10 Inspirational Asian Canadian Women You Need to Know

Anastasia Lin may be known as 2015 Miss World Canada, but she is more than a pageant winner. She has continually used her platform to amplify human rights issues around the world. When she was selected to compete for Canada at the 2015 Miss World pageant in China, her visa was denied by Chinese authorities and many assumed it was due to her outspoken views on China's human rights record. After being labelled a persona non grata (person not invited), she ramped up her activism, testifying before U.S. Congress. She has since spoken at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, and when she isn't doing advocacy work, she also makes time for acting.

Born in Ottawa to Korean parents, Sandra Oh is best known for her beloved and fierce portrayal of Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy. She has won two Golden Globe Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards in addition to being nominated for twelve Emmys. When she won her second Golden Globe in 2019 for her role in Killing Eve (the first was for Grey's back in 2005), she became the first Asian woman to win multiple Golden Globes. In addition to her acting career, she has been outspoken about social justice and recently made an impassioned speech at a Stop Asian Hate rally.

Gymnast Lori Fung Methorst made Olympic history as rhythmic gymnastics’ first-ever gold medallist in 1984. She was a seven-time Canadian champion from 1982-1988, also winning four Continents titles three times. She is a Member of the Order of Canada and she was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

The Mississauga-born, Tamil-Canadian actress only recently started acting -- so it came as a shock to her when she nabbed the lead role in Mindy Kaling's coming-of-age TV comedy, Never Have I Ever. Beating out 15,000 other people for your first starring role is no small feat, but Ramakrishnan as Devi was a natural fit. The show won comedy of the year at the People's Choice Awards in 2020.

Vivienne Poy has done it all. She is a historian, author, fashion designer and former senator. In the 1980s, she founded Vivienne Poy Mode, her fashion label, and by 1998, she became the first Canadian of Asian descent appointed to the Senate of Canada. She is the reason Canadians celebrate Asian Heritage Month, as she proposed a motion for the designation back in 2001.

Yuki Tsubota is an Olympic slopestyle skier from Whistler, BC. She has been skiing competitively since she was 10 years old. She is on the Canadian Slopestyle Ski Team, and has competed at both the Sochi and Pyeongchang Olympic Games, finishing sixth at both. Additionally, she is a MEC skiing ambassador.

While Shay Mitchell may be best known for Pretty Little Liars, the half-Filipina actress has expanded her profile from acting to include vlogging, writing and entrepreneurship. She co-authored the novel Bliss in 2015 and launched her travel brand, BÉIS in 2018. She also has a large following on social media, where she makes people laugh with her relatable yet hilarious TikToks.

Mina Shum is an award-winning writer and director. Her feature films often explore family and identity, and she's collaborated with none other than Sandra Oh on three of her movies, Double Happiness, Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity, and Meditation Park. She has also made two documentary films, one about her family and the other about the Sir George Williams Affair.

Lilly Singh is a bisexual YouTuber, comedian and author. She made history as the first person of Indian descent to host an American major broadcast network late-night talk show with her show A Little Late With Lilly Singh.

In addition to her online and television work, she is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

While some of us remember Lauren Toyota from her time as a VJ on MuchMusic, these days she is focused on health and wellness. She is the host of Hot For Food on YouTube, where she shares vegan recipes. She has authored two vegan cookbooks and also vlogs about her day-to-day activities on her personal YouTube channel.