Jimmy O. Yang

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, The Cardinal will feature prominent and historical Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders, living or dead, who have worked toward change, advancement, and/or world peace. Some of them are heroes, and some are unsung heroes, who deserve recognition, and have made a contribution to society.

Kereelyne Segura, Staff Writer

May 16, 2025

Jimmy O Yang is a Hong-Kong American actor and a stand up comedian. He was born on June 11, 1987 in Hong Kong.

Jimmy’s family immigrated to the United States when he was 13 years old and went on to settle in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in LA and then went on to go to college in the University of San Diego getting a degree in economics in 2009. Around this time he started doing stand up comedy where he perfected over a period of time over doing open mic nights and he gained attention for his relatable humor. His passion for comedy led him to want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry instead of following a traditional path in finance or business.

Jimmy’s big break role came when he portrayed “Jian Yang” on HBO’s critically acclaimed series Silicon Valley. People loved his humor and how he brought his unique perspective as an Asian American to the show which helped him become known in the entertainment industry.

In 2018, he wrote a book called How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents which talks about his life as an immigrant and how he tried to make his parents proud while also doing things his own way and going after his passions. Jimmy has also appeared in several films including Crazy Rich Asians (2018), where he played Bernard Tai, and Netflix’s romantic comedy Love Hard (2021), where he starred as the lead. This shows that he can play diverse roles ranging from comedy to heartfelt roles.

Besides being an actor, Jimmy is also a voice for diversity in Hollywood. He inspires others who might not see themselves represented in movies and TV shows. His success is a reminder that being true to yourself and working hard can lead to great things.

About the Contributor

Kereelyne Segura, Staff Writer

Kereelyne Segura is a senior at Hoover High School. She grew up in City Heights her whole life and loves it there. It’s sad to say that after graduation she’s moving to somewhere in Los Angeles. Some things that she enjoys doing is going on walks, listening to music, and looking at the moon. She is 17 years old and is turning 18 on July 20. Her zodiac sign is Cancer. In these last few months that she has left in San Diego, she wants to go outside more and be more social and try new things and just better herself physically and mentally. Some of the artists that kept her going throughout her high school years were Jauria Santa, La Santa Grifa, Eva Noxious, Qendresa, $uicideboys, The Marias, Junior H, Mac Miller, Chris Travis, Xavier Wulf, Big Sad 1900 etc. Her plan after high school is to have already moved, enroll into community college and get her drivers license. She doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do yet but she hopes to figure it out and gain experience in community college. Her favorite foods right now are enchiladas, spaghetti, and chilaquiles. Her favorite drink is lemonade or jamaica. The person she looks up to the most is her dad because he’s always been there for her and always finds a way to support her. They’re like a team and she loves her father very much. She thinks she could change the world by being an open minded person, also by trying to keep our environment healthy. She believes what society could do to make the world a better place is to stop being so judgmental and stop creating stigmas around different things