On May 3rd, local time, US President Biden awarded the “Presidential Medal of Freedom,” the highest civilian honor in the United States, to 19 individuals at the White House. Among them was the first Asian Oscar-winning actress, Michelle Yeoh.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established in 1945 and is awarded annually as the highest civilian honor in the U.S. Michelle Yeoh, aged 61, made history last year by winning the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the movie “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”
The White House stated, “Michelle Yeoh is renowned for her groundbreaking performances in numerous films over the past 40 years. Most recently, she became the first Asian woman to win the Best Actress Oscar. She has continuously shattered stereotypes and enriched American culture.”
According to the UK’s Daily Mail, President Biden made a slip of the tongue during his speech, mistakenly calling Michelle Yeoh’s English name “Michelle” instead of “Michael” but quickly corrected himself to call her “Michelle Yeoh.”
Among the 19 award recipients were former US Vice President Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, as well as individuals from various fields such as culture and sports. This included Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, who has won seven gold medals, and Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go into space.
Michelle Yeoh recently shared a post on Instagram with a photo, receiving messages of congratulations from netizens, calling her “our Asian queen” and “as a Malaysian, we are proud of you.”