Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023

Published on April 17, 2023

Program Highlights

PBS Western Reserve Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Special Programming

PBS Western Reserve celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a variety of programming airing on its PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1) and Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2) channels. Shows that are airing for the first time are marked with an asterisk (*).

Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, May 2, at 10 PM

Wednesday, May 3, at 3 AM

Friday, May 5, at 5 PM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, May 6, at 4 PM

In March 2021, a 21-year-old white man murdered eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at three spas in Atlanta, Ga. The shooting was a watershed moment in a year of increasing violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. For many, the tragic events became a galvanizing moment and inspired an emerging collective identity and new political clout for people of these cultures. This film offers a conversation about race, class and gender. It takes a deep dive into this critical moment of racial reckoning and explores the struggles and triumphs, progress and setbacks, discrimination and achievements of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

American Masters, Waterman—Duke: Ambassador of Aloha

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Friday, May 5, at 9 PM

Discover the inspiring story of five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku. He shattered swimming records and globalized surfing while overcoming racism in a lifetime of personal challenges. Narrated by Jason Momoa.

Vanishing Chinatown: The World of The May’s Photo Studio

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Friday, May 5, at 10:30 PM

Tuesday, May 9, at 10:30 PM

Monday, May 15, at 9:30 PM

At a time of public outrage over anti-Asian hate crimes, this documentary shines a light on everyday life in San Francisco's Chinatown a century ago. Hundreds of photographs, serendipitously rescued from a Chinatown dumpster, chronicle the lives of an immigrant community from an insider's perspective. Through images from the early to mid-1900s, they reveal the artistry of a preeminent photographer of the time, preserving community life from civic parades to small businesses to fantastic Cantonese opera scenes.

China: Frame by Frame*

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Saturday, May 6, at 6 AM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, May 6, at 2 PM

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Bill Einreinhofer reflects on the time he spent in China, what he discovered, what he learned and the dramatic changes he witnessed. His pictures include original interviews and scenes shot throughout China, as well as little-seen historical footage discovered in the most unlikely of places: America's National Archives and the Library of Congress.

Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Friday, May 12, at 10 PM

Meet the statesman who served as cabinet secretary for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Imprisoned by the United States during World War II for his Japanese ancestry, Mineta rose to become the first Asian American to serve in a presidential cabinet.