On TV: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month — May 2022

Wed, 5/4
11pm Pacific Heartbeat: High Tide, Don’t Hide (NEW)
In the race for existence, striking teenagers discover that activism, authority and awareness make for a steep learning curve. Determined to provoke real action, New Zealand teenagers join the global School Strike for Climate. But planning a movement and building momentum are the easy parts as they face political indifference, their own white privilege, and the ongoing struggle to be heard. Meanwhile, the tides continue to rise.

Fri, 5/6

"American Masters: Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir" airs Friday, May 6 at 9pm on KQED 9

9pm American Masters: Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir
Explore the life of the groundbreaking author of The Joy Luck Club in this intimate portrait. Archival imagery, home movies, photographs, animation and original interviews create a vivid, colorful journey through Tan's inspiring life and career.

11pm Vanishing Chinatown: The World of May’s Photo Studio
At a time of public outrage over anti-Asian hate crimes, this new 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.

Sat, 5/7
9:30am Taste of Malaysia with Martin Yang: Cultural Mosaic
Kuala Lumpur is a dynamic modern Asian capital with a rich food history. In this episode Martin explores the capital tracing its food history back to its humble kampung (village) origin. Along this fascinating journey, he also explores Chinese and Indian influences in Malaysian cuisine, showcasing classical dishes such as Nasi lemak, Bak kut teh and Mie goreng.

10am Simply Ming: Ming Tsai with Guest Michael Schlow
Ming Tsai cooks at home with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schlow. Together they're dishing up some zesty shrimp two ways. Michael makes Spicy Shrimp with Fregola and Chickpeas. Ming follows that up with a colorful Togarashi Shrimp with Miso Risotto, Edamame, and Watercress.

6pm Betrayed: Surviving An American Concentration Camp (NEW)
Betrayed: Surviving An American Concentration Camp tells the story of a group of Japanese Americans and their incarceration by the U.S. government during World War II. It also explores the long-term effects of this incarceration and the phenomenon of intergenerational trauma. More than 40 camp survivors and descendants bring an unparalleled immediacy and urgency to the story.

Sun, 5/8
11am Simply Ming: Ming Tsai with Guest Avi Shemtov
We're cooking at home with Avi Shemtov, a chef who made headlines telling the story of the Israeli people through his food. Avi makes a nduja-sausage shakshuka - a flavorful combination of eggs, tomatoes, and spices popular across the Middle East and Africa. Ming follows that up with a memorable Fried Egg Omelet served on Brown Tic Chi Shan Gruel. It's two soulful egg dishes this week on Simply Ming.

"Lucky Chow: Healing" airs Tuesday May 10 at 7pm on KQED 9

Tues, 5/10

7pm Lucky Chow: Healing
There is an ancient Ayurvedic proverb that says, "When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need". We explore the idea of functional food and tell stories of individuals who are looking to heal the body, spirit, and global community one meal at a time. Accomplished multi-hyphenate Waris Aluwahlia, celebrated chef Su-Mei Yu along with Nimai Gupta, a farmer who is dedicated to practicing Ayurvedic agriculture show us that consciousness and intent are two of the most powerful ingredients in life.

7:30pm Family Ingredients: Okinawa – Soki Soba
Don't confuse Okinawan soba with Japanese soba. The blend of noodles, soup, and pork spare ribs embodies the spirit of the Okinawan people and the complex history of their islands.

9pm American Masters | Waterman - Duke: Ambassador of Aloha (NEW)
Narrated by Jason Momoa, discover the inspiring story and considerable impact of five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku. He shattered swimming records and globalized surfing while overcoming racism in a lifetime of personal challenges.

Wed, 5/11
11pm Pacific Heartbeat: James & Isey (NEW)
Genuine New Zealand treasures Isey and her son James invite viewers into their lives in the week leading up to Isey's 100th birthday and it's shaping up to be quite the party. The episode captures a Northland celebration of life and aroha (love) like no other.

Sat, 5/14
9:30am Taste of Malaysia with Martin Yang: Loyal Friends in Setiawan
Many of today's "who's who" in Malaysia grew up in small, humble towns such as Sitiawan. Martin spends a day with a network of old friends in their hometown, visiting with a local baker and a noodle maker discussing their strong community spirit, then Martin gets an invite to the famous fish head banquet.

