TGIF FEATURE: 10 illustrations of Asian American heroes

ILLUSTRATOR and visual artist Jessica Singh pays tribute to 10 individuals who have broken barriers, brought attention to the injustices faced by Asian American and Pacific Islanders, showcased the richness of their cultural heritage or expanded a shared vision of health and justice for all.

Some are well known, such as actress Mindy Kaling and actor George Takei and others not as well known such as Godwin Higa,  principal of Cherokee Point Elementary School in San Diego, and Jirayut Latthivongskorn, the first undocumented student accepted as a UC San Francisco (UCSF) medical student..

The artworks are commissioned by the California Endowment’s Sons & Brothers Campaign in honor of AAPI Heritage Month.

The 10 illustrations are of:

- George Takei is known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the television series Star Trek. He is an advocate for LGBTQ rights and active in state and local politics.

- Jeremy Lin is a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).  He is the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the league.

- Jirayut Latthivongskorn is the first undocumented student accepted as a UC San Francisco (UCSF) medical student.

- Lian Cheun is the executive director of Khmer Girls in Action, an advocacy group for youth, women, and others in the local Southeast Asian community. She is among the new commissioners, who serve as the Obama administration’s eyes and ears of the Asian American & Pacific Islander community.

- Mindy Kaling is a comedian widely known for creating and starring in the sitcom The Mindy Project, which will play out its next season on Hulu.

- Philip Vera Cruz was a Filipino American labor leader, farmworker, and leader in the Asian American civil rights movement. He was a co-founder of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, which later merged with the National Farm Workers Association to form the United Farm Workers. 

- Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye is the 28th chief justice of California. She was sworn into office on January 3, 2011, and is the first Filipina American and the second woman to serve as the state’s chief justice. 

- Godwin Higa is the principal of Cherokee Point Elementary School in San Diego. He is known for his compassion-based philosophy and elevating awareness around the effects of childhood trauma on students.

- Rob Bonta serves in the California State Assembly representing the 18th District which includes east Oakland and San Leandro. He is the first Filipino American elected to the California State Legislature.

What's really neat is all 10 artworks are in dropbox so you can download the images here  for your own personal collection.

Have a great weekend!

***