Underrated Asian Figures in History Born in June
- Alyse Cho
- Jul 2, 2021
- 4 min read
Written by Alyse Cho
Introduction
Historical moments, accomplishments, and stories that belong to POCs are often swept under the rug. With the recent coronavirus pandemic, Asian Americans have been central targets of racism and xenophobia. Therefore, it’s very important to honor the following people who’ve made history. Read along to learn about some underrated, powerful Asian American figures born in June that you probably didn’t learn about in your history textbooks.
Dr. Kazue Togasaki (June 29, 1897)
Dr. Kazue Togasaki was known for being one of the first Japanese-American women to become a doctor in the United States. Togasaki grew up in San Francisco and she was described as a strong willed and courageous woman. When a 7.0 earthquake hit the city in 1906, she helped take care of wounded patients at local hospitals. This devastating experience inspired her to become a doctor. Her hard work earned her a medical degree from Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. She spent most of her career delivering over 10,000 babies, providing medical services at Japanese internment camps during WWII, and treating terminally ill patients for the next 40 years. Togasaki was named one of the “Most Distinguished Women of 1970” for all of her accomplishments, before her death on December 15,1992.
Grace Lee Boggs (June 27, 1915)
Grace Lee Boggs was a Chinese-American author, social activist, philosopher, and feminist. She is widely known for her books about the dangers of capitalism: Living For Change and The Next American Revolution. After earning a B.A. degree from Barnard College, she and her husband, James Boggs, moved to Detroit where they became founders of the Boggs Center—a place to foster community activism and grassroot organizing at all levels. Together, the couple became well-known activists throughout the city as they both advocated for societal issues such as civil rights (Black Power Movement), feminism, anti-racism, and diversity. Boggs’s husband died in 1993, but his death further encouraged her to continue fighting for change until she passed away in Detroit on October 5, 2015.
Yuji Ichioka (June 23, 1936)
Yuji Ichioka was a Japanese-American historian and civil rights activist who created the term “Asian-American” to campaign for more diversity within the Asian community. As a young boy, he and his family were incarcerated at a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Post-war, Ichioka has achieved a copious amount throughout his education despite past hardships. He graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree, became a student activist and the founder of Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA), and earned a master’s degree in history at U.C. Berkeley. The AAPA played an important role in the 1968 Third World front strikes (a 5 month strike that demanded leftist shift in admission practices, normalizing discrimination), but Ichioka’s organization was mainly significant for taking political action in order to encourage unity for all Asian Americans. Prior to his death from cancer on September 1, 2002, Yuji published award-winning books that focused on the different facets of the Japanese-American experience (The Issei: The World of the First Generation) and the growth of the Nisei generation (Before Internment).
Mark L. Polansky (June 2, 1956)
Mark Lewis “Roman” Polansky, is an aerospace engineer, research pilot, and former NASA astronaut—the first Korean-American astronaut to go to space. His strong interest in science led Polansky to attend Purdue University to receive degrees in aeronautical engineering and astronautics. He worked in the U.S. Air Force where he learned how to fly aircraft and remained active until 1992, when he transferred to NASA. Polansky’s first job at NASA was an aerospace engineer and research pilot at the Johnson Space Center, so he was responsible for providing important Space Shuttle landing techniques to astronauts. When Polansky became an astronaut candidate, he successfully flew three missions and served as the Director of Operations at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training City in Russia before he retired from NASA in 2012.
Sheetal Sheth (June 24, 1976)
Sheetal Sheth is a first-generation Gujarati-Indian-American actress, author, and activist who is most famous for being a recipient of several awards, a representative of shoe brands such as Reebok, and becoming the first Indian American to appear on Maxim magazine. Born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, Sheth's love for film sparked an interest in becoming an actress and her passion for acting further prompted her to enroll in NYU Tisch School of the Arts, from which she graduated with honors. She starred in over 20 films, such as Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, The World Unseen, American Chai. She also did voice acting for the animated film Johnny Bravo Goes to Bollywood and American cartoon sitcom Family Guy. Aside from her acting career, Sheth actively participates in non-profit organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, which is an organization that aims to embolden the youth, and Women’s Voices Now, an organization that advocates for women’s rights and uplifts under-represented communities in American media.
Written by Alyse Cho
Designed by Mia Ouyang
Dear Asian Youth SCV
2021
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