By Nina Huang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
In 2025, Asians and Asian Americans reached historic milestones across politics, science, technology, and global culture. From groundbreaking elections to artistic triumphs and technological leadership, these moments reflect both the breadth and depth of Asian and Asian American impact. Here are 10 standout achievements that defined the year.
1. Historic political firsts redefine representation in the U.S.
2025 marked an unprecedented year for Asian American political leadership at every level of government.
Zohran Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani was elected New York City’s first South Asian and first Muslim mayor.
Ghazala Hashmi became Virginia’s first Muslim woman and first South Asian American elected to statewide office.
Kaohly Vang Her made history as the first woman and first Hmong American elected mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Swaranjit Singh Khalsa became the first Sikh mayor of Norwich, Connecticut.
Ranae Bartlett began her term as mayor of Madison, Alabama, leading one of the state’s fastest-growing cities.
Together, these wins reflect a broader shift toward inclusive leadership and the growing political power of Asian American communities nationwide.
2. The future is female: Japan elects its first female prime minister
Former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, center, stands as Takaichi was chosen to a new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party during the party’s leadership election in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)
In a landmark global political moment, Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan’s first female prime minister in October 2025. Her victory broke a long-standing gender barrier in Japanese politics and marked a turning point for women’s leadership in one of the world’s largest economies.
3. MacArthur “Genius” Awards recognize Asian American changemakers
Asian American scholars were prominently represented among the 2025 MacArthur Fellows:
Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was honored for his compassionate, data-driven work addressing overdose deaths and drug-related harm.
Dr. Hahrie Han of Johns Hopkins University was recognized for her influential research on civic participation and racial solidarity.
Their work underscores the critical role Asian Americans play in shaping public health, democracy, and social change.
4. Asian American leaders dominate the global AI and tech conversation
Asian and Asian American executives stood at the center of the world’s most transformative technologies in 2025:
Neal Mohan (Credit: Time Magazine)
Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, was named TIME’s 2025 CEO of the Year.
Jensen Huang (NVIDIA) and Lisa Su (AMD), who are actually distant cousins, were recognized as part of TIME’s Person of the Year for their leadership in artificial intelligence.
Lip-Bu Tan became CEO of Intel, sparking renewed confidence in the company’s future in the global chip and AI race.
5. China reaches a green technology milestone
In a major achievement for clean energy and industrial transformation, China produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) in a single year for the first time. The milestone signaled the rapid scale-up of green technologies and their growing global influence.
6. Good with words
Faizan Zaki, 13, of Dallas, reacts after spelling his word correctly during the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Faizan Zaki, an Indian American student, won the 97th Scripps National Spelling Bee in May during the competition’s 100th anniversary. His victory added to a legacy of South Asian American excellence in academic achievement on one of the nation’s most visible stages.
Poet Arthur Sze was appointed the 2025–2026 United States Poet Laureate in September, further cementing Asian American influence in American letters. Known for his lyrical, contemplative style, Sze’s appointment highlights the growing recognition of Asian American voices in shaping national culture.
7. Asian women creators lead Netflix’s biggest hit ever
Courtesy: Netflix
First released in June, K-Pop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched original movie ever, driven by the creative leadership of writer and co-director Maggie Kang and singer-songwriter Ejae. The film’s success represented a powerful moment for Asian women creators transforming pop culture for global audiences of all ages everywhere.
8. Breakthroughs in music and performing arts on the world stage
Asian and Asian American artists dominated major global stages in 2025:
At the 97th Academy Awards in February, Lisa of BLACKPINK became the first K-pop artist to perform at the Oscars. Her performance—alongside Doja Cat and Raye in a James Bond tribute—marked a defining moment for Asian representation in Hollywood’s most prestigious ceremony.
Darren Criss from “Maybe Happy Ending” at the 78th Annual Tony Awards Meet the Nominees event in New York on Thursday, May 8, 2025. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
In June, Darren Criss won two Tony Awards, one for Best Actor in a Musical, making history as the first Asian American actor to win the award, and for Best Musical as co-producer, both for Maybe Happy Ending.
In September, Jessica Sanchez, a Filipino American singer, won America’s Got Talent, capturing audiences nationwide, two decades after she was ousted during the semifinals of the first season. At 30, she became the oldest female winner in the show’s history.
In October, Eric Lu became the first American since 1970 to win the grand prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition. After winning the 19th International Chopin Piano Competition, he is set to release a live album of highlights from his winning performances on German classical music record label, Deutsche Grammophon.
9. Asians in space
Amanda Nguyen
In April, Amanda Nguyen became the first Vietnamese American woman to fly to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard, an 11-minute suborbital trip to the edge of space. It marked the first all-female space flight in over 60 years. While there, Amanda conducted scientific research, including wound dressing in space.
Official portrait of NASA astronaut Jonny Kim in an EMU suit. (Credit: NASA)
In early December, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Earth along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky after logging 245 days in space as members of Expeditions 72 and 73 aboard the International Space Station. In his first trip to space, Kim conducted scientific experiments and technology demonstrations to benefit humanity on Earth and advance NASA’s Artemis campaign in preparation for future human missions to Mars.
10. Bowen Yang wraps up historic SNL career
FILE – Bowen Yang attends The Museum Gala at the American Museum of Natural History on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Bowen Yang, the first Chinese American cast member of Saturday Night Live (SNL), participated in his last episode in December. Yang joined the show as a staff writer in 2018 and a year later, was promoted to on-air talent and eventually a series regular and fan favorite. With five Primetime Emmy nominations, Yang is the most-nominated Asian male performer in Emmys history. Known for iconic characters such as “The Iceberg that sank the Titanic,” Moo Deng, the baby hippo, and gay man with a straight male friend, Yang is also a LGBTQ+ trailblazer.
A year of momentum
Together, these 10 achievements illustrate a year defined by momentum, leadership, and visibility. As 2025 comes to a close, Asian and Asian American communities continue to shape the future of politics, culture, and innovation—both in the United States and around the world.