Asian Representation on Dancing With The Stars
By Kelli Luu | 27 Dec, 2025

These three Asian women brought talent, culture, and identity to the ballroom floor on Dancing With The Stars.

Dancing With The Stars has been a pop culture staple for years, but Asian representation, like everywhere else, was rare. These Asian women have helped expand what Asian representation can look like on one of the most popular shows in reality competition TV. 

Margaret Cho was one of the very first Asian names on Dancing With The Stars. From the beginning, she was challenged. As a comedian, Cho was very outspoken and very unapologetically herself and faced criticism from viewers early on. She was partnered with Louis van Amstel and although she was eliminated early in week 3, her presence on the show still mattered as she was able to expand the idea of who gets to take up space on this legendary stage.

TV personality Jeannie Mai was the first Vietnamese contestant to compete on Dancing With The Stars. Her bold personality brought confidence and cultural pride to the show where she spoke openly about identity and self-worth. Mai partnered with Brandon Armstrong, giving the audience outstanding performances every week. Unfortunately her time was cut short when she was diagnosed with epiglottis, but Mai’s ambition and participation was still able to glorify Asian women in a competitive space. 

Dancing With The Stars approached another milestone in 2022 when Koko Iwasaki made history as the first Asian American professional dancer on the show on season 31. During her very first season, she partnered with Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and they delivered multiple exciting routines until they were eliminated in week 8. Iwasaki wasn’t a contestant, she was in a place of authority, showing that Asian performers can also be leaders in the creative space.

Another pivotal name on the show is Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the longest running judges on Dancing With The Stars. Inaba has been a judge since its very first season and is one of the few Asian American women who have held a position like this on primetime television. She brings an emotional tone to the show, emphasizing storytelling and connection, which has become crucial to the program’s success. Inaba’s longevity reflects not just her expertise, but also acts as a powerful form of representation that has helped normalize seeing an Asian American woman with influence week after week. 

And finally we have Olympic gold medalist, Apolo Ohno who went on Dancing With The Stars in 2007 and won the entire competition. His appearance on the show was a major cultural moment for the community as he was one of the first Asian American men to win a mainstream reality competition. He was partnered with professional Julianne Hough, who is also the current co-host of the show, and this win helped challenge long-standing stereotypes. Ohno’s success on the show helped expand the image of Asian Americans in entertainment and remains as an impactful moment of representation on the show.