10am Simply Ming: Ming Tsai with Guest Jamie Bissonnette
James Beard Award-winning chef Jamie Bissonnette joins Ming Tsai in his loft kitchen to cook up carbonara two ways. James makes the classic Spaghetti a la Carbonara, and Ming follows that up with a dairy-free version with shiitake mushrooms.

" Shinmachi: Stronger Than A Tsunami" airs Saturday, May 14 at 6pm on KQED 9

6pm Shinmachi: Stronger Than A Tsunami (NEW)
Tells the story of the Japanese business district in Hilo called Shinmachi which was destroyed by a deadly tsunami on April 1, 1946. Families salvaged what they could to rebuild only to have the district wiped out again by another deadly tsunami in 1960.

Tues, 5/17
7pm Lucky Chow: Lucky Chow
Culinary creativity isn't always found in the kitchen. In today's day and age, innovation on how and what we eat and drink often happens in unexpected places-like the think tanks of Silicon Valley, suburban garages, and next-gen Chinese fast casual spots. We look into the future with three acclaimed women chefs in the Pacific Northwest; the founder of Pared, the game-changing app that has revolutionized how restaurants hire staff; Robert Wang, who invented the Instant Pot because he was looking to invent something to help him cook healthier food for his children; and Lucas Sin, hotshot chef and founder of Junzi Kitchen, who is leading the charge in bringing greater awareness to the diversity of Chinese food.

7:30pm Family Ingredients – Tahiti – Poisson Cru
Modern seafarers proved that Polynesians navigated their world in canoes, following the stars. Meet a crew member on a worldwide voyage with a stop at his ancestral home - a family moment to remember and a dish never to forget.

Wed, 5/18
11pm Pacific Heartbeat: Loimata, The Sweetest Tears (NEW)
Featuring the redemptive tale of waka builder and captain Lilo Ema Siope's final years, "Loimata, The Sweetest Tears'” is a chronicle of journeys - journeys of migration, spirituality, voyaging, healing and coming home. Confronting intergenerational trauma head on, the Siope family returns to their homeland of Samoa.

Sat, 5/21
9:30am Taste of Malaysia with Martin Yang: Eight Million Cups of Tea
Martin travels to the scenic Cameron Highlands for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, a colonial history lesson and the best cup of tea in Malaysia. At Boh Tea Plantation and the famous Smokehouse Hotel, Martin learns about tea cultivation, the contribution of Indian workers and the region's connections to Malaysia's colonial past. For a closer nature encounter, he stays at a most unique 'homestay', an ecological Tree House.

10am Simply Ming: Ming Tsai with Guest Alex Crabb
Critically acclaimed chef Alex Crabb joins Ming Tsai to cook up some weekend favorites. Alex will be making Dandelion Gnudi - gnocchi-like dumplings made with some rich ricotta cheese. Ming follows that up with vegetarian raviolis that are stuffed with a flavorful plant-based meat substitute that's topped with a Thai Coconut Sauce.

"Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story" airs Saturday, May 21 at 6pm on KQED 9

6pm Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story
In August of 1943, the last surviving clandestine radio operator in Paris desperately signaled London. Everything depended on her and the Gestapo was at the door. How did a Sorbonne educated musician and author of a book of fairy tales become a daring spy who died fighting the Nazis? With an American mother and Indian Muslim father, Noor Inayat Khan was an extremely unusual British agent, and her life spent growing up in a Sufi center of learning in Paris seemed an unlikely preparation for the dangerous work to come. Yet it was in this place of universal peace and contemplation that her remarkable courage was forged. She never gave up any information, not even her real name, and she organized two breakouts from Gestapo headquarters. For this and the damage she did to the Nazis war efforts, she was executed in Dachau. 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of her birth.

11pm Armed with Language
Armed with Language tells the story of how a little-known military intelligence school in Minnesota played a pivotal role in ending World War II. The institution trained more than 6,000 Japanese Americans, or Nisei, to be translators, interrogators, and Japanese military specialists. After decades of being classified, the story of their courage, sacrifice, and valor is finally being told.

Tues, 5/24
7pm Lucky Chow: Hybrids
Through the eyes of four chefs, we explore the vast Asian diaspora and prove that if we are what we eat, we're all a little bit Asian. Cultural and culinary mashups take form in Park's Filipino-American BBQ, J.J. Johnson's Afro-Asian rice bowls, Llama San's take on the unique Peruvian-Japanese flavors known as Nikkei cuisine, and James Syhabout, the two Michelin-star Lao refugee chef who keeps one foot in the past while forging new flavor frontiers.

7:30pm Family Ingredients: California – Pipi Kaula
Hawaiian cowboys, who were considered among the best in the world, made tender beef jerky called pipi kaula. Trace the origins of the Hawaiian cowboy lifestyle to the adobes of California, and see how the traditions are still enjoyed today.

9pm American Experience: Plague at the Golden Gate (NEW)
As television's longest-running, most-watched history series, American Experience brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that helped form this nation.

Wed, 5/25
11pm Pacific Heartbeat: The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu (NEW)
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.

"American Masters: Tyrus Wong" airs Saturday, May 28 at 10:30pm on KQED 9

Sat, 5/28

10:30pm American Masters: Tyrus Wong
Discover the art, life and enduring impact of Tyrus Wong, the renowned Chinese-American painter behind Bambi and Rebel Without a Cause, via new and never-before-seen interviews, movie clips and art. Wong once exhibited with Picasso and Matisse.

Tues, 5/31
7pm Lucky Chow: Curators
The celebration of Asian-American identity and history is taking shape in exciting new ways. In this episode, we meet the editors of Banana, a magazine creating a voice for contemporary AZN culture, visit an urban rice paddy in the heart of New York City, and talk to the creator of the hot Chinese cooking blog, Omnivores Cookbook. We also spend time looking at the future of Asian cocktail culture and how traditional Asian brews like sake and shochu are growing in popularity stateside.

"Family Ingredients: Japan – Miso Soup" airs Tuesday, May 31 at 7:30pm on KQED 9

7:30pm Family Ingredients: Japan – Miso Soup
In Japan, miso factories are like microbreweries in America. Hawai'i chefs Ed Kenney and Alan Wong search for the finest ingredients and dive deep into a bowl of Wong's favorite childhood dish, miso soup.

9pm Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day In March (NEW)
Following the aftermath of the March 2021 mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta, this film chronicles how the Asian American community came together to fight back against hate and explores the struggles and triumphs of AAPI communities.

KQED PLUS

Sun, 5/1
6pm Confucius Was a Foodie: Origins of the Beginnings
Everything has its origins somewhere. When it comes to food, roots are often Chinese - and Chinese beginnings in the culinary and cultural world go back more than 5,000 years. In this episode, chef Christine looks for the culinary roots of foods such as ice cream, ketchup, pasta, phyllo, baklava and pizza.

"Unsettled History: America, China and the Doolittle Tokyo Raid" airs Thursday, May 5 at 7pm on KQED 9

Thurs, 5/5

7pm Unsettled History: America, China and the Doolittle Tokyo Raid
Unsettled History: America, China and the Doolittle Tokyo Raid examines a key moment in American/Chinese history from the perspectives of the children of both the "Doolittle Raiders" and the Chinese villagers who aided in their rescue. In doing so, the film explores how a shared event can be remembered in different ways, and what lessons this history may hold for today.

Fri, 5/6
12pm Simply Ming: Ming Tsai with Guest William Kovel
Critically acclaimed chef William Kovel joins Ming in his loft kitchen. Together, they'll be cooking up two classic pork dishes. William makes Pork Chops with Broccoli Rabe and Multi-Color Carrots while Ming follows that up with Pork Tonkatsu served up on top a bed of House Rice.

Sat, 5/7
10am Cycle Around Japan Highlights
Cycle Around Japan Highlights offers a way to discover Japan by bicycle and provides useful information to enjoy the adventure. Throughout the 13-part series, viewers vicariously experience breath-taking cycling adventures and see a side of Japan they won't find in the guidebooks. Journeys include a 330-kilometer ride through the northern land of Akita and a challenging ride up a 2,000-meter peak in Nagano Prefecture, which provides breathtaking views of the Japan Alps mountain pass. Along the way, riders take part in traditions such as the harvesting of wasabi plants and the making of baskets from wild bamboo. In every location, viewers are treated to the local culture, history, food and traditions that makes cycling around Japan such a unique journey.

10:30am Cycle Around Japan Highlights
Cycle Around Japan Highlights offers a way to discover Japan by bicycle and provides useful information to enjoy the adventure. Throughout the 13-part series, viewers vicariously experience breath-taking cycling adventures and see a side of Japan they won't find in the guidebooks. Journeys include a 330-kilometer ride through the northern land of Akita and a challenging ride up a 2,000-meter peak in Nagano Prefecture, which provides breathtaking views of the Japan Alps mountain pass. Along the way, riders take part in traditions such as the harvesting of wasabi plants and the making of baskets from wild bamboo. In every location, viewers are treated to the local culture, history, food and traditions that makes cycling around Japan such a unique journey.

Sun, 5/8
6pm Confucius Was a Foodie: Confucius and the Origin of Food Philosophy
Was it Confucius or Hippocrates who first said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food"? Chef Christine sets off to compare the thoughts and beliefs of foodie writers and philosophers.

"Bloodline" airs Sunday, May 8, at 7pm on KQED 9.

7pm Bloodline
Bloodline is an intimate profile of Vietnamese-American chef Tu David Phu and the evolution of his culinary aesthetic - borne from a bloodline that traces back through childhood and his family's unspoken history of war. The film's narrative is framed around Tu as he returns home to Oakland, California after competing on the cooking series Top Chef (Season 15). As he reflects on that experience and his new visibility as a celebrity chef, Tu traces his unlikely journey. From the son of refugees growing up in West Oakland to a professional chef, Tu's acclaimed culinary creations are heralded as the next wave of Asian fusion representing Vietnamese culture.

7:30 Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan: Richard Lui
Kelly Corrigan joins MSNBC / NBC news journalist Richard Lui to talk about selflessness and caretaking.

Wed, 5/11
1:30pm Lucky Chow: Ramen Mania
Ivan Orkin, the renegade New Yorker-turned-Japanese-ramen-chef, discusses ramen culture in New York versus Tokyo. Chef Nakamura from Sun Noodles explains what makes a great bowl of ramen. Later, seafood purveyor-turned-ramen-chef Yuji Haraguchi creates a New York deli-style version of his broth-less ramen dish, mazemen, using sustainable and typically discarded seafood from a nearby supermarket. The episode ends in Berkeley, Calif. with a tour of the local green market from three former Chez Panisse chefs. After traveling to Japan, they opened a restaurant in the U.S. that serves ramen dishes with their local and personal spin.

"And Then They Came for Us" airs Wednesday, May 11 at 4pm on KQED 9

4pm And Then They Came for Us
As the documentary, And Then They Came for Us, demonstrates, the registration and incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII was one of the worst violations of constitutional rights in American history. The US government lied about the threat of espionage to justify the incarceration. Today's Muslim travel ban relies on similar uncorroborated claims of threats to national security. Featuring actor George Takei, and many others who were incarcerated, the film reveals the silence that surrounded the incarceration and the importance of speaking up against the travel ban. Knowing our history is the first step in making sure we do not repeat it. This film is a cautionary tale for these dark times.

Fri, 5/13
12pm Simply Ming: On the Road in California: Northern California
On this episode of Simply Ming we are on the road in Northern California with renowned chef and James Beard-Award recipient, Kenji Lopez-Alt. Ming takes us to source the freshest produce at the Farmer's Market at Bay Meadows in San Mateo and from there Ming and Kenji travel to the Sea by Alexander Steakhouse restaurant in Palo Alto to check out some incredible Sashimi. The day culminates with Ming and Kenji at his restaurant Wursthall cooking up a Kimchi feast of spaetzle and pork scallions.

Sat, 5/14
10am Cycle Around Japan Highlights
Cycle Around Japan Highlights offers a way to discover Japan by bicycle and provides useful information to enjoy the adventure. Throughout the 13-part series, viewers vicariously experience breath-taking cycling adventures and see a side of Japan they won't find in the guidebooks. Journeys include a 330-kilometer ride through the northern land of Akita and a challenging ride up a 2,000-meter peak in Nagano Prefecture, which provides breathtaking views of the Japan Alps mountain pass. Along the way, riders take part in traditions such as the harvesting of wasabi plants and the making of baskets from wild bamboo. In every location, viewers are treated to the local culture, history, food and traditions that makes cycling around Japan such a unique journey.

"Canefield Songs: Holehole Bushi" airs Sunday, May 