Josefina Guerrero was a Filipina spy during World War II who was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of American soldiers. She spied undetected on behalf of the Allied forces for years and was so effective because of her particular affliction: leprosy. She used her illness, which had caused her so much trauma and grief since her diagnosis, to save countless lives and help turn the tide of the war, and for that, she must be celebrated.
Read MoreRajkumari Amrit Kaur was an Indian Activist who worked alongside Mahatma Gandhi and used her privileged status and upbringing as a princess to shine a light on the atrocities of British colonial rule and helped usher India into a new era of government independent from Britain, revolutionizing the country's health as India's first Minister of Health. She was tireless, ambitious, and utterly invested in making life better for everyone, not just the upper class. She was a true Good Witch.
Read MoreChien-Shiung Wu was a groundbreaking Chinese American physicist who made several remarkable contributions to the study of physics during the span of her career and was the only woman in a top scientific role within the top-secret Manhattan Project. She did work integral to a study that later won the Nobel Prize - though she, in typical misogynistic fashion, was not honored alongside her male partners. Still, she continued to make huge strides for physics and women in STEM until her death, and is still celebrated as one of the great minds of physics.
Read MoreIf you don't know the name Tura Satana, then sit down and listen, because she was a lot of things over the course of her life - survivor of a Japanese internment camp, leader of a 1950's girl gang, a badass martial artist, a burlesque dancer who once received a proposal from Elvis, and a cult B movie film icon. But above all, Tura marched to the beat of her own drum. doing exactly what she wanted at the time and nothing less. We're so excited to be talking about her for #AAPI, but honestly, we'd be talking about her no matter what. Tura Satana was a true bad bitch.
Read MoreFor AAPI History Month we're talking about 1948 Olympic athlete Vicki Manalo Draves, who was the first American woman to win gold medals in both the 10 meter platform and three meter springboard events. Despite the prejudice and racism she experienced as the daughter of aFilipino father and British mother, Vicki powered through, trained her butt off, and became a badass record-breaking Olympic champion.
Read MoreQueen Lili was the first queen to rule Hawai’i alone - she also happened to be Hawai’i's last monarch before the US stole the country from the Native Hawaiians in a violent and illegal coup, and annexed it as a territory and later state of the US. She was a songwriter and a pacifist and though she did not have much time on the throne, she was and continues to be beloved by her people.
Read MoreAnna May Wong is considered Hollywood's first Asian American movie star. Despite being forced to portray racist roles in the films Hollywood was peddling at the time, Anna was persistent about pursuing roles that could satiate her desire to play three dimensional Asian characters on the screen, traveling across Europe and China in an effort to find herself and roles she might actually enjoy playing. Anna May Wong was and is an inspiration to some of the best actresses and filmmakers working today, including Lucy Liu, who received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next to Anna May Wong's on May 1, 2019, making her the second Asian actor on the Walk.
Read MoreAnna May Wong is considered Hollywood's first Asian American movie star. Despite being forced to portray racist roles in the films Hollywood was peddling at the time, Anna was persistent about pursuing roles that could satiate her desire to play three dimensional Asian characters on the screen, traveling across Europe and China in an effort to find herself and roles she might actually enjoy playing. Anna May Wong was and is an inspiration to some of the best actresses and filmmakers working today, including Lucy Liu, who received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next to Anna May Wong's on May 1, 2019, making her the second Asian actor on the Walk.
Read MorePatsy Mink is known for being the first Asian American woman elected to Congress, but her amazingness stretches far beyond that. Thanks to sexism and prejudice, Patsy was barred from attending medical school despite a stellar academic record. Her dream of becoming a doctor dashed by circumstances beyond her control, Patsy turned her attention to making sure all women had equal opportunities in education, becoming a lawyer and then a congresswoman who authored the revolutionary Title IX legislation that changed education in this country forever. Her accomplishments were numerous and her drive unmatched. Patsy Mink was one seriously bad bitch.
Read MoreMadhubala became an actress young to help support her family and became one of the most influential actresses of her time. She is often compared with Marilyn Monroe for her beauty, charisma, and ubiquitousness. She starred in 70 films across the fifties and into the sixties, and to this day, is known as one of Bollywood's most iconic stars. She was a good witch through and through.
Read MoreNeerja Bhanot was a woman who knew exactly who she wanted to be. Despite a terrible arranged marriage that ended soon after it began and a culture that glorified her for her beauty rather than her brains, she followed her dreams and ultimately became a hero.
Read MoreQiu Jin was a poet, a feminist, a revolutionary. She liked wine, swordplay, wearing men’s clothes, and teaching others to fight for the revolution that would ultimately bring about the downfall of China’s Imperial system. She was a seriously bad bitch.
Read MoreTammy Duckworth, a former US Army Lieutenant Colonel who lost bother her legs in battle, was the first Asian-American Woman elected to congress. She currently serves as a Senator for the state of Illinois.
Read MoreAiko Herzig-Yoshinaga was a prisoner of the internment camps FDR sanctioned during WW2 to unlawfully imprison Japanese Americans. Later she did research that proved pivotal in bringing the government to justice. She was a damn good witch.
Read MoreGrace Lee Boggs was a philosopher, activist, and all around good witch who got involved with the Black Power movement in Chicago and Detroit, and helped begin Detroit's slow revitalization process through community organizing and activism.
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