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 around 50 ethnic groups that speak more than 100 languages, so this May let's 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 advocate for 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.
Rootle PBS KIDS honors Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month with featured shows and activities like Jelly, Ben & Pogo and Let's Go Luna!
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.
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story premieres Monday, 5/13, 10 PM on PBS NC and the PBS App.
Two films bridge the American South and the Korean Peninsula, showcasing the historical and contemporary currents connecting these regions. From stories about one restaurant's overnight fame and the perils of celebrity culture (Ten by Ten), and another chronicling the overlooked crises of motherhood and adoption, comes a clearer complexion of Korean-American life at home and abroad (The Space Between You and Me).
Reel South's episode, "South by South Korea," premieres Thursday, 5/23, 10 PM on PBS NC and the PBS App.
A Southern restaurant adjusts to newfound fame after appearing on Korean television.
Charles Chiu and his family’s search for their roots takes them on an eye-opening journey through the Mississippi Delta, uncovering otherwise unknown stories and the racially complex history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South.
Watch America Reframed: Far East Deep South on the PBS App with Passport.
Queen Lili‘uokalani (1838-1917) was the first sovereign queen, and the last monarch of Hawai‘i, who assumed the throne in the midst of a government takeover by American business owners supported by the U.S. military. After being deposed and placed under house arrest, she fought to preserve native Hawaiian rights and traditions.
Watch American Masters: Queen Lili‘uokalani - The First and Last Queen of Hawai‘i on the PBS App.
Hmong immigrants Chue and Tou Lee of Lee’s One Fortune Farm in Morganton, NC, grow Asian produce and heirloom rice from the mountains of Laos. The Lees arrived in Marion, NC, in the 1980s after fleeing the Vietnam War via a perilous trek through the jungle. Since then, they’ve worked to share their cultural heritage and commitment to sustainable farming with their community in western NC.
Watch new stories from My Home, NC Thursdays, 8 PM on PBS NC and the PBS App.
On Honolulu's famous Waikiki Beach stand four large stones that represent a Hawaiian tradition of healing and gender diversity that is all but unknown to the millions of locals and tourists passing by. According to legend, the stones are a tribute to four mahu, people of dual male and female spirit, who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii and used their spiritual power to cure disease.
Watch The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu now on the PBS App with Passport.
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 the Mystery of George Masa Thursday, 5/30, 10 PM on PBS NC. Watch now on the PBS App.
Co-founded by Filipina American and queer teenagers, Fanny is the first all women band to release an album with a major record label (Warner/Reprise, 1970). Revered by David Bowie, meet the most groundbreaking rock group you've never heard of... yet.
Watch Fanny: The Right to Rock now on the PBS App with Passport.
Join Josef as they visit AnimeNYC, an anime convention in New York City, to learn about the anime fandom, cosplay, and how the genre suddenly became so cool. We're also joined by the team behind Beyond The Bot, a group of friends that love anime and make videos about it on their own YouTube channel. How did anime become so popular?
Watch How Did Anime Go From Geek to Cool? now on the PBS App.
There’s a new type of character in Hollywood: The Asian Himbo. These hunky male characters who are sweet but not the brightest bulbs have come a long way from stereotypes that date all the way back to the 1800s. We break down how Hollywood’s least sexy character went from completely undesirable to leading love interest.
Watch What Is The Asian Himbo And Why Is This Character So Popular now on the PBS App.
K-Pop has become a global phenomenon. While K-Pop may seem like traditional pop music, it's actually more complex. It borrows from a variety of genres like R&B, EDM, and Hip-Hop while maintaining it's own distinct sound. Nahre Sol investigates why K-Pop is different from other styles of Pop music, speaks to K-Pop producer and songwriter David Amber and attempts to create her own K-Pop track.
Watch Why K-Pop Is More Complex Than You Think now on the PBS App.
Manga, by its most simplistic definition, are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan, which became extremely popular in the United States starting in the 80s and 90s. We’ve already touched on Western Graphic Novels and Comics, but you know we couldn’t just leave it at that. So today we’re discussing manga as its own rich literature, reflecting the complicated political history of Japan.
Watch How Manga Took Over American Bookshelves now on the PBS App.
An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and luck, built a multi-million dollar donut empire up and down the West Coast.
Watch The Donut King now on the PBS App with Passport.
Join host Deborah Holt Noel as she shares the best things to see and do across the state each weekend. Whether you're a fan of bluegrass or jazz, an experienced hiker looking for a new trail to conquer or a family planning their next vacation, North Carolina Weekend brings our state's must-see places and events right into your home.
Watch new episodes of NC Weekend, Thursdays, 9 PM on PBS NC and the PBS App.
Botiwalla in Asheville pays homage to the flavors of Indian Street food.
Food that tells a story of identity and belonging is what Chef Meherwan Irani is proud to share. In 2009, Irani quit his day job in sales to open his first restaurant, Chai Pani, an authentic Indian street food joint in downtown Asheville. As Irani opens his fifth restaurant, this self-taught chef shares what inspires him.
Watch new stories from My Home, NC Thursdays, 8 PM on PBS NC and the PBS App.
With climate change comes more weather extremes that threaten our vulnerable food system. Discover how the Utopian Seed Project in western North Carolina is building more climate resilience for North Carolina by selecting crop varieties adapted to our changing climate and introducing hardy tropical staples to farmers and chefs in the region.
Watch State of Change: Seeds of Hope now on the PBS App.
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