Every May we take extra time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month by shining a light on AAPI experiences and filmmakers. Why May? you ask. In 1977 the U.S. Congress (spearheaded by Representative Frank Horton of New York and Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawai'i) chose the first ten days of May to commemorate the history and contributions of Asian American communities here in the U.S. The week's observance became a month, the very month in which the first Japanese immigrants came to the U.S. in 1843. We also commemorate the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869 as the majority of workers who laid those railroad tracks were Chinese immigrants. (pbs.org)
Enjoy this collection of films premiering this month! These documentaries celebrate the light and love in our diverse AAPI communities. We also recognize the need to face ugly truths about events of racism, xenophobia, and violence targeted towards AAPI communities. When we are honest about the past, we can begin to heal from the wounds of hate and in doing so, make a better future together. (pbs.org)
Independent Lens: Try Harder!
Premiere – Monday, May 2 2022, 10:00 – 11:00 p.m. on WUCF
At Lowell High School, San Francisco's academic pressure cooker, the kids are stressed out. With a majority Asian American student body, high-achieving seniors share their dreams and anxieties about getting into a top university. But is college worth the grind? Stream Here
American Masters: Waterman - Duke Ambassador of Aloha
Premiere – Tuesday, May 10 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. on WUCF
Narrated by Jason Momoa, discover the inspiring story and considerable impact of five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku. He shattered swimming records and globalized surfing while overcoming racism in a lifetime of personal challenges. Preview Here
Betrayed: Surviving An American Concentration Camp
Premiere – Wednesday, May 11 2022, 12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. on WUCF
Discover the story of a group of Japanese Americans and their incarceration by the U.S. government during World War II. Through the compelling voices of survivors of Minidoka, a concentration camp in the Idaho desert, Betrayed tells a universal story about unjust incarceration and the loss of civil rights. Stream Here
American Masters: Tyrus Wong
Premiere – Tuesday, May 17 2022, 10:00 – 11:30 p.m. on WUCF
Until his death at the age of 106, Tyrus Wong was America’s oldest living Chinese American artist and one of the last remaining artists from the golden age of Disney animation. The quiet beauty of his Eastern-influenced paintings had a pioneering impact on American art and popular culture. Preview Here
American Experience: Plague At The Golden Gate
Premiere – Tuesday, May 24 2022, 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. on WUCF
Follow the gripping story of the race against time to save San Francisco and the nation from an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900. Preview Here
Unsettled History: America, China and The Doolittle Tokyo Raid
Premiere – Wednesday, May 25 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. on WUCF
Unsettled History: America, China, and the Doolittle Tokyo Raid examines a key moment in American/Chinese history, exploring how the two sides remember this shared event in different ways, the reasons for this divergence and what lessons it may hold for today. Recounted by children of the Raiders and their Chinese rescuers, the program offers emotional insights that only family members can provide. Stream Here
The Misty Experiment: The Secret Battle For The Ho Chi Minh
Premiere – Wednesday, May 25 2022, 12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. on WUCF
The story of the special U.S. Air Force squadron whose pilots volunteered for one of the Vietnam War’s most dangerous air missions. Their assignment: search for enemy supply transports and anti-aircraft installations concealed within the web of trail paths and waterways collectively known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The squadron also directed rescue operations for U.S. and allied aircrews shot down. Stream Here