WETA Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Sundays at 5pm starting Sunday, May 3 on WETA PBS

Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.

Thursday, May 7 at 10pm on WETA Metro

Using his camera as a “weapon against injustice,” Chinese American photographer Corky Lee’s art is his activism. His unforgettable images of Asian American life empowered generations. This film’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.

Saturday, May 9 at 10pm on WETA PBS

American Muslims: A History Revealed is a six-part documentary series that reveals and explores the early history of Muslims in the United States. The films are hosted by journalists Malika Bilal, Aymann Ismail, and Asma Khalid, who travel the country to piece together stories spanning over 200 years.

Saturday, May 9 at 10pm on WETA Metro

Working backward through filmmaker Paul Bonesteel’s decades-long fascination, this documentary unravels the mysterious life of George Masa — a Japanese immigrant whose extraordinary photographs helped define the identity of the Great Smoky Mountains. Filmed across Japan, the Pacific Northwest, and the Blue Ridge, this is a story of passion, loss, and the redemptive power of art and place.

Saturday, May 16 at 9:30pm on WETA Metro

Home Court is the coming-of-age story of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy in Southern California whose life intensifies as recruitment heats up. As she overcomes injury as well as racial and class differences between her home and private school worlds, in peer groups, and against rival schools, Ashley strives to become her own person and leave a legacy behind.

Saturday, May 16 at 10:30am on WETA PBS

Follow LUCKYRICE culinary festival founder Danielle Chang as she travels across America exploring the Asian food landscape, featuring many of the country’s most renowned chefs and culinary personalities.

Monday, May 18 at 10pm on WETA PBS

After a family member has a mental breakdown, filmmaker Vicky Du traces generational trauma rooted in her family's displacement during China’s 1949 revolution. Across Taiwan and New Jersey, she explores if healing can break the mental illness cycle.

Thursday, May 21 at 9pm on WETA Metro

Two Korean American children of liquor store owners reconcile their own dreams with those of their immigrant parents. Along the way, they confront the complex legacies of LA's racial landscape, including the 1991 murder of Latasha Harlins and the 1992 uprisings sparked by the police beating of Rodney King, while engaged in current struggles for social and economic justice.

Monday, May 25 at 8pm on WETA PBS

Travel with Roadshow as it turns the spotlight on incredible items with Asian and Pacific Islands origins, including a Hawaiian Kou bowl, a Gandhi presentation spinning wheel, and an 1888 Joseph Nawahi painting. Tune in to see which is valued at $250,000-$300,000. 

Monday, May 25 at 9pm on WETA PBS

Fine artist Dora Fugh Lee was born to a noble family in China. A direct descendant of Empress Xiaoxianchun, Dora grew up during the most tumultuous times in China’s history: Emperor PuYi’s abdication; two invasions by Japan; World War II and the Chinese civil war. Her life and art are explored revealing why her work is so compelling. Dora is considered one of the last Chinese Literati Painters.

Monday, May 25 at 10pm on WETA PBS

Filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura chronicles his father Robert A. Nakamura’s life—from WWII incarceration to becoming a pioneer of Asian American cinema. As Parkinson’s and political unrest open old wounds, father and son confront art, memory, and legacy.

Wednesday, May 27 at 10pm on WETA PBS

The chance discovery of a jade artifact has led to the unearthing of an ancient city hidden in the mountains of Sichuan. With more than 10,000 items found so far, is this the capital of the ancient Shu kingdom?

Thursday, May 28 at 8pm on WETA Metro

In a powerful exploration of art, politics and creativity, the Oscar winning film highlights the story behind the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC, one of the era’s most controversial monuments. At age 21, Lin, an artist and architecture student, shot to global fame when her design was selected. Facing an onslaught of public attacks, she remained steadfast in her vision.

Thursday, May 28 at 9:30pm on WETA Metro

After a long career as a commercial and portrait photographer, mischievous San Francisco artist Michael Jang sat for decades on a hidden treasure of pictures taken in his 20s—both candid celebrity shots and a down-to-earth cross-section of Chinese American family life rarely captured so playfully. Then, during the pandemic, Jang set out to share his work with the world, street guerilla-style.

Saturday, May 30 at 9:30pm on WETA Metro

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 own writings.