With the rise of hate crimes against AAPIs due to the COVID-19 pandemic (exacerbated by the previous president’s “China virus” and “Kung Flu” rhetoric) and the recent mass shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, Jada Leng, PBS’s Business Strategy Director, Content and General Audience Programming, penned a recent article, “Violence Against Asian Americans,” writing:
“Congress held the first hearing on Asian American violence in decades on March 18 and when I heard Daniel Dae Kim testify and describe an experience he had with a pollster who told him Asian Americans were considered statistically insignificant, I was reminded of the five-part miniseries he narrated for PBS: Asian Americans.
I opened the PBS app and started to stream. I felt like my family was talking to me and trading stories about their experiences. I was comforted, we are significant. It was the hug I needed.
If you, too, are hurting, needing comfort or are curious to learn, more videos similar to Asian Americans are available for streaming below or on the PBS Video app. Additionally, resources to learn how to fight violence against Asian Americans are available.”
Asian Americans first aired in May 2020, and PBS has made the groundbreaking series available again online for streaming for free. Here are links to each of the five episodes:
- ASIAN AMERICANS “Breaking Ground”
- ASIAN AMERICANS “A Question of Loyalty”
- ASIAN AMERICANS “Good Americans”
- ASIAN AMERICANS “Generation Rising”
- ASIAN AMERICANS “Breaking Through”
In addition, they have included these Asian American stories:
- AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “The Chinese Exclusion Act”
- AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Mr. Tornado”
- ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING “Why Do We Say ‘Asian American’ Not ‘Oriental’?”
I hope that more Americans of all backgrounds will take advantage of this opportunity to learn how Asian Americans are Americans too.
