“The Farewell” star Awkwafina makes Golden Globes history

Awkwafina has made Golden Globes history.

“The Farewell” star is the first performer of Asian descent to win a Golden Globe Award in a lead actress film category.

She’s just the 6th woman of Asian descent to be nominated ahead of the lead actress in a musical or comedy category.

The others were Machiko Kyo (1956’s “The Teahouse of the August Moon”), Miyoshi Umeki (1961’s “Flower Drum Song”), Yvonne Elliman (1973’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”), and Constance Wu (2018). Hailee Steinfeld, whose mother is of Filipino descent, was altogether nominated for her work in “Edge of Seventeen.”

Wu’s nomination a year ago was eminent for completion of a disillusioning drought of female nominees of Asian descent that endured almost 50 years.

Awkwafina joins a small group of performers of Asian ancestry who have won Golden Globe awards since the show began. Sandra Oh is the only performer of Asian descent to have won twice.

“The Farewell,” which includes as predominantly Asian cast, recounts to the story of a young woman named Billi (Awkwafina) whose family decides to keep updates on a terminal diagnosis from the family’s elder matriarch, Billi’s grandma Nai Nai (Shuzhen Zhao).

Author and director Lulu Wang adapted a personal story she initially told on NPR’s “This American Life.”

In her acceptance speech, Awkwafina said Wang gave her “the chance of a lifetime” and “taught me so much.”

She dedicated her award to her dad.

“I told you I’d get a job, dad.”