The following is a list of famous Chinese Americans who have made significant contributions to the American culture or society artistically or scientifically, or have appeared in the news numerous times:

(Chinese name may be placed, if available, beside those persons who currently do not have articles yet. Otherwise, place them in their articles.)

  • Bette Bao Lord - writer, novelist
  • Anna Chan Chennault (陳香梅) - wife of Claire Chennault, of the Flying Tigers
  • Eileen Chang, writer
  • Iris Chang (張純如) - writer
  • Lia Chang - actor,photographer, writer
  • Michael Chang - tennis player
  • Elaine Chao - Secretary of Labor
  • Rosalind Chao - actor
  • Steve Chen - computer scientist, supercomputer designer, Cray
  • Shiing-shen Chern - mathematician
  • Frank Chin (趙健秀) - novelist, playwright, and essayist
  • Ming W. Chin (陳惠明) - Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
  • Tiffany Chin (陳婷婷) - figure skater
  • Vincent Chin - victim of racial crime
  • Amy Chow (周婉儀) - gymnast and Olympic medal winner
  • Paul C.W. Chu - physicist, superconductivity
  • Steven Chu - 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics
  • Connie Chung - TV news anchor
  • Ben Fong-Torres - journalist, Rolling Stone
  • David Ho - AIDS researcher
  • Maxine Hong Kingston - writer, novelist
  • Gish Jen - writer, novelist
  • Andrea Jung (鍾彬嫻)- CEO, Avon products
  • Michelle Kwan (關家倩) - figure skater
  • Ang Lee - movie director
  • Bruce Lee - actor, kung fu
  • Ching Yang Lee - novelist, Flower Drum Song
  • Coco Lee - singer
  • Corky Lee - photographer
  • Gus Lee - writer
  • Henry C. Lee - forensic scientist
  • Tsung-dao Lee - Nobel laureate, Physics
  • Wen Ho Lee (李文和) - nuclear physicist, accused spy, acquitted
  • Katrina Leung - businesswoman, accused spy
  • Lucy Liu - actress
  • Maya Lin (林瓔) - architect (Vietnam Veterans Memorial)
  • Lisa Ling (凌志慧) - TV show host
  • Eric Liu - writer, a speechwriter of Bill Clinton
  • Gary Locke - Governor of Washington
  • Keye Luke - actor
  • Yoyo Ma - cellist
  • Kim Ng - baseball executive
  • I. M. Pei (貝聿銘) - architect
  • Soong Mei-Ling a.k.a. Madame Chiang Kai-Shek
  • Anna Sui - fashion designer
  • Amy Tan - writer
  • Chang-lin Tien - academic, former chancellor UC Berkeley
  • Samuel C. C. Ting - 1976 Nobel laureate, Physics
  • Ming Tsai - chef and restauranteur, writer
  • Chen Ning Yang - Nobel laureate, Physics
  • Henry Yang - chancellor, UC Santa Barbara
  • An Wang - computer engineer
  • Charles Wang (王嘉廉)- founder, CEO, chairman, Computer Associates
  • Taylor Wang - first ethnic Chinese scientist to go into space, 1985 on space shuttle Challenger
  • Vera Wang - fashion designer
  • Wayne Wang - Hollywood director
  • Ming-Na Wen (溫明娜) - Macanese-born actress
  • Anna May Wong - first female Asian-American star of the screen
  • Wong Ching Foo - civil rights activist against Chinese Exclusion Act
  • David Wong Louie - writer
  • Jade Snow Wong - writer
  • Russell Wong (王盛德) - actor
  • Victor Wong (黃自強) - Hollywood actor
  • S.B. Woo - lieutenant governor of Delaware
  • Frank H. Wu (吳華揚) - a professor of law at Howard University, writer
  • Harry Wu - human rights activist
  • Chien-Shiung Wu - female scientist
  • Martin Yan - host of Yan Can Cook
  • Jeff Yang - founder of A Magazine
  • Jerry Yang (楊致遠) - founder of Yahoo!
  • Welly Yang - actor and artist
  • Shing-Tung Yau - mathematician
  • Laurence Yep - author of children's books
  • Katherine Young - world's oldest user of the Internet
  • Judy Yung - writer
  • Helen Zia (謝漢蘭) - community activists and writer