Asian Americans
Narrated by Daniel Dae Kim and Tamlyn Tomita
Premieres Monday and Tuesday, May 11 & 12, 2020 at 8pm on PBS (check local listings)
This five-part series examines what the 2010 U.S. Census identifies as the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the United States. Told through individual lives and personal histories, Asian Americans explores the impact of this group on the country’s past, present and future. Accompanied by robust educational, engagement, and digital components, this groundbreaking initiative will bring a new perspective to the American experience.
Asian Americans tracks the first new immigrants to the United States and their efforts for equality in an era of exclusion and empire; brings insight into a generation whose loyalties are tested during World War II; and takes a more prominent look at a new generation’s role in political and cultural issues in both the recent past and present. This series follows the stories of trailblazers, both prominent and forgotten, who had an impact on representation and what it means to be Asian American today. Interviewees in the film include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen, activist Helen Zia, actor Randall Park, comedian Hari Kondabolu, and academic expert Erika Lee.
Dianna Ranere