On April 29, 2010, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring May 2010 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The proclamation began as follows:
For centuries, America’s story has been tied to the Pacific. Generations of brave men and women have crossed this vast ocean, seeking better lives and opportunities, and weaving their rich heritage into our cultural tapestry. During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate the immeasurable contributions these diverse peoples have made to our Nation.
President Obama added, “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have persevered and flourished, achieving success in every sector of American life.”
One of those sectors of American life, and life around the world for that matter, is poker. Many of the world’s strongest poker players are of Asian or Asian-American descent. Just a few of the top names in poker include:
- Johnny Chan – Considered by many to be the first great Asian poker player, Chan’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Canton, China when he was six years-old. Chan achieved an unprecedented feat, winning the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 1987 and 1988 and finishing second to Erik Seidel in 1989. He has ten total WSOP bracelets.
- Scotty Nguyen – One of the most colorful players of all-time, he won the WSOP Main Event in 1998. Nguyen fled war-torn Vietnam as an 11 year-old and then escaped from a refugee camp in Thailand. At age 13, he was able to move to the U.S. with a sponsor family. The “Prince of Poker” has amassed five WSOP bracelets (including the $50,000 HORSE Championship), one World Poker Tour (WPT) title, and over $11 million in tournament winnings.
- Men “The Master” Nguyen – Born in 1954 in Vietnam, Nguyen fled Vietnam’s Communist regime in 1978 when he sailed with 87 others to Malaysia. Later that year, he was granted political asylum by the U.S. and moved to Los Angeles. He became an American citizen in 1986. Nguyen is one of the most accomplished tournament players in the world, with four CardPlayer Player of the Year awards and six WSOP bracelets.
- Jerry Yang – Although not nearly as accomplished as the players named above, the 2007 WSOP Main Event champ, who went from eighth in chips to the chip leader at the final table through a fascinating display of aggression, is a great story nonetheless. An ethnic Hmong, Yang was born in Laos. He and his family escaped to Thailand when Laos was taken over by Communists in the 1970s. They spent four years in a refugee camp, where Yang unfortunately lost one brother and one sister. He called the day he was finally able to get to America “the happiest day of his life.” In the U.S., Yang earned a master’s degree in health psychology and has worked as a psychotherapist and a social worker. He pledged to donate 10% of his more than $8 million Main Event prize to charity.
Other well-known and accomplished poker players of Asian and Pacific Islander descent include David “Chino” Rheem, Evelyn Ng, John “The Razor” Phan, Kenny Tran, Karina Jett, Tim Phan, Toto Leonidas, Kevin Song, David Chiu, Maria Ho, Chau Giang, Liz Lieu, John Juanda, J.C. Tran, Minh Ly, Bill Chen, and David “The Dragon” Pham.