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.
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.
Watch A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story, premiering Tuesday, 5/12, 9 PM on PBS NC. Streaming Friday, 5/1 on the PBS app.
After a family crisis, filmmaker Vicky Du uncovers the mental illness passed down through four generations of her Chinese family. From Taiwan to New Jersey, Light of the Setting Sun reveals how revolution, migration, and trauma shape identity, and asks whether the past must define the future.
Watch Independent Lens’s “Light of the Setting Sun,” premiering Monday, 5/18, 10 PM on PBS NC and the PBS app.
Robert A. Nakamura helped shape Asian American cinema. Now, his son films their final act together. As Parkinson’s disease and political unrest reopen buried trauma, Third Act captures an intimate reckoning between father and son using film to say what words never could.
Watch Independent Lens’s “Third Act,” premiering Monday, 5/25, 10 PM on PBS NC and the PBS app.
A mysterious ancient city lies hidden in the mountains of Sichuan - remnants of a kingdom consigned to oblivion for thousands of years, until the chance discovery of a jade artifact in 1929. More than 10, 000 unusual items have been found at the site, which experts believe may be as archaeologically important as the Terracotta Army of Xi'an. Could this be the capital of the ancient Shu kingdom?
Watch Secret of the Dead’s “China's Bronze Kingdom,” premiering Wednesday, 5/27, 10 PM on PBS NC and the PBS app.
Join host Deborah Holt Noel as she visits a Hawaiian barbecue spot in Asheville, a James Beard-nominated Indian restaurant in Durham and Cary's annual Chinese Lantern Festival.
Watch new episodes of NC Weekend, Thursdays, 9 PM on PBS NC and on the PBS app.
Hawaiian island flavors meet classic Southern barbecue at Huli Sue’s BBQ and Grill in Asheville.
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, streaming now on the PBS app.
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 and streaming now on the PBS app.
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, streaming now on the PBS app.
Chef J Chong shows Sheri how to make sweet potato and pork dumplings, a dish that exemplifies how J brings her unique Southern twist to Cantonese cuisine.
Watch The Key Ingredient with Sheri Castle's "Sweet Potato and Pork Dumplings | Cook Along with J Chong," streaming now on the PBS app.
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.
Watch Independent Lens’s “Who is Michael Jang?” streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.
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,” streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.
Okgyun never fit the stereotype of international adoption; she was married when her fourth child, Mieke, was adopted to the Netherlands. Now years into a tumultuous reunion, Mieke visits her family in Seoul. Uncovering backstories from both a birth family and their daughter, Between Goodbyes challenges conventional narratives about adoption, reunion, and queer kinship.
Watch POV’s “Between Goodbyes,” streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.
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.
Watch POV’s “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision,” streaming now on the PBS app with PBS NC Passport.
Filipino-American siblings and their sea monster friend, Pogo, go on adventures, solve problems and celebrate their culture together. Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with your favorite characters, learning about their family, food and traditions.
Watch Jelly, Ben & Pogo, streaming now online, on the PBS KIDS Video App and YouTube.
Enjoy these fun and uplifting stories you and your family can visit over and over again—even when it’s not May.
Make your own Halo-Halo, a delicious Filipino treat, with Jelly, Ben & Pogo! Pick your favorite ingredients and follow the steps to make a super-duper dessert.
Celebrating the history and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
