Manny Jacinto

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, every school day The Cardinal will feature a prominent and historical Asian American or Pacific Islander, living or dead, who has 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.

Michelle Reyes, Staff Writer

May 22, 2026

Manny Jacinto is a Filipino-Canadian actor who is helping change the way Asians are seen in Hollywood. He’s most known for playing Jason Mendoza in The Good Place, a character who’s funny, goofy, and purehearted. What makes this role very important is that it really goes against the stereotypes that Asians get stuck with in TV shows and movies.

For such a long time, Asian actors weren’t given many options for roles in Hollywood. They were shown as serious, quiet, awkward, or stereotyped which didn’t come off as real people. Because of this, a lot of talented actors didn’t get the chance to show what they were capable of. Through Jacinto proved them wrong. His performance as Jason Mendoza was a success and made an impact that Asian actors can be just as funny, expressive, and relatable as any other actor would be. He brought lots of energy into his role, and audiences connected with that genuinely.

Jacinto’s also been in other major movies like Top Gun: Maverick, which then made Hollywood slowly become more welcoming and open. Even if he didn’t always get casted as the main character, his presence would still matter. For younger Asian Americans especially seeing someone like him on screen can be inspiring, because it considers the possibilities that were never there before.

The outcome he’s making is real and encouraging. He’s shifting people’s minds and by doing his job, he’s guiding others and helping create more of an accepting future in social media. Jancinto’s growth throughout his career proves that change is happening no matter how long it takes.

About the Contributor

Michelle Reyes, Staff Writer

Michelle Reyes is a senior at Hoover High School and is in the VAPA academy. She was born on January 1, in San Diego. Her immediate family are from California, but her extended family are from Mexico so she’s Mexican American and the second oldest of three siblings. Michelle’s favorite food of all time is Atlantic salmon, even though she really dislikes seafood, salmon is the only exception and she can never resist it. Her favorite drinks are tea, specifically ginger tea and any kind of zero sugar sodas. Her favorite video games to play are roblox, GTA, and Fortnite. In her free time, Michelle enjoys hanging out with her friends, listening to music, rewatching childhood movies and shows, and exploring nature. She also likes singing, playing guitar, and writing poems whenever she gets the chance. She’s not the type to open up so easily so she uses her creativity to express herself differently. For those who know Michelle, they see her as caring and hardworking, often putting others before herself. She never once hesitated when it came to helping someone in need which made her a reliable person. After graduating high school, Michelle’s main goal is to attend San Diego City College then transfer to pursue her dreams in becoming a photographer. She hopes to one day travel the world and capture the beauty of the world. If photography doesn’t work out, she also dreams to become a famous singer. Michelle even has strong love towards animals, not to mention she has six dogs and a cat.