Category: 2017 Hotties

Who: Jake Choi

Month: December 2017

Hottie Bio: Actor Jake Choi (Front Cover, Younger) has always been outspoken about the need for diversity in Hollywood, and he’s determined to combat stereotypes about Asian American men, one half-naked photo at a time. Also yes, this naughty elf stole the cookies from Santa and no, he doesn’t feel bad about it.

More: Jake Choi is a Korean American actor, born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. He’s been acting and modeling around the country since 2011, working in various plays, TV shows, feature films, and national commercials.

Salon interview: “Asian men in media are so desexualized”: Rising star Jake Choi fights the Hollywood odds against Asian American actors”

Twitter @thejakechoi, Instagram @thejakechoi

 

Photo: Craig Stubing

Who: Gerrard Lobo

Month: November 2017

Hottie Bio: Gerrard Lobo is most known for his role as Anush in Master of None, where he stole many scenes with his shiny muscles and comic timing. He’s also starred as Romeo off-Broadway, and what’s hotter than a dreamy Romeo who invites you on a romantic getaway to “brown town?”

More: Brown Girl Magazine “‘Master of None’ Gerrard Lobo Speaks on His Experience of Acting From a South Asian Perspective”

Twitter @GerrardALobo, Instagram @gerrardalobo

 

Photo: An Rong Xu

Who: Sean Miura

Month: October 2017

Hottie Bio: Sean Miura makes hearts go aflutter as the producer of Los Angeles’ legendary Asian American open mic night, Tuesday Night Cafe. Though he is a bonefide pageant winner (Mr. Hyphen 2013), he’s most irresistable when he seduces with his words on his blog Down Like JTown.

More: Japanese-Americans Went To The Internment Camp Where Their Relatives Were Detained And It Was Chilling

Twitter @seanmiura, Instagram @seanmiura

 

Photo: Leo Wu

Who: Vishavjit Singh

Month: September 2017

Hottie Bio: Vishavjit Singh may smolder as his alter ego Captain Sikh America, inspiring ordinary citizens to fight intolerance with compassion, but his “Clark Kent” is just as magnetic: he’s the handsome cartoonist behind the popular comic series, Sikhtoons.

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Vishavjit (Vish-va-jeet) Singh is a New York City based cartoonist, writer, performance artist and creator of www.Sikhtoons.com who was born in the nation’s capital. He began cartooning during the hate/bias crime-wave following the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks. In the midst of being targeted with fear and intolerance from fellow Americans, Vishavjit armed with turban, beard and humor creates art to build bridges connecting not just with those who empathize with his plight, but also those who judge him based on his countenance & perceived immigrant roots. His work is guided with the deep belief in the inter-connectedness of our stories.

Vishavjit has traveled across the U.S. as a speaker, hosting pr12esentations and workshops at universities, schools, libraries, museums, and film festivals to challenge stereotypes and expound the core virtues of our nation’s diversity. In order to challenge what it means to be ‘American,’ he has donned the uniform of quintessential American superhero, Captain America, on the streets of many American cities. He was also the subject of a widely acclaimed short film, ‘Red, White & Beard,’ which launched online in early 2015. He has been featured in Facebook and AdCouncil campaigns. His message and work has been covered by a number of news outlets, including the New York Times, NPR, BBC, The Atlantic Monthly, Huffington Post, The Guardian and Time Magazine.

Twitter @sikhtoons, Instagram @sikhtoons

 

Photo: An Rong Xu

Who: Joseph Vincent

Month: August 2017

Hottie Bio: Joseph Vincent is the always adorable singer/songwriter that continuously makes you believe in love again. He may or may not have been wearing pants when he recorded his latest EP, Here’s 2 You… just for you.

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Joseph Vincent is an acoustic singer-songwriter who was born and raised in heart of the San Fernando Valley in Southern CA. Growing up Joseph’s ear for music extended to all genres, from hip-hop to pop to rock to folk. Picking up his first guitar at the age of 15, Joseph started playing covers of two of his main musical influences (Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz) which sparked his passion and interest for creating his own music. As an early adopter of new media, Joseph’s YouTube channel has received over 556,000 subscribers with over 100 million video views. In 2009. Joseph went on to enter Kababayan Superstar, a contest produced by Southern California’s local Filipino news station Kababayan LA-18, and took the top prize. After launching an online voting contest, Australia-based Star Central Magazine named Joseph “Youtube Artist of the Year 2009” In April 2010, Joseph was featured on NBC’s The Ellen Degeneres Show for their “Wonderful Web of Wonderment” segment, where he performed his acoustic cover of Iyaz’s “Replay.” Just weeks later, he was invited back as the featured artist to perform Mike Posner’s “Cooler Than Me” for Ellen and her nationwide audience. In 2012 Joseph released his debut album, Blue Skies, which contains 11 songs all written and composed by Joseph. He has put out several singles since then (such as “All I Wanted”, “Stardust”, & “Our First Song) and is currently working on his follow up EP “Here’s 2 You” which will be released later this year.

Twitter @Josephvincent12, Instagram @josephvincent, YouTube Joseph Vincent

 

Photo: Melly Lee

 

Who: Michael Bow and Dan Matthews

Month: July 2017

Hottie Bio: Wouldn’t those Carl’s Jr. commercials be so much hotter if they starred Michael Bow and Dan Matthews? Mike is known to Wong Fu fans as “the hot best friend,” while rapper Dan Matthews (danAKAdan) routinely works crowds into a frenzy, while he’s not filming documentaries about his experience as a Korean American adoptee. Together, they are the faces of ISAtv.

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Michael Bow is an actor, known for The Maze Runner, Comfort and Yellow Fever 2 . He is a host at ISAtv and produces videos on his YouTube channel, MikeBowShow. He starred in the Wong Fu Production video “My Best Friend Is Hot,” which has garnered over 1 million views.

Twitter @mikebowshow, Instagram @mikebowshow

DANakaDAN is an alternative hip hop artist based in Los Angeles, CA. He recently produced a documentary series detailing his very personal journey with meeting his biological family for the first time, including an identical twin brother he never knew about (who also raps). The documentary was produced alongside Mayrok Media+Arriang TV and has been released via ISAtv, Hulu, and Drama Fever. Dan also released a companion full length album, “Stuntman,” which chronicles his experience with adoption, addiction, self, and identity. It features appearances by Kero One, Clara C, David Choi, AJ Rafael, Priska, Paul Dateh, Paul Kim, and Travis Graham. He currently works as the Director of Productions at International Secret Agents, an Asian American media network founded by Far East Movement and Wong Fu Productions.

Twitter @DANakaDAN, Instagram @DANakaDAN

 

Photo: Craig Stubing

Who: Justin Kim

Month: June 2017

Hottie Bio: This hottie made headlines as the first Asian American male contestant on America’s Next Top Model. He hopes to change the way Asian American men are perceived in the media, but first, he needs help drying all the rainwater off his body. Volunteers?

More: NBC: “Justin Kim Goes From Small Town, USA to ‘America’s Next Top Model”

Twitter: @Seoulful_J, Instagram @justindkim

 

Photo: William Mathieu

Who: Jose Antonio Vargas

Month: May 2017

Hottie Bio: A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, activist, and co-founder of Define American, Jose Antonio Vargas embodies hotness to the core, getting down and dirty as he shifts the conversation about immigrants in America.

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Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, filmmaker, and media entrepreneur whose work centers on the changing American identity. He is the founder and CEO of Define American, a non-profit media and culture organization that seeks to elevate the conversation around immigration and citizenship in America; and the founder of #EmergingUS, a media start-up that lives at the intersection of race, immigration, and identity in a multicultural America. #EmergingUS is the first-ever media property owned by an undocumented immigrant.

In June 2011, the New York Times Magazine published a groundbreaking essay he wrote in which he revealed and chronicled his life in America as an undocumented immigrant. A year later, he appeared on the cover of TIME magazine worldwide with fellow undocumented immigrants as part of a follow-up cover story he wrote. He then produced and directed Documented, a documentary feature film on his undocumented experience. It world premiered at the AFI Docs film festival in Washington, D.C. in 2013, was released theatrically and broadcast on CNN in 2014, and received a 2015 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Documentary. Documented is now available on various digital platforms.

In July 2015, MTV aired, as part of its “Look Different” campaign, White People, an Emmy-nominated television special he produced and directed on what it means to be young and white in contemporary America.

The media’s evolution and the rise of the digital era has guided his career. He has written for daily newspapers (Philadelphia Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle) and national magazines (Rolling Stone, The New Yorker), and was a senior contributing editor at the Huffington Post, where he launched the Technology and College sections. Prior to that, he covered tech and video game culture, HIV/AIDS in the nation’s capital, and the 2008 presidential campaign for the Washington Post, and was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for covering the Virginia Tech massacre. In 2007, Politico named him one of 50 Politicos to Watch. His 2006 series on HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C. inspired a documentary feature film, The Other City, which he co-produced and wrote. It world premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and aired on Showtime. He has appeared on an array of television programs, including: Good Morning America, The O’Reilly Factor, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Colbert Report, Univision’s Aqui y Ahora, and The Filipino Channel’s Balitang America.

Among other accolades he has received are: a Public Service Award from the National Council of La Raza, the country’s largest Latino advocacy organization; the Salem Award from the Salem Award Foundation, which draws upon the lessons of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692; the Freedom to Write Award from PEN Center USA; and an honorary Doctor of Letters from Colby College.

He is a very proud graduate of San Francisco State University (‘04), where he was named Alumnus of the Year in 2012, and Mountain View High School (‘00).

He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Twitter @joseiswriting, Instagram @joseiswriting

Who: Yoshi and Peter Sudarso

Month: April 2017

Hottie Bio: What can we say about the Sudarso brothers that isn’t already apparent by the fact that they’ve clearly won the genetic lottery? The Power Rangers Blue Ninja – the role which Yoshi handed over to Peter this year – has never been so crush-worthy.

 

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Actor/Stuntman/Model Yoshua “Yoshi” Sudarso is a Chinese American born in Indonesia and moved to Los Angeles at the age of ten. He and his brother, Actor/Model Peter Adrian Sudarso, developed a fan base through social media by creating YouTube videos, doing fashion blogging, and cosplay. He has done commercial work for Samsung, Sony; and stunt work for multiple films including The Maze Runner, Dark Rising, Masterless, etc. Having discovered his passion for martial arts watching Power Rangers and Jackie Chan movies, his starring role in Power Rangers Dino Charge as the blue ranger “Koda” is a perfect addition to his acting resume.

Twitter @yoshi_sudarso, Instagram @yoshi_sudarso

 

Peter Adrian Sudarso Preston on PRNS2017 Christian aspiring actor/hobbyist. 1/2 of Sudarso Blue 1/6 of Apt. 210 YouTube channel

Twitter @PeterSAdrian, Instagram @petersadrian

 

Photo: Melly Lee

Who: Sean Rameswaram

Month: March 2017

Hottie Bio: This devastatingly charming public radio personality was the host of the popular pop culture podcast, sideshow, and nowadays, he contributes his hotness to Radiolab’s More Perfect.

More: Sean has made radio for the CBC, NPR, and WNYC, which he joined as a Studio 360 producer in 2012. He created, produced, and hosted Studio 360‘s sideshow podcast, which was widely regarded as one of the most devastatingly charming popular culture programs in the history of audio. Sean continues to cover culture at WNYC while also reporting for More Perfect, Radiolab‘s new podcast about the Supreme Court of the United States.

Twitter @rameswaram, Instagram @rameswaram

Listen:
More Perfect, Episode “Object Anyway”
sideshow: Episode “#26: Kickstarting The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Museum”
sideshow: Episode “Giving the Perfect GIF”

 

Photo: An Rong Xu

Who: Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco

Month: February 2017

Hottie Bio: These dapper gentleman, known as the National Film Society, star in YouTube videos where they stare into the camera and try not to blind you with their beauty. They also created the super sexy web series, Awesome Asian Bad Guys.

More: The National Film Society is a digital movie studio co-founded by filmmakers Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco, who decided to take their talents to YouTube. With a uniquely brainy and offbeat style, NFS produces original content, collaborates with talented creators and explores the world of pop culture. Part of PBS Digital Studios. NFS raised over $54,000 on Kickstarter for their feature film Awesome Asian Bad Guys, an action-comedy about a motley crew of washed up Asian bad guy actors that joins forces to take down Los Angeles’ most nefarious mob boss. It celebrates the Asian villains Patrick and Stephen grew up watching on TV and in movies and is available to watch here.

National Film Society: Twitter @NatFilmSociety, Instagram @NationalFilmSociety
Awesome Asian Bad Guys: Twitter @AwesomeBadGuys
Patrick Epino: Twitter @PatrickEpino, Instagram @patrickepino
Stephen Dypiangco: Twitter @dypiangco, Instagram @dypiangco

 

Photo: Craig Stubing

Who: Ronnie Woo

Month: January 2017

Hottie Bio: This delicious chef is most known for hosting LOGO’s cooking show Food to Get You Laid, but he’s also one of the experts on Home Made Simple on the OWN Network, which means your mother will love him too.

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Ronnie Woo is an accomplished professional chef and culinary personality celebrated by his fans and peers alike for his infectious personality, knowledge on dating & relationships, and creative perspective on familiar flavors and dishes encompassing cuisines from around the world.

In 2011, Ronnie completed a culinary program in association with the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver while simultaneously creating his food blog, The Delicious Cook. Within a handful of months, Ronnie began receiving requests for dinner parties and larger events, and so began his career as a private chef. Ronnie’s unique mix of charm and charisma, professionalism and culinary skill has made him one of the most highly regarded private chefs in Los Angeles.
Ronnie holds a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as a Masters in Business Administration. His education significantly bolstered his business acumen while also enhancing his ability to connect with others. In addition, Ronnie’s experience as a model for Wilhelmina and Ford provided him an early glimpse into the inner workings of the entertainment industry.

Chef Ronnie has been sponsored by numerous companies, including Fiat, Pompeian, Tobasco, Smithfield, and Chosen Foods, and has helped represent their brands across multiple media outlets. Moreover, Ronnie has traveled extensively around the world acquiring new techniques and recipe ideas from both his personal experiences and the chefs with whom he’s worked. These experiences continue to influence his culinary creations and cooking style on a daily basis

Ronnie’s culinary creativity and intense knowledge of food, relationships, pop culture, and entertainment make him a valuable asset to the world of culinary entertainment and food presenters. Ronnie has an ever-growing list of high-profile clients, which includes Jessica Alba, Charlie Sheen, Kathy Griffin, Holly Robinson Peete, Dita Von Teese, Nancy O’Dell, Vanna White, and Gilles Marini. His brand new cooking & relationship show, Food To Get You Laid, just finished airing it’s first season on the LOGO Network. In addition, he has made other appearances on numerous shows, including FABLife, Home & Family, and Home Made Simple on the OWN Network and is a regular contributor to Good Day LA. Ronnie was also chosen to be the featured chef in Sony’s The Talented Project. He has appeared in US Weekly, BELLO Magazine, Angeleno Magazine and LA Weekly, along with countless online publications as well, including HuffingtonPost.com & Out.com.

Not only is Ronnie a talented chef with a unique educational background, his made-for-TV looks and big personality make him a valuable asset to media outlets and a wide array of brands. Ronnie’s modern take on food coupled with his background in psychology has helped him capture audiences from all demographics around the world, as evidenced by his ever-growing followers across all social media channels.

Twitter @ronniecwoo, Instagram @ronniecwoo

 

Photo: Rikki Ronae

Who: Kenta Seki

Cover 2017

Hottie Bio: Kenta Seki is a celebrity trainer (Just Jillian, FitFusion) most known for his work with fitness icon Jillian Michaels. He was the winner of an online vote to determine whom fans most wanted to see on the cover of their 2017 Haikus On Hotties calendar. It’s important to note that Kenta’s hotness goes well beyond his muscles, which he often puts on generous display. He’s all about motivating people to live a happier and healthier life.

More: Kenta Seki is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor based out of his hometown of Los Angeles. His whole life pretty much involves health & fitness, and always has since he first discovered it when he was a kid. His first love was Yoga- he got into it when he was around 9 years old. One of his first jobs was a Yoga instructor, he became a personal trainer, then got into fitness modeling and was fortunate enough to book all kinds of fun jobs with some of the biggest companies in the industry. But he’s most proud of his work with fitness icon Jillian Michaels, who he’s proudly been working with for over 6 years.

Twitter @kentaseki, Instagram @kentaseki, Youtube FitFusion videos

 

Photo: Jeffrey Andre