many have struggled for so long to make possible. She was raised by a strong woman rooted in community to be a strong woman rooted in community.”
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Andrew Yang should be on the list.