Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on PBS NC

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month 

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI, formerly AAPI) Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich tapestry woven by communities including folks with heritage from India, Pakistan, Hawaii, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, the Pacific Islands, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Samoa, Thailand and many more countries. AANHPI communities include more than 50 ethnic groups that speak more than 100 languages. This May, we celebrate by recognizing their vast contributions to American life.   

Exploring cultures beyond your own expands your horizons and fosters empathy. By understanding and learning new cultures, we’re inspired to try new experiences, share stories, and support local AANHPI businesses and organizations. This journey breaks down stereotypes and biases, allowing us to appreciate our similarities.  

With programs about history, pop culture and food, we’re inviting you to learn more and celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on PBS NC and the PBS app.  

Independent Lens: And So It Begins 

And So It Begins follows the Philippines’ turbulent 2022 presidential race, with the son of ousted former dictator Ferdinand Marcos waging a combative social media campaign against his more progressive opponent, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo. Following it all is independent journalist and Nobel-winner Maria Ressa, with an eye toward the specter of increasing autocracy. 

Watch Independent Lens’s “And So It Begins,” Monday, 5/12, 10 PM on PBS NC & the PBS app. 

Reel South: Called to the Mountains 

Bluegrass 45, one of Japan’s first bluegrass bands, brings its unique sound to the American South. Through intimate cinematography and interviews, this film explores the band’s journey—from daily life in Japan to performances in the U.S.—showcasing the powerful cultural connections forged through music and shared experiences.

Watch Reel South’s “Called to the Mountains,” Thursday, 5/8, 10 PM on PBS NC & the PBS app. 

Independent Lens: Who is Michael Jang? 

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 guerrilla-style.

Watch Independent Lens’s “Who is Michael Jang?” Monday, 5/19, 10 PM on PBS NC & the PBS app. 

My Home, NC: How Preeti Waas Reclaimed Her Roots Through Food

Preeti Waas never saw herself as a chef—just a home cook with a deep love for food. But her journey to owning Durham’s acclaimed Cheeni restaurant tells a different story. She found unexpected success embracing her heritage and traditional Indian cooking—earning James Beard Award nominations along the way. Discover Preeti’s journey of reconnecting to her roots through food. 

Watch My Home, NC, Thursdays, 8 PM on PBS NC & the PBS app. 

Reel South: The Voice of Bamboo

A Japanese elder shares his journey from a life of crime to finding peace as a bamboo farmer in the mountains of North Carolina, where growing bamboo helped him discover a more spiritual way of living.

Watch Reel South, Thursdays, 10 PM on PBS NC & the PBS app. 

Mystery of George Masa 

Explore the life of George Masa, a Japanese immigrant who became well known in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina as a great photographer, hiker and explorer. Masa was instrumental in the founding of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the mapping and building of the Appalachian Trail.

Watch Mystery of George Masa, streaming now on the PBS app. 

My Home, NC: Anna Gibala, Moonbelly Meat Co.

Dive into Moonbelly Meat Company, founded by Anna Gibala, as she transforms her childhood fascination with butchery into a thriving business focused on sustainable, whole animal practices in Durham, NC. Explore her commitment to quality sausages and charcuterie made from humanely raised, hormone-free pork.

Watch My Home, NC, Thursdays, 8 PM on PBS NC & the PBS app. 

PBS Hawai‘i is the only locally owned, statewide television station in Hawai‘i, serving the Islands since 1965. It offers local content and engagement that follows the mind, heart, and na‘au (gut).

Home Is Here 

A series highlighting the people, cultures, history and mo‘olelo (stories) that make these islands we call home so special. 

Watch Home Is Here, streaming now on the PBS app. 

Baseball Behind Barbed Wire 

A documentary exploring the impact baseball had on those forced to live in Arizona’s Gila River camp following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

Watch PBS Hawaiʻi Presents “Baseball Behind Barbed Wire,” streaming now on the PBS app only with PBS NC Passport.

Ah Quon McElrath: The Struggle Never Ends 

The film tells the story of Ah Quon McElrath who became one of the islands’ most influential leaders, giving voice to Hawaiʻi’s working class. The documentary recounts how she helped shape the Hawaiʻi local of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) into a force for political change.

Watch PBS Hawaiʻi Presents “Ah Quon McElrath: The Struggle Never Ends,” streaming now on the PBS app. 

Nā Mele 

PBS Hawaiʻi created Nā Mele to preserve Hawaiʻi's extraordinary music in its purest form, live and impromptu - as performed by some of our Islands' best talent.

Watch Nā Mele, streaming now on the PBS app. 

American Masters: Tyrus 

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. 

Watch American Masters' “Tyrus,” Tuesday, 5/27, 9 PM on PBS NC. Streaming now on the PBS app.

Artbound: Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement

A documentary following the life of visionary musician, dancer and activist Nobuko Miyamoto. Featuring rare archival footage, the film tells the story of a changing community through one of its most beloved storytellers as she reflects on decades of groundbreaking cultural work and a life that has bridged coasts, industries, families and history.

Watch Artbound's “Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement,” streaming now on the PBS app.

In The Margins: How A Supreme Court Case Redefined Whiteness

In 1923, the Supreme Court revoked an Indian man’s citizenship which would go on to have devastating consequences for other Indian immigrants as well. The reason? He wasn’t white. What does this case, United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind, tell us about the larger history of race, white supremacy, and citizenship in America?

Watch In The Margins' “How A Supreme Court Case Redefined Whiteness,” streaming now on the PBS app.

POV: Liquor Store Dreams

In Liquor Store Dreams, 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.

Watch POV, streaming now on the PBS app only with PBS NC Passport.

POV: StoryCorps Shorts: The Men Who Fed America

Johnny Itliong grew up in the California grape fields in the 1960s. His father Larry Itliong was a migrant farmworker and a leader of the Delano Grape Strike. As a kid, Johnny spent his days lending a hand to his father and the men who worked in the fields. Johnny brought his son, Aleks, to a StoryCorps recording booth to honor the memory of his father and the men who helped feed America.

Watch POV, streaming now on the PBS app. 

American Masters: Waterman – Duke: Ambassador of Aloha

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.

Watch American Masters' “Waterman – Duke: Ambassador of Aloha,” streaming now on the PBS app.

Plague at the Golden Gate

Discover how an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900 set off fear and anti-Asian sentiment in San Francisco. This new documentary tells the gripping story of the race against time by health officials to save the city from the deadly disease.

Watch American Experience's “Plague at the Golden Gate,” streaming now on the PBS app only with PBS NC Passport.

Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story 

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.

Watch Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story, streaming now on the PBS app only with PBS NC Passport.