Asian Americans give impactful toasts at Time's gala

In a room full of luminaries from the fields of entertainment, sports, journalism and science, gathered together as Time's 100 Most Influential, three Asian Americans stood out when they gave their toasts: comedian Hasan Minhaj, journalist Maria Resa and actress Sandra Oh.

Time magazine's gala honoring the 100 was held Tuesday (April 23) at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

RELATED: Time names 20 Asians and AAPI named as 'most influential'

In his toast, the Hasan Minhaj paid tribute to Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul who also made this year’s TIME 100 list, but couldn''t attend the gala because she is in a Saudi Arabian prison. Minhaj call on Jared Kushner to use his special relationship with Mohammad bin Salman to help  help al-Hathloul,

“I was just hoping he could send a WhatsApp message,” he told TIME after his speech. “[It could say] hey, this person has been fighting for civil liberties for all people. Maybe you should let them out of prison.”

Beleaguered Filipino journalist Maria Resa took the opportunity to encourage journalist to continue to tell the truth.

“I think we’re living through a very unique moment where again it proves that information is power,” said the journalist in her toast.

“Its a completely chaotic time where technology has helped make facts disputable, eroded truth, and crippled trust.”

Resa and the online newsite that she co-founded, Rappler, has been a thorn in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's side.

Sandra Oh gushing the Beyonce for her work on the Netflix documentary Homecoming, which is about Beeyonce's preparation for the now-legendary Coachella concert.

“It’s such an important piece of work,” Oh said of the concert documentary about her 2018 Coachella performance. “I encourage you all to see it because you’re witnessing an artist at her most potent and working on the deepest cultural level.”

Oh went . on to say, “It’s a good time to be making art. It’s an important time to be making art,” said the Killling Eve star. “I truly believe art evolves our hearts and our minds because it allows us to experience and understand another’s sorrow. It reminds us of universal truths. It connects us. Art can transform us and through us, our culture.”

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TGIF FEATURE:'Time' magazine names two Asian/American women among 100 most influential people

Constance Wu

AMONG TIME magazines' 100 Most Influential People in the world were two Asian/American women: an actor and a scientist.

Actress Constance Wu doesn't fit your Asian female stereotype. She is outspoken, honest and sometimes brutally frank.

As one of the few Asian/Americans on television, she is best known for her role on ABC's Fresh Off the Boat, but it is what she does and says off the stage that she is gaining attention.

Lena Dunham, who traveled with Wu during Hillary Clinton's campaign, got to know the actress. "She is tasked with being more than just an actor," writes Dunham, star and writer of Girls. "And she takes this second gig just as seriously."

Wu is not afraid to speak her heart, whether it be against violence against women, presidential politics or women's rights. But it her outspokeness against the lack of roles for Asian/Americans and they way they are depicted in the media that her voice speaks out loudly. She's not afraid to call out the studios or certain actors by name even though she has been warned that it might hurt her career.

"F- my career then, I'm a woman & human first. That's what my craft is built on," says Wu.

NASA

Natalie Batalha

That attitude doesn't appear to have affected her career. She was picked for the lead role in the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel Crazy Rich Asians, which will expose her to millions of new fans around the world.

Also on Time's list was Natalie Batalha, an astrophysicist at NASA Ames Research Center. She is the current lead scientist for NASA’s Kepler space telescope. "Human beings have long wondered whether they are alone in the universe. Now we are closer than ever to getting an answer," reads Time. Batalha was one of three astronomers named by Time. She has helped find approximately 4,700 new worlds since 2009.

The two shared Time's distinction with such luminaries such as Pope Francis, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un and Melinda Gates.

Other Asians from other countries were also included, including Philippine President Rolando Duterte of the Philippines, actor Rez Ahmed of Great Britain and dictator Kim Jong Un of North Korea.