‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Director Jon. M. Chu Gets USC Scholarship Endowment In His Name

USC boosters Karen Wong and Scott Lee have established the Jon M. Chu APAA Cinematic Arts Scholarship, which will be awarded to students whose projects focus on Asian Pacific culture in film, television and interactive media.

“I could not be more honored to have my name included in this beautiful scholarship,” said Chu, who director the breakout hit Crazy Rich Asians. “This has been an unbelievable year for me and our community, but Karen Wong and Scott Lee’s generous endowment might be the most important of them all because now that doors are a little more open we are gonna need more directors, writers, storytellers to fill the gap and tell our stories.”

Chu, who graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2003, said that his experience there “is one that I hold very dear to my heart. I met some of my best friends, learned some of my hardest lessons and had some of the most supportive faculty and mentors. So, I am deeply moved by the idea that someone else gets to have that experience that may not have otherwise. It is an honor to be adding to ‘The Jon M. Chu APAA Cinematic Arts Scholarship’ and encourage others who believe in the importance of the Asian-American voice to contribute as well for years to come.”

Said Elizabeth Daley, the dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts: “We could not be more proud of Jon and are so happy for his recent success with Crazy Rich Asians. We are also very grateful to Karen Wong and Scott Lee for the establishment of this new scholarship as it will support students who have meaningful and rich stories to tell about Asian cultures.”