This is a list of Filipino Americans who have made significant contributions to the American culture, politics, or society. It also includes those with notable mentions in the American media.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Filipino American or must have references showing they are Filipino American and are notable.
List
Arts and letters Dance
Stella Abrera – ballet dancer Cheryl Burke – ballroom dancer, participant in Dancing with the Stars Ryan "Ryanimay" Conferido – member of Quest Crew and alumnus of So You Think You Can Dance Jeffrey Cirio – ballet dancer Napoleon D'umo – hip-hop choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance since season four and supervising choreographer for America's Best Dance Crew Angelica Generosa – ballet dancer Cris Judd – choreographer Charles Klapow – choreographer for all three High School Musical films, The Ice Tour, and The Cheetah Girls 2 Brian Puspos – choreographer Dominic "D-Trix" Sandoval – member of Quest Crew and alumnus of So You Think You Can Dance Ken San Jose – street dancer and singer Sophia Laforteza – singer, dancer, and member of girl group Katseye
Education
Jeremy Castro Baguyos, M.Mus. – Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska Omaha and Principal Bass of the Des Moines Metro Opera Summer Music Festival Orchestra Jose B. Cruz, Jr., Ph.D. – Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Ohio State University Conrado Gempesaw, Ph.D. – 17th President, St. John's University, New York City Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo, Ph.D. – Professor of Philippine Literature, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Presidential Citation for Meritorious Teaching, 1996 Kevin Nadal, Ph.D. – Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; author, Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice; former president of Asian American Psychological Association Baldomero Olivera, Ph.D. – Distinguished Professor of Biology, University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah; first Filipino American member of the United States National Academy of Sciences; 2007 Harvard University Scientist of the Year Rhacel Parrenas, Ph.D. – Professor of American Studies and Sociology at Brown University Talitha Espiritu, Ph.D. – Associate Professor of English at Wheaton College E. San Juan, Jr., Ph.D. – Fellow, W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, Harvard University Craig Abaya. – Director of Digital Media & Entertainment Programs, San Francisco State University, 2000–2014 Trinity Ordona, Ph.D. – Professor of American Studies, City College of San Francisco, 2001–present Vivian M. Vasquez, Ph.D. – Multi-award-winning Professor of Education at American University in Washington, D.C. Leon O. Chua, Ph.D. – Contributor to both the nonlinear circuit theory and cellular neural network theory, and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at University of California at Berkeley and Purdue University Raymundo Favila, Ph.D. – Mathematician contributing to stratifiable congruences and geometric inequalities Robyn Rodriguez, Ph.D. –Professor and Chair of the Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis Catherine Ceniza Choy, Ph.D. – Professor of Ethnic Studies at University of California, Berkeley Vicente L. Rafael, Ph.D. – Professor of Southeast Asian history at Cornell University Eleuterio F. Timbol Jr, Ph.D.- Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics 2024, New York City. Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award 2022, New York Co-Founder, The International Association of Multicultural and Filipino American Educators, Inc(IAM FAME, INC.) America's Finest Teacher Award-Ulirang Guro 2015 New York City
Graphic arts
Alfredo Alcala – comic book artist Lynda Barry – Filipino mestizo comic strip cartoonist and novelist; created prototype for TV hit series The Simpsons Don Figueroa – comic book artist for IDW Publishing and Dreamwave Entertainment, worked on various Transformers titles Rafael Kayanan – comic book artist and master level instructor in Sayoc Kali Nick Manabat – creator of Cybernary, comic book artist for Wildstorm Productions Van Partible – creator of Johnny Bravo Whilce Portacio – created Bishop of the X-Men, co-founder of Image Comics Romeo Tanghal – comic book artist Malia Dollaga – graphic artist Leo Zulueta – tattoo artist Tony DeZuniga – co-creator of Jonah Hex
Visual art Terry Acebo Davis (born 1953) – first Filipino American to exhibit art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco's Samsung Hall Michael Janis (born 1959) – glass artist, a director of the Washington Glass School Manuel Ocampo (born 1965) – painter, fuses Baroque religious iconography with inspirations from punk subculture Alfonso Ossorio (1916–1990) – abstract expressionism artist Mail Order Brides/M.O.B. (founded 1995) – artist trio of Eliza Barrios, Reanne Estrada, and (see below) Jenifer Wofford Nelfa Querubin (born 1941) – ceramic artist Lordy Rodriguez (born 1976) – contemporary artist who uses cartography and maps Stephanie Syjuco (born 1974) – conceptual artist; assistant professor at University of California, Berkeley Joseph Santos (born 1965) – contemporary artist, watercolorist Leo Valledor (1936–1989) – painter who pioneered the Hard-edge painting style Carlos Villa (1936–2013) – visual artist, curator, professor at California State University, Sacramento and San Francisco Art Institute Jenifer K. Wofford – member of Mail Order Brides, curator, assistant professor at University of San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley
History
Belinda Aquino – author, professor, women's and civil rights activist, founder of the Center for Philippine Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Dorothy Cordova – activist, professor, co-founder of the Filipino American National Historical Society Fred Cordova – author, Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans; co-founder, Filipino American National Historical Society Dawn Mabalon – activist, author
Journalism
Byron Acohido – 1997 Pulitzer Prize in Beat Reporting, Seattle Times Audrey Asistio - NBC Bay Area KNTV news anchor Leah Borromeo – journalist and documentary filmmaker Natasha Brown – anchor, KYW in Philadelphia Cher Calvin – anchor, KTLA Channel 5 Los Angeles Katherine Creag – reporter, WNBC in New York City Ernabel Demillo – TV host Veronica De La Cruz – MSNBC news anchor Rovilson Fernandez – TV host, model, editor Emil Guillermo – journalist, writer, and broadcaster; first Filipino American to anchor a regularly scheduled national news program, NPR's All Things Considered, May 1989 Cassidy Hubbarth – ESPN Anchor Noel Izon – documentary filmmaker Kristine Johnson – anchor, WCBS-TV New York Lloyd LaCuesta – television journalist, KTVU South Bay bureau chief David Lat – legal commentator and author, founder of Above the Law news website Pat Loika – Comic podcaster Elita Loresca – former NBC4 and current KTRK-TV Los Angeles weathercaster and meteorologist Michelle Malkin – commentator on FOX News, author Jean Martirez – anchor for KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles Cheryl Diaz Meyer – 2004 Pulitzer Prize winnercites GMA cites Filipino photojournalist for winning the much-coveted Pulitzer Prize Libertito Pelayo – publisher and editor-in-chief, Filipino Reporter Maria Quiban – meteorologist and news anchor, KTTV/KCOP-TV in Los Angeles Elaine Quijano – correspondent at CBS News, formerly with CNN Victoria Recaño – correspondent on such programs as The Insider and Inside Edition Maria Ressa – Nobel Peace Prize laureate, journalist, author and co-founder of Rappler Frances Rivera – journalist, television news anchor for WHDH Boston, WPIX New York and NBC News Anne Quito – architecture and design critic for Quartz Alex Tizon – 1997 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting, Seattle Times; author of Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self (2014) Corky Trinidad (1939–2009) – Honolulu Star Bulletin editorial cartoonist Jia Tolentino – essayist and staff writer for The New Yorker Pablo Torre – sportswriter and columnist for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine Jose Antonio Vargas – 2008 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Journalism for his work with the Washington Post; DREAM Act advocate; undocumented immigrant Mona Lisa Yuchengco – founder, Filipinas magazine Tony Cabrera - Morning anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles Irene Cruz - Weekend morning anchor and general assignment reporter for ABC7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles Melissa Mecija - 10News This Morning weekday anchor in San Diego Shanna Mendiola - Emmy Award-winning meteorologist for NBC4 in Los Angeles
Law
Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. – former Associate Justice, Hawaii State Supreme Court Kiwi Camara – attorney; youngest person to enter Harvard Law School Tani Cantil-Sakauye – Chief Justice of California George Conway – attorney, Founder of the Lincoln Project Noel Francisco – 47th Solicitor General of the United States Dale Ho (born 1977) – U.S. district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Mario Ramil – former Associate Justice, Hawaii State Supreme Court Sean Reyes – Utah Attorney General
Literature
Maria Amapola Cabase – author of the Royal Palm Literary Award winning novel Coming Home, singer, actress Peter Bacho – author of the American Book Award winning novel Cebu Cecilia Manguerra Brainard – author of When the Rainbow Goddess Wept Carlos Bulosan – author of America Is in the Heart"File of Filipino Author Carlos Bulosan" , All the Conspirators Regie Cabico – Slam poet and performer Elaine Castillo – author, America Is Not the Heart Gilbert Luis R. Centina III – novelist and award-winning poet Melissa de la Cruz – author of teen lit series The Au Pairs, The Ashleys, and Blue Bloods Alex Gilvarry – author of From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant and Eastman Was Here Vince Gotera – poet and editor of the North American Review Jessica Hagedorn – playwright and author, Dogeaters, The Gangster of Love, Dream Jungle Tess Uriza Holthe – author of When the Elephants Dance Ma. Luisa Aguilar Igloria – award-winning poet Erin Entrada Kelly – author of the Newbery Medal winning novel Hello, Universe R. Zamora Linmark – author of Rolling the R's Aimee Nezhukumatathil – award-winning poet and professor Barbara Jane Reyes – poet Al Robles – activist and poet, author of Rappin' With Ten Thousand Carabaos in the Dark Randy Romero – writer Eileen Tabios – poet Lysley Tenorio – author of Monstress Alex Tizon – author of Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Garcia Villa – poet, writer, generationalist; pre-Beat Generation influence
Theatre
Joan Almedilla – Broadway actor (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables) Isa Briones - Broadway actor (Eurydice in Hadestown, Just In Time), and daughter of Jon Jon Briones Jon Jon Briones – Broadway, West End and television actor (Miss Saigon, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse), and father of Isa Briones Laurie Cadevida – Broadway actress (Miss Saigon, Aida, The Pajama Game) Ali Ewoldt – Broadway actress, first woman of color to play lead role of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway Van Ferro – BroadwayWorld award-winning actor from Chicago Arielle Jacobs – Broadway actor and singer (In The Heights, Aladdin, Here Lies Love) Jose Llana – Broadway actor, Drama Desk Award winner Robert Lopez – composer, Tony Award winner, writer of "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen Deedee Magno Hall – cast member, national touring and San Francisco cast of Wicked Paolo Montalban – Broadway and television actor Eva Noblezada – Broadway and West End actress (Kim in Miss Saigon, Éponine in Les Misérables, originated Eurydice in Hadestown Ralph Peña – founding member and artistic director, Ma-Yi Theater Company Jasmine Rafael – Broadway performer (originated the role of Imogen in & Juliet on Broadway)