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.
Art and design
Architecture
Poy Gum Lee (李錦沛) – Art Deco architect in New York City Roger Lee – Modernist architect in California and Hawaii Maya Lin (林瓔) – Minimalist architect (Vietnam Veterans Memorial) Liu Jipiao (刘既漂) – Art Deco architect and painter in China and later in U.S. I. M. Pei (貝聿銘) – Modernist architect based in New York City
Dance Goh Choo San (吴诸珊) – ballet dancer and choreographer Shen Wei (沈伟) – dancer, choreographer and visual artist; MacArthur fellow Fang-Yi Sheu (許芳宜) – principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company
Fashion design Malan Breton (马兰·布莱顿) – fashion designer Luly Yang – fashion designer Angel Chang – fashion designer Monika Chiang – fashion designer Wenlan Chia (賈雯蘭) – fashion designer Doug Chiang (江道格) – movie designer and artist David Chu (朱欽騏) – co-founder of clothing company Nautica Diana Eng – fashion designer Joe Allen Hong – fashion designer for Neiman Marcus Jen Kao – fashion designer Jonathan Koon – fashion designer, business entrepreneur Derek Lam – fashion designer Phillip Lim – fashion designer Peter Mui – fashion designer, actor, and musician Mary Ping – fashion designer Peter Som – fashion designer Anna Sui (蕭志美) – fashion designer Vivienne Tam (谭燕玉) – fashion designer Yeohlee Teng – fashion designer Alexander Wang (王大仁) – fashion designer Kaisik Wong – fashion designer Vera Wang (王薇薇) – fashion designer Jason Wu (吳季剛) – fashion designer Joe Zee – creative director of Elle magazine; host of fashion TV series All on the Line
Literature Bette Bao Lord (包柏漪) – writer, novelist Eileen Chang (张爱玲, a.k.a. 张煐) – writer Kang-i Sun Chang (孫康宜) – writer and literary scholar Lan Samantha Chang – writer; director of the Iowa Writer's Workshop Victoria Chang – poet, children's writer, and essayist Ted Chiang (姜峯楠) – speculative fiction writer Frank Chin (趙健秀) – novelist, playwright, and essayist Marilyn Chin (陈美玲) – poet Ben Fee (张恨棠/木云) – writer and labor organizer David Henry Hwang (黃哲倫) – playwright Gish Jen (任璧蓮) – writer, novelist Ha Jin (哈金) – novelist, winner of the National Book Award for Waiting Maxine Hong Kingston – novelist, The Woman Warrior R. F. Kuang (匡灵秀) – fantasy novelist, The Poppy War Jean Kwok – writer, novelist Edward Michael Law-Yone – writer, journalist; father of Wendy Law-Yone Wendy Law-Yone – writer Chin Yang Lee - writer Gus Lee (李健孫) – writer Carolyn Lei-Lanilau – writer Yiyun Li (李翊雲) – winner of the 2006 PEN/Hemingway Award Ed Lin (林景南) – writer, first author to win three Asian American Literary AwardsStreetside Chat with Author Ed Lin, TaiwaneseAmerican.org, http://taiwaneseamerican.org/ta/2012/05/24/streetside-chat-with-author-ed-lin/ Tao Lin (林韜) – writer Eric Liu (劉柏川) – author and speechwriter for former US President Bill Clinton Malinda Lo – writer, young adult novels, Ash David Wong Louie (雷祖威) – writer Marie Lu (陸希未) – writer Ling Ma – writer, Severance Adeline Yen Mah (馬嚴君玲) – author and physician William Marr (馬為義,非馬) – engineer, poet, translator, and artist Chanel Miller – artist and author of Know My Name Anchee Min (閔安琪) – author, Red Azalea Celeste Ng (伍綺詩) – writer, novelist Lisa See – writer Sui Sin Far (水仙花) – late 19th/early 20th century Chinese-English American author and journalist Arthur Sze - poet Mai-mai Sze - writer and artist Amy Tan (譚恩美) – best-selling author, The Joy Luck Club Jade Snow Wong (黃玉雪) – writer Shawn Wong – novelist, Homebase, American Knees; writer; professor Timothy C. Wong (黃宗泰) – sinologist, translator, and literary theorist Xu Xi (許素細) – English language novelist based in Hong Kong Geling Yan (严歌苓) – novelist and screenwriter Gene Luen Yang (楊謹倫) – graphic novelist, whose book American Born Chinese was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award Laurence Yep (叶祥添) – two-time winner of the Newbery Honor Connie Young Yu – writer, historian, lecturer, and 2016 "Woman of the Year" California Senate District 13 Judy Yung – writer Kat Zhang – author of young adult and middle grade novels Jenny Zhang – essayist, poet, novelist Jenny Tinghui Zhang – novelist
Theater Ping Chong (張家平) – contemporary theater director Dan Kwong – playwright BD Wong – Tony Award-winning actor, M Butterfly, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Visual arts Bernice Bing – painter Cai Guo-Qiang (蔡國強) – artist and gunpowder works designer Ernie Chan – comic book artist/inker for Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Ching Ho Cheng – Cuban–born contemporary artist Alan Chin – multidisciplinary artist Mel Chin – artist Lenore Chinn – realist painter Han Hsiang-ning (韓湘寧) – painter Hon Chew Hee – Chinese–Hawaiian painter Tessa Hulls - artist Haven Lin-Kirk – artist and designer, Dean of the USC Gayle Garner Roski School of Art and Design Hung Liu (劉虹) – painter Reagan Louie – American photographer Seong Moy – painter and printmaker Mimi So – jewelry designer May Sun – artist, public art Fan Tchunpi – painter, ceramicist Frank Wong – dioramist James Wong Howe (黃宗霑) – nominated for ten Academy Awards for cinematography, won twice (1955, 1963) Marjorie Wong Hee – Chinese–Hawaiian painter, teacher Martin Wong – painter Tyrus Wong (黃齊耀) – artist Frank Wu – science-fiction illustrator Xu Bing – artist Zhao Suikang - artist
Business
Financial Gerald Chan (陳樂宗) – son of T.H. Chan, property investments Ida Liu (劉宏敏) – Global Head of Citi Private Bank Tim Chen – co-founder and CEO of NerdWallet Yan Huo (霍焱) – co-founder of Capula Investment Management, 8th largest hedge fund in Europe by assets Alfred Lin (林君叡) – venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital Ken Lin – founder and CEO of Credit Karma Norman Liu (柳澈漯) – CEO and president of GECAS (2008–2015) Look Tin Eli (陸潤卿) – co-founder of the Canton Bank of San Francisco (1907-1926) and one of the prime movers in the rebuilding of Chinatown after the 1906 quake Li Lu (李录) – hedge fund manager and founder and chairman of Himalaya Capital Dominic Ng (吴建民) – CEO and president of East West Bank (1992– ) Lou Pai (白露龍) – CEO of Enron Xcelerator, a venture capital division of Enron Donald Tang – former vice-chairman of Bear Stearns Oscar Tang (唐騮千) – financier and philanthropist Gerald Tsai (蔡至勇) – financier, former chairman and CEO of Primerica Gary Wang – co-founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX Mun Charn Wong (黃門贊) – former executive of Transamerica Corporation Peng Zhao (赵鹏) – CEO of Citadel Securities
Food Roger H. Chen (陳河源) – founder of Tawa Supermarket Inc., also known as 99 Ranch Market Andrew Cherng (程正昌) – co-founder of Panda Express, billionaire Bob Chinn – owner of Bob Chinn's Crab House, highest grossing restaurant in America Johnny Kan – founder of Kan's Restaurant Ping Tom (譚繼平) – Chicago-based food industry businessman; uncle of Lauren Tom
Industrial Ting Tsung Chao – founder of The Chao Group and Westlake Chemical Albert Chao – co-founder of Westlake Chemical, son of Ting Tsung Chao James Yuan Chao – chair of the Westlake Chemical Corporation, son of Ting Tsung Chao Allen Chao – founder of Allergan, plc pharmaceutical and medical device co. David T. Hon – founder and CEO of Dahon bicycle co. Noel Lee – founder and CEO of Monster Cable Cyrus Tang – scrap metal and furniture magnate
Internet Fred Chang – founder of Newegg, billionaire Pehong Chen – founder of Gain Technology and Broadvision Perry Chen – co-founder of Kickstarter Steve Chen – co-founder of YouTube Ben Chiu – founder of KillerApp.com Tracy Chou – Project Include, former Pinterest and Quora engineer Daniel Ha – co-founder of Disqus Tony Hsieh (謝家華) – co-founder of LinkExchange, later CEO of Zappos online shoe store Chris Hulls - co-founder of Life360 Jameson Hsu – co-founder and CEO of Mochi Media Justin Kan – co-founder Twitch Kai-Fu Lee – founding president of Google China Ellen Pao – Reddit's CEO from 2014 to 2015, filed gender and race discrimination lawsuit against Perkins and lost Ben Silbermann – co-founder and CEO of Pinterest, billionaire Greg Tseng – co-founder and CEO of Tagged Yishan Wong – CEO of Reddit (2012–2014); director of engineering of Facebook (2005–2010) Jerry Yang – co-founder of NASDAQ-100 component Yahoo!, billionaire David Yu – high tech investor and CEO of Betfair (2006–2011)
Technology John S. Chen (程守宗) – CEO of BlackBerry; former CEO of Sybase Steve Chen (陳世卿) – founder and CEO of Galactic Computing James Chu – founder, CEO and chairman of ViewSonic, one of the largest computer monitor brands Alfred Chuang (庄思浩) – co-founder BEA Systems (acquired by Oracle in 2008) Weili Dai (戴伟立) – co-founder of Marvell Technology Group Ping Fu (傅苹) – co-founder of Geomagic Ming Hsieh (謝明) – co-founder Cogent Systems (sold to 3M in 2009) Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) – co-founder and CEO of NASDAQ-100 component NVIDIA Kai Huang – co-founder of Guitar Hero franchise Robert T. Huang – founder of Fortune 500 company Synnex David Ji – founded Apex Digital Min Kao (高民環) – co-founder of Garmin David Lam (林杰屏) – founder of Lam Research Deb Liu – CEO of Ancestry.com Patrick Soon-Shiong (黄馨祥) – founder of Abraxis BioScience and NantHealth Lisa Su (蘇姿豐) – CEO and president of NASDAQ-100 component Advanced Micro Devices David Sun (孫大衛) – co-founder and COO of Kingston Technologies Sehat Sutardja (周秀文) – co-founder of Marvell Technology Group Lip-Bu Tan (陈立武) – president and CEO of Cadence Design Systems Victor Tsao (曹英偉) – co-founder of Linksys (sold to Cisco Systems) John Tu (杜紀川) – co-founder of Kingston Technologies Alexandr Wang – founder and CEO of Scale AI An Wang (王安) – co-founder of Wang Laboratories Charles Wang (王嘉廉) – founder of CA Technologies, owner of the New York Islanders William Wang (王蔚) – founder and CEO of Vizio Ken Xie (谢青) – founder of Fortinet and NetScreen (acquired by Juniper Networks in 2004) Bing Yeh (葉炳輝) – founder of Silicon Storage Technology and Greenliant Systems Eric Yuan (袁征) – founder and CEO of Zoom Min Zhu (朱敏) – co-founder of WebEx (sold to Cisco Systems)
Other Sam Chang – New York real estate and hotel developer James S.C. Chao – New York shipping magnate and father of Elaine Chao John Chuang – co-founder and CEO of staffing consultancy Aquent Andy Fang – co-founder of DoorDash Lew Hing – shipping, hotel, and canning tycoon Andrea Jung (鍾彬嫻) – Chair of Avon Christine Poon – business executive at Bristol Myers Squib and Johnson & Johnson, former dean of Ohio State University Fisher College of Business Stanley Tang – co-founder of DoorDash Tony Xu (徐迅) – co-founder of DoorDash
Entertainment Stephen Chao – media executive Dan Lin – Hollywood film producer and former SVP at Warner Bros. Mynette Louie – producer and co-founder of Gamechanger Films John J. Sie – founder of Starz Inc. Andrea Wong – president of International Production for Sony Pictures Television and president of International for Sony Pictures Entertainment
Actors Awkwafina (林家珍) – actress and rapper Tyson Beckford – model and actor Ross Butler - actor Chloe Bennet (汪可盈) – actress and singer T. V. Carpio – actress and singer Tina Huang — stage, television actress Tia Carrere – actress, singer Flora Chan (陳慧珊) – actress JuJu Chan – actress Michael Paul Chan - actor Emily Chang - actress Louis Ozawa Changchien – actor Rosalind Chao – actress Zoë Chao – actress and writer Fala Chen – actress Hank Chen – actor and comedian Joan Chen (陳冲) – actress, The Last Emperor, director Lynn Chen – actress, Saving Face Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎) – actor and singer