Asian Americans in arts and entertainment

Asian Americans have been involved in the U.S. entertainment industry since the 19th century, when Afong Moy started a series of shows that evolved into essentially one-women shows. In the mid-19th century, Chang and Eng Bunker (the original Siamese Twins) became naturalized citizens and were successful performers in the United States. Sadakichi Hartman, originally from Japan, was a successful playwright in the 1890s. Acting roles in television, film, and theater were relatively few, and many available roles were for narrow, stereotypical characters. Early Asian American actors such as Sessue Hayakawa, Anna May Wong, and Bruce Lee encountered a movie-making culture and industry that wanted to cast them as caricatures. Some, like actress Merle Oberon, hid their ethnicity to avoid discrimination by Hollywood's racist laws.

In the 21st Century, Asian Americans are rapidly gaining access to the American mainstream.

Recently, young Asian American comedians and filmmakers have also found an outlet on YouTube and the Internet, allowing them to gain a strong and loyal fanbase. Notable YouTubers include comedians such as Ryan Higa and Kevin Wu; entertainers such as Dan Chan and Christine Gambito; musicians such as MC Jin, Far East Movement, Sam Tsui, David Choi, and Kina Grannis; and the filmmaking group Wong Fu Productions. These entertainers have gained notable followings, mainly with young Asian American students, through solo and collaborative videos, short films and tours.

Several Asian American fashion designers have risen to prominence in the world of fashion, such as Vera Wang, Anna Sui, and Monique Lhuillier. Sandy Liang and her fashion label brand has garnered attention especially in New York City for pieces that exude and revolutionize femininity and romance.

As for literature, Asian American authors have received numerous awards and recognitions in both fiction and nonfiction works. Some include Linda Sue Park's A Single Shard, Cynthia Kadohata's Kira-Kira, Erin Entrada Kelly's Hello, Universe, and Tae Keller's When You Trap a Tiger receiving Newbery Medals. Maxine Hong Kingston and Bharati Mukherjee won National Book Critics Circle Awards in 1976 and 1988 for their respective works The Woman Warrior and The Middleman and Other Stories.

Additionally, other Asian American music artists have broken out into mainstream audiences beyond the Asian American community. Popular artists and performers include those such as Bruno Mars, Darren Criss, Awkwafina, Jhené Aiko, Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, and The Slants.

Asians have been influential in fine arts as both subjects and artists, despite Asian American artwork being rather underrepresented in many art collections and museums. Some recognized artists include Sueo Serisawa, David Choe, Isamu Noguchi, and George Tsutakawa. Notable architects include Minoru Yamasaki (World Trade Center), Maya Lin (Vietnam Veterans Memorial), and Fazlur Rahman Khan (John Hancock Center and the Willis Tower). Asian American graphic artists such as Larry Hama (Marvel Comics GI Joe series) and Jim Lee (Batman: Hush, Superman: For Tomorrow, Fantastic Four vol. 2, X-Men vol. 2, etc.) have also been influential in the comic book industry.