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Umeko Tsuda (1864-1929)
A pioneer in the field of women’s education during the Meiji era, she founded an educational institution for women that later became Tsuda University. Tsuda was Japan’s first female exchange student, studying in the US from 1871-1882. She later attended Bryn Mawr College from 1889-1892, where she majored in biology and education. Learn more >
Ichiyo Higuchi (1872-1896)
Japan’s first professional female writer of modern literature, Higuchi published 21 short stories, nearly 4000 poems, numerous essays, and a multivolume diary before her death at just 24. Her portrait appears on the 5000 yen banknote. Learn more >
Akiko Yosano (1878-1942)
A Japanese author, poet, pioneering feminist, pacifist, and social reformer. Her work is celebrated for its eroticism and emotional explicitness. Learn more >
Sugako Kanno (1881 - 1911)
A Japanese anarcha-feminist journalist, she wrote a series of articles about gender oppression and women's rights. She worked as a reporter for The Tokyo Telegraph and became editor-in-chief of Muro News. Kanno united with Christians and socialists in opposing the Russo-Japanese War and campaigned to end the public brothel system. Learn more >
Raicho Hiratsuka (1886 - 1971)
A writer, activist, and feminist, she published Japan's first women's literary magazine, Seitō. Calling for women's spiritual revolution, the journal eventually shifted from literature to women's issues, including candid discussion of female sexuality and abortion. Raicho founded the New Women's Association, the first organization concerning the welfare of women in Japan. Learn more >
Junkyo Ohishi (1888 - 1968)
Trained as a geisha since she was 12, Ohishi survived her foster father cutting off both her arms when she was 17. She later worked as a painter and raised three children. After divorcing her unfaithful husband, she became a nun and dedicated her life to helping people with physical disabilities. Learn more >
Kikue Yamakawa (1890-1980)
A Japanese essayist, activist, and social feminist, Kikue was a founding member of the Red Wave Society, Japan’s first socialist women’s organization. She dedicated her life to the liberation of Japanese women and the improvement of their domestic and social status. Learn more >
Anna May Wong (1905-1961)
Considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, Wong appeared in over 60 films throughout her career. She was often asked to play stereotypical roles, and despite her success, eventually left Hollywood due to constant discrimination. In 2022, she became the first Asian American to appear on U.S. currency, with the creation of over 300 million Wong Quarters. Learn more >
Ester Eng (1914-1970)
An openly gay Chinese American filmmaker and first female director to direct Chinese-language films in the US. She made four feature films in the US and five in Hong Kong, most of them romantic dramas with women at the center. Learn more >
Grace Lee Boggs (1915-2015)
A Chinese American human rights activist, author, and philosopher. Her activism centered around civil rights, labor, feminism, and the environment.
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Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014)
A Japanese American political and civil rights activist who spoke out about oppressive institutions and injustice in the US and advocated for nuclear disarmament, reparations for Japanese Americans, and the rights of political prisoners. Learn more >
Michi Nishiura Weglyn (1926-1999)
Japanese American activist and author whose book Years of Infamy: The Untold Story of America’s Concentration Camps helped fuel a movement leading to reparations for Japanese Americans interned during WWII. Learn more >
Patsy Mink (1927-2002)
A Japanese American attorney and politician from Hawaii, Mink was the first woman of color elected to the US House of Representatives, where she served a total of 24 years as a member of the Democratic party. Learn more >
Helen Zia (born 1952)
Chinese American journalist and activist for Asian American and LGBTQ rights. Zia helped found American Citizens for Justice and testified at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about the racial impact of the news media.
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Kalpana Chawla (1962-2003)
An astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first woman of Indian origin to fly to space in 1997. She died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Learn more >
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