AAPI Stars of Hollywood, Sports, and Business! Asia Society Southern California Gala 2023

May 21, 2023

Written by AC Team

View our highlight reel at the end of this article!

The Asia Society of Southern California's gala in Los Angeles was a spectacular showcase of veteran and new generations of Asian American stars in Hollywood, Sports, and Business. 

Actress, Writer, Producer Awkwafina was honored in the "Cultural Visionary" category. Awkwafina can be seen in her Comedy Central Show Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens which she created and stars in, Disney's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Jumanji: The Next Level, and MGM's Breaking News in Yuba County. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for her role in The Farewell.  

Photo courtesy: Asia Society S CA Gala 2023.

Honorees sister and brother Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani are Olympic medalists. This yer they were inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. They are the first ice dancers of Asian decent and first team of color to medal at the Winter Olympic Games. They are also the first sibling duo to win two Olympic medals in Ice Dance. 

We had the pleasure of speaking with Lisa Ling, renowned journalist, writer, and host of This is the Life on CNN. She shared her perspective on Hollywood and Asian American representation in modern media: "...I would like to see more stories about all aspects of our lives... And not ones that are stereotypical. I mean the reality is we're not all 'crazy rich'" (Ling, with a grin, is referring to the movie Crazy Rich Asians). Ling celebrates Asian American communities, "the AAPI community is such an incredibly diverse diaspora with so many unique languages and cultures, and I would like to see all of that reflected more in the media."                                                                                                                        

Photo courtesy: Asia Society S CA Gala 2023.

Please watch our 52 second highlight reel: https://vimeo.com/835942294/130d4d20ac?share=copy