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 of the AAPI community 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
Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March
May 2 at 10PM
Witness the power of community and resilience in the face of hate in this compelling documentary. Chronicle how the Asian American community came together to fight back against hate in the aftermath of the March 2021 mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta.
Studio Sacramento: The Asian American Glass Ceiling
May 5 at 7:30PM
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing, best-educated, and highest-income racial group in the U.S. However, this diverse community still experiences challenges reaching executive and management leadership positions. Ascend Executive Advisor Buck Gee and former California Senator Dr. Richard Pan join host Scott Syphax for a conversation about breaking this glass ceiling.
American Masters: Nam June Paik – Moon is the Oldest TV
May 16 at 9PM
See the world through the eyes of Nam June Paik, the father of video art and coiner of the term “electronic superhighway.” Born in Japan-occupied Korea, Paik went on to become a pillar of the American avant-garde and transformed modern image-making with his sculptures, films, and performances. Experience his creative evolution as Academy Award nominee Steven Yeun reads from Paik’s writings.
ViewFinder: Vanishing Chinatown
May 17 at 7PM
Discover the story of San Francisco’s changing Chinatown through the story of a family photo studio and the photo archive they left behind. The photos marked weddings, parades, banquets, Boy Scouts, family associations, and civic organizations – all aspects of life in a racially isolated community. These are photographs that show Chinatown’s growth as an important social and economic space as well as a changing environment.
Fanny: The Right to Rock
May 22 at 9PM
Co-founded by Filipina American and queer teenagers, Fanny is the first all-female rock ‘n’ roll band to release an album with a major record label and make it big. Faced with racism, sexism, and homophobia, Fanny is the most ground breaking rock group you’ve never heard of… yet.
See the band LIVE at the Crest Theatre at a special screening of Fanny: The Right to Rock on May 22 at 6:30PM! Reserve your free ticket here.
ViewFinder: Delano Manongs
May 24 at 7PM
Discover the story of farm labor organizer Larry Itliong and a group of Filipino farm workers who instigated one of the American farm labor movement’s finest hours – The Delano Grape Strike of 1965 – that brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW).
Programs Available to Stream on the PBS App
American Experience: Mr. Tornado
Discover the story of Japanese American meteorologist Theodore Fujita. His groundbreaking research 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.
ViewFinder: Before They Take Us Away
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.
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.