Asian Americans

Docuseries Unpacks More Than 150 Years of Asian American History

As the nation recognizes Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a new five-part docuseries is taking a broad dive into the group's history

A 1968 protest at San Francisco State University is seen in this screenshot from the new PBS docuseries 'Asian Americans,' which premieres Monday, May 11, at 8 p.m. ET.
Nacio Jan Brown/PBS

For decades, the Asian American community’s contributions to the country have been omitted in textbooks, and its lived experiences have not been reflected in mainstream media. Though Asian Americans' history in the United States goes back more than 150 years, it has been a long fight for them to make their voices heard.

“Asian American stories were never really respected,” Renee Tajima-Peña, a filmmaker and professor of Asian American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, told NBC Asian America. “It's always been a fight.”

Now, as the nation recognizes Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a new five-part docuseries is taking a broad dive into the group's contributions to the U.S. “Asian Americans,” created by PBS and WETA, a local public broadcasting station serving Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland, highlights the community's role in shaping American history and identity. It airs Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on PBS.

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