Critically Acclaimed WETA series "Asian Americans" receives Peabody Award Nomination

Washington D.C. – Peabody Awards Board of Jurors yesterday announced that the WETA and Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) series Asian Americans received a nomination for the prestigious Peabody Award. The five-part, critically acclaimed 2020 film chronicles the Asian American experience in the United States, presenting stories that explore exclusion and empowerment, sacrifice and triumph, trauma and hope. The series demonstrates the significant role of diverse Asian American communities in shaping the nation’s history and identity. PBS stations nationwide will re-broadcast episodes of Asian Americans throughout its May schedule in observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and stream online via the PBS Video App.

Led by a team of Asian American filmmakers, including Academy Award^® -nominated series producer Renee Tajima-Peña (Who Killed Vincent Chin?, No Más Bebés), the film follows the stories of trailblazers, both prominent and forgotten, who had an impact on representation and what it means to be Asian American today. The scope of the series spans the first wave of Asian immigrants in the 1850s and identity politics during the social and cultural turmoil of the twentieth century to modern refugee crises in a globally connected world.

“We are proud to be recognized for the production of Asian Americans with a Peabody Award nomination,” said Jeff Bieber, executive producer for WETA. “In a year marred by a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, it is an honor to recognize, amplify and encourage a positive message of equality and demonstrate support for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Our goal is to continue to provide our audience with programs that celebrate and educate viewers of Asian Americans’ influence and vast contributions to American history.”

“We at CAAM were immensely proud to partner with WETA and PBS on this profoundly important documentary history series,” remarked Stephen Gong, executive producer for CAAM. “Now, more than ever, the importance of Asian American history is critical to share in the context of the evolving American narrative. Thank you to the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors for this prestigious recognition.”

Accompanied by robust educational, engagement, and digital components, this groundbreaking initiative offers targeted community events, impactful education initiatives and integrated digital content. In support of Asian Americans, WETA worked to build awareness for the film and increased engagement across platforms, reaching 14.7 Million users and garnered 1.3 Million engagements to date.

Asian Americans is a production of WETA Washington, D.C. and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) for PBS, in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Flash Cuts and Tajima-Peña Productions. The series executive producers are Jeff Bieber and Dalton Delan for WETA; Stephen Gong and Donald Young for CAAM; Sally Jo Fifer for ITVS; and Jean Tsien. The series producer is Renee Tajima-Peña. The producer for Flash Cuts is Eurie Chung. The episode producers are S. Leo Chiang, Geeta Gandbhir and Grace Lee. The consulting producer is Mark Jonathan Harris.

Major funding for Asian Americans is provided by Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Just Films/Ford Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, The Freeman Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Kay Family Foundation, Long Family Foundation, Spring Wang and California Humanities.

For more information, please visit pbs.org. Press materials and photography can be found on the PBS Pressroom at pressroom.pbs.org.

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About WETA
WETA is the leading public broadcasting company in the nation’s capital, serving Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia with educational initiatives and high-quality programming on WETA Television and Classical WETA 90.9 FM. For national PBS audiences, WETA Washington, D.C. is one of the largest producing stations of new content for public television in the United States, with news and public affairs programs including PBS NewsHour  and  Washington Week;  films by Ken Burns such as Hemmingway and the forthcoming Muhammed Ali; limited series and specials by scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., including Finding Your Roots, The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. WETA also produces limited documentary series and specials, including Latino Americans and Jewish Americans. More information on WETA and its programs and services is available at weta.org. On social media, visit facebook.com/wetatvfm on Facebook or follow @WETAtvfm on Twitter.

About CAAM
CAAM (Center for Asian American Media) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing, and exhibiting works in film, television, and digital media. For more information on CAAM, please visit caamedia.org.

About Flash Cuts
Flash Cuts is an Asian American-owned post-production facility based in Los Angeles. With over 30 years of experience in commercials, trailers, public television, and independent film, Walt Louie started Flash Cuts to serve a community of filmmakers east of Hollywood. For more information about Flash Cuts, please visit www.flashcuts.com.

About ITVS
ITVS is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that has, for over 25 years, funded and partnered with a diverse range of documentary filmmakers to produce and distribute untold stories. ITVS incubates and co-produces these award-winning films and then airs them for free on PBS via our weekly series, Independent Lens, as well as other series, and Indie Lens Storycast and our digital platform, OVEE. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. For more information, visit itvs.org.

About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 126 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math, and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.