Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Most Honorable Son, A WETA Independent Cut

Saturday, May 2 at 11pm

After the Pearl Harbor attack, Nebraska farmer Ben Kuroki volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps. He would become the first Japanese-American war hero, surviving 58 missions as an aerial gunner over Europe, North Africa and Japan. Between tours of duty he found himself at the center of controversy; a lone spokesman against the racism faced by the thousands of Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps.

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The First Battle, A WETA Independent Cut

Saturday, May 2 at midnight

The majority, if not all, of Hawaii's residents of Japanese ancestry were targeted to be forced into internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. This documentary reveals that mass internment could very well have occurred if not for a few twists of fate and the foresight and bravery of a small network of men in Hawaii.

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The Story of India

Fridays May 8 through May 22, 10 pm

Michael Wood’s fascinating journey through the history of the Indian subcontinent, the first history of India on western television, chronicles the incredible richness and diversity of its peoples, cultures and landscapes; outlines the originality and continuing relevance of its ideas; and relates some of the most momentous and moving events in world history.

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Bolinao 52, A WETA Independent Cut

Saturday, May 9 at 11 pm

A film recounts the 1988 story of a boat bearing 110 Vietnamese refugees that foundered for weeks at sea. As passing ships refused aid, the refugees took desperate measures, and only 52 survived.

New Year Baby, A WETA Independent Cut

Saturday, May 9 midnight

Born in a Thai refugee camp on Cambodian New Year, filmmaker Socheata Poeuv grew up in the United States never knowing that her family had survived the Khmer Rouge genocide. In New Year Baby she embarks on a journey to Cambodia to find out why her family’s history was buried in secrecy for so long.

Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority, A WETA Independent Cut

Saturday, May 16 at 11:30 pm

In 1965, Patsy Mink became the first Asian American woman and woman of color in the United States Congress. Seven years later, she ran for the U.S. presidency and co-authored Title IX, the landmark legislation that opened up higher education and athletics to America’s women. Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority looks at Mink’s remarkable, though often lonely and tumultuous political journey, as she fought for the most disenfranchised and forgotten in society.

Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula, A WETA Independent Cut

Sunday, May 17 at 12:30 am

This program goes beyond deep-rooted stereotypes of “grass skirt girls” and reveals a story of Hawaiian pride through the exploration of male roles in the hula tradition, past and present.

Becoming American: The Chinese Experience

Sunday, May 24 at 12:30 pm

For more than 150 years, the Chinese - like other immigrants to this country - have pursued the American dream. Theirs is a compelling tale of struggle and triumph, progress and setback, separation and assimilation, discrimination and achievement.

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The Slanted Screen

Wednesday, May 27 at 12:30 pm

From silent film star Sessue Hayakawa to Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, this program explores the portrayals of Asian men in American cinema, chronicling the experiences of actors who have had to struggle against ethnic stereotyping and limiting roles. Through a parade of 50 film clips spanning a century, the film presents a critical examination of Hollywood's image-making machine.

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American Masters: Hollywood Chinese

Wednesday, May 27 at 10:30 pm

From the first Chinese-American film produced in 1916 to Ang Lee’s triumphant Brokeback Mountain nine decades later, “Hollywood Chinese” brings together a fascinating group of actors, writers, directors — and iconic film images — to examine how Chinese people have contributed to and been portrayed in an industry that was often ignorant about and dismissive of race.