Kang & Lee Advertising Acknowledges Women’s History Month
Kang & Lee celebrates by noting the importance and influence of Asian American women within diverse spheres of American culture and society."Asian American women have made significant contributions in many sectors of our national life, including business, entertainment,media, and politics," said Cynthia Park, president, K&L Advertising. "As we focus this month on the contribution of women overall to the history of our nation, we can find many examples of Asian women across the country who have pursued their personalgoals and dreams to distinguish themselves in many fields and disciplines," Park noted.
Per the American Community Survey 2007, Asian women now number 6.38 million in the United States, comprising 52% of the total Asian population of the country. 46% of Asian women hold Bachelor’s degrees, and 16% hold a Master’s or higher graduate
degree. The high education levels of Asian women are reflected in the top categories of their workforce participation, with 45% of Asian women engaged in professional occupations, 27% in Sales and Office related positions, and 19% in Service occupations.
"Wherever we look in our country, we can find Asian women leading the way in many arenas," said Saul Gitlin, evp-strategic services, "Any recognition or celebration of women in our country would not be complete without noting the dramatic accomplishments that Asian women have attained."
Kang & Lee Advertising honors the millions of Asian American women who make continued contributions to their professions, communities, families, and our lives. Below is a brief list of those women who have made strides across various disciplines.
Asian Women Success Stories
Katherine Cheung was the first Asian American aviatrix. In 1932,Cheung became the first Chinese American woman to be a licensed pilot.
Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American movie star, as well as the first Asian American to become an international celebrity. Her career spanned across film, radio, theater, and television.
Patsy Takemoto Mink was a Japanese American U.S. Congresswoman and the first Asian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Elaine Lan Chao who served as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, was the first Chinese American and the first Asian American woman in American history to be appointed to a President’s cabinet.
Thelma Garcia Buchholdt was a Filipino American politician elected to the Alaska House of Representatives from 1974 through 1982. Buchholdt was also a community activist, historian, public speaker, and author of the book Filipinos in Alaska: 1788-1958.
Mee Moua is the highest-ranking Hmong American politician and member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. She is currently serving her second term in the Minnesota Senate representing a district in Saint Paul, Minnesota and chairs the
Judiciary Committee.
Ladda Tammy Duckworth who was born in Bangkok, Thailand is the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. She has been nominated by President Barack Obama to become the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Duckworth is an Iraq War
veteran who lost both of her legs and damaged her right arm during combat.
Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi, born in Southern India is the chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO) of PepsiCo, the world’s fourth-largest food and beverage company.
Vera Wang is a NY-based Chinese American fashion designer. She is known for her wedding gown collection.
Christine Liang emigrated from Taiwan and now runs and owns a 51% stake in $350-million-a-year Asia Source Inc. It took Christine Liang less than seven years to build one of Silicon Valley’s largest woman-owned businesses: ASI Partners, a computer hardware and software distributor.
Andrea Jung is the Chairman and CEO of Avon. She was named by Fortune as one of the Most Powerful Women. Jung, born in Canada to Chinese parents, has revitalized the Avon name into a brand that resonates with women around the world.
Christine Poon is the retiring Vice-Chairman of Johnson & Johnson Worldwide, and has led J&J’s drive to grow its global pharmaceuticals group to the level of giants like Merck, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis. Poon, who is Chinese American, grew
up in Cincinnati.
Margaret Cho is a Korean American comedian, best known for her stand-up comedy. She is also a fashion designer, actress and author.
Lucy Liu is a Chinese American actress.
Michelle Kwan is an American figure skater. She was born in California to Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong.
Ann Curry is a television news journalist and news anchor on NBC’s morning television program Today and host of Dateline NBC. She was born in Guam to a Japanese mother and French and Scottish father.