Vladimir Lenin 

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov or as you might know him, Vladimir Lenin. Firstly, yes, he is some kind of mixed-Asian, though we’re not entirely sure which specific ethnicity. From his father, Lenin is likely part Chumash or Kalmyk or some other Eurasian/Turkic/Altaic/Mongolic ethnicity. So it should go without saying that this man was one of the most influential and globally impactful men... perhaps ever.

I’m going to greatly simplify history but in summary his Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 would mark the final nail in the coffin for the Russian monarchy, nobility, aristocracy, much of the Orthodox clergy etc, forever transforming one of the world’s largest empires into the Soviet Union, a global superpower for most of the 20th century, completely changing geopolitics forever. In my own personal opinion, I would argue that though the Revolution(s) in Russia was primarily a class struggle first and foremost, that there was also, intersectionally, an element of a multi-ethnic/multi-racial struggle against the predominantly White Russian nobility, clergy, aristocracy etc. So much of the former Russian Empire was conquered Eurasian lands. But all the power structures of Russia were centered in its far west. I think it’s often overlooked how instrumental it was for all the non-white Russian ethnicities who were predominantly middle or working class to rise up against their colonial masters for the Revolution to succeed on the scale that it did.

Now being strictly apolitical, it’s undeniable that this man, no matter what your feelings are on him personally or his legacy or the Soviet Union or communism etc etc, dramatically shaped the world. Every accomplishment, every disaster, both within but also other powers influenced or inspired by or in direct opposition or competition to the Soviet Union - the space race, The Cold War etc I could go on forever about all this. Have I convinced you of the impactful-ness of this man!?

Ranomi Kromowidjojo

Ranomi Kromowidjojo, an Indo (Term for a Dutch/Indonesian) of Dutch and Javanese-Surinamese heritage. (The Indonesian, specifically Javanese diaspora who live in Suriname, South America) She’s a triple Olympic champion!

It’s hard to follow up someone like Lenin in terms of shaping the world, but Kromowidjojo all the same has an impressive resume. She’s an Olympic swimmer, winning gold medals and setting records across three Olympics, 2008, 2012 and 2016, and lots of other international competitions, and currently holds the World Record time in the 50m freestyle short course. I realize that outside the Dutch-speaking world, she’s relatively unknown, and though she may not made sweeping cultural or political changes to the world at large, in the world of athletics, she’s someone everyone ought to be familiar with, and has done her part in shaping that world.

Tiger Woods:

Eldrick Tont Woods or as you probably know him, Tiger Woods. Both of his parents are of mixed heritages, with Tiger being Black, White and possibly Native American or Chinese from his father’s side, and Thai, Chinese and Dutch from his mother’s side.

For the few of you who don’t know who he is, Tiger Woods is widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, with dozens of wins across the largest golf tournaments in the world. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that he is one of the few recognizable professional golfers to the average non-golf enthused citizen - a household name essentially, perhaps either for his career as a golfer or the subject of personal life scandals that the media obsessed over circa 2009-2010, though his mixed heritage may not be as well known. I would argue that Woods was the most well-known/recognizable mixed-Asian in the 2000s decade, though again not known for his mixed heritage. His impact on the world of professional golf as well as the celebrity treatment and scrutiny of professional athletes by the media cannot be understated.

Eddie and Alex Van Halen:

Eddie (left) and Alex (right) Van Halen, we got a two-for today! I couldn’t in good conscious just do one or the other, had to do them both! Two of the greatest rockstars in music history!

Both born in Amsterdam, Netherlands to a Dutch father and an Indo mother (Dutch/Javanese mix). The co-founding members of the famous rock band Van Halen. Fun fact: though Alex is the drummer and Eddie was the lead guitarist of their band, Van Halen, Alex originally wanted to play guitar and Eddie with the drums but both ended up switching at a young age. If you’re not familiar with the world of Rock n Roll, then know that the band Van Halen (now almost 50 years old) is considered to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time. R.I.P. Eddie.

Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin

Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, better known as Leslie Charteris was born in Singapore in 1907 to a Chinese father and English mother. Charteris was an extremely prolific writer most famous for his recurring character of Simon Templar, aka The Saint, a Robin Hood-like sleuth and vigilante character who has appeared in dozens of novels over the span of 5 decades as well as over a dozen films and TV shows during those decades portrayed by numerous actors including Roger Moore of James Bond fame. 

During his years writing popular novels, he worked many odd jobs, toured with a British carnival, prospected for gold, mined tin, dove for pearls and invented a wordless picture-based sign language called Paleneo. Looking back at his life and career, it almost seems like he was competing for The Most Interesting Man in the World title.