'Asian Americans': New PBS documentary chronicles the Asian American story

Groundbreaking new five-part documentary series to air on public television in May 2020.



Mark your calendars. This week, PBS and WETA officially announced the groundbreaking new five-part documentary series Asian Americans, currently in production and set for national broadcast on PBS stations in May 2020, during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Told through individual lives and personal histories, the series explores the impact of the Asian American story on the country's past, present, and future.

Led by a team of Asian American filmmakers, including Academy Award-nominated series producer Renee Tajima-Peña, Asian Americans examines the significant role of Asian Americans in shaping American history and identity, from the first wave of Asian immigrants in the 1850s and identity politics during the social and cultural turmoil of the twentieth century to modern refugee crises in a globally connected world.

More from PBS' press release:

'Off the Menu: Asian America' available for online streaming

You can watch Grace Lee's food documentary on PBS.org until January 5.



The feature documentary Off the Menu: Asian America, produced by CAAM and KQED, is a road trip to the kitchens, factories, temples and farms of Asian Pacific America that explores how our relationship to food reflects our evolving communities. From Texas to New York and from Wisconsin to Hawaii, award-winning filmmaker Grace Lee takes audiences on a journey using our obsession with food as a launching point to delve into a wealth of stories, traditions, and unexpected characters that help nourish this nation of immigrants.

This is not your typical food travelogue. If you missed the public television broadcast of Off the Menu: Asian America, the film is currently available for streaming in its entirety on PBS.org until January 5.

Check it out:

Watch 11 documentaries on public TV for AAPI Heritage Month

Presented by CAAM. Check your local PBS and public TV stations for schedules.



Throughout the month of May, in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, CAAM is presenting an exciting documentary slate of broadcasting eleven films on national public television.

The schedule includes Wayne Wang's latest film Soul of a Banquet, Ursula Liang's sports doc 9-Man, and the PBS broadcast of Filipino American Lives, a three-part series hosted by Tony-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga. All you have to do is turn on the tube to enjoy these awesome programs that highlight the fascinating, diverse, untold stories from the broad spectrum of the Asian Pacific American community.

Here's the list of this year's programming -- check your local PBS station for schedules: