May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Join us as we celebrate the impact that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made on this country’s past, present, and future this month and all year long. Below we’ve gathered a list of educational and enlightening programs that highlight the achievements, history, culture, and traditions that are airing on PBS KVIE, available to stream for free on the PBS App, or available to stream with PBS KVIE Passport.
Programs Airing on PBS KVIE
American Masters: Waterman – Duke: The Ambassador of Aloha
May 10 at 9PM
Narrated by Jason Momoa, discover the inspiring story and considerable impact of 5-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku. He shattered swimming records and globalized surfing while overcoming racism in a lifetime of personal challenges.
Pacific Heartbeat: Loimata, The Sweetest Tears
May 16 at 10PM
Uncover the redemptive tale of waka builder and captain Lilo Ema Siope’s final years. Examine journeys of migration, spirituality, voyaging, healing, and coming home. Confronting intergenerational trauma head on, the Siope family returns to their homeland of Samoa.
Pacific Heartbeat: Healer Stones of Kapaemahu
May 17 at 10PM
Discover four large stones on Honolulu’s famous Waikiki Beach that represent a Hawaiian tradition of healing and gender diversity that is all but unknown to the millions of locals and tourists passing by. According to legend, the stones are a tribute to four mahu, people of dual male and female spirit, who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii and used their spiritual power to cure disease.
ViewFinder: Before They Take Us Away
May 18 at 7PM
Chronicle the lives of Japanese Americans who self-evacuated from the West Coast in the wake of forced incarceration during World War II. As the U.S. government prepared to forcibly remove and incarcerate Japanese Americans, a small number took fate in their own hands and fled, becoming refugees in their own country. Hear the untold stories of these “self-evacuees” who spent the war years outside the camps – as they struggled to rebuild their lives and overcome poverty, isolation, hostility, and racial violence.
American Experience: Plague at the Golden Gate
May 24 at 9PM
Travel back to turn-of-the 20th-century San Francisco, when a deadly outbreak of bubonic plague in the city’s Chinatown and the hunt to identify its source led to an all-too-familiar spate of violent anti-Asian sentiment.
Programs Available to Stream on the PBS App
American Experience: Mr. Tornado
Discover the story of Japanese American meteorologist Theodore Fujita and his groundbreaking research that has saved thousands of lives and helped generations of Americans prepare for future dangerous weather phenomena.
The Journey with Rob Stewart: Doris Matsui
Join Congresswoman Doris Matsui as she offers a rare look at her personal and political journey. Matsui shares with Rob her unique perspectives on 15 years as the U.S. House Representative serving the Sacramento region.
Pacific Heartbeat
Dive into an authentic glimpse into the Pacific Islander experience. Creative and beautifully told stories about arts, culture, and intimate human stories, Pacific Heartbeat features a diverse array of programs intended to draw viewers into the heart and soul of Pacific Island culture.
ViewFinder: Vanishing Chinatown
Discover the story of San Francisco’s changing Chinatown through the story of a family photo studio and the photo archive they left behind.
ViewFinder: The Ito Sisters
Explore the lives of three Nisei sisters from the Sacramento Delta, from their childhood on a farm in the Delta to their internment during WWII and beyond.
Programs Available to Stream on the PBS App with PBS KVIE Passport
PBS KVIE Passport is a benefit of station membership. Members gain extended access to more videos available to stream on the PBS App.
American Masters: Amy Tan – Unintended Memoir
Explore the life of the groundbreaking author of “The Joy Luck Club” in this intimate portrait. Archival imagery, home movies, photographs, animation, and original interviews create a vivid, colorful journey through Tan’s inspiring life and career.
America Reframed: Far East Deep South
Go on an eye-opening journey through the Mississippi Delta to search for Charles Chiu and his family’s roots, uncovering otherwise unknown stories and the racially complex history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South. This Chinese American family’s unforgettable story offers a poignant and important perspective on race relations, immigration, and American identity.
Asian Americans
Examine a bold perspective on Asian American history in this 5-part series. From anti-immigration laws to the fight for equality to celebrating Asian American identities and achievements, explore a broad spectrum of experiences that casts a new lens on the role that Asian Americans have played in American history.
Bloodline
Join Vietnamese American chef Tu David Phu as he returns home to Oakland, California after competing on the cooking series Top Chef. From the son of refugees growing up in West Oakland to a professional chef, Tu’s acclaimed culinary creations are heralded as the next wave of Asian fusion representing Vietnamese culture.
No Passport Required: Seattle
Journey along with host Marcus Samuelsson as he goes to Seattle, where he spends time with immigrant and second-generation Filipinos who are taking charge of their city’s food scene. As Filipino food gains more national, mainstream recognition, members of the community are working to tell the story on their own terms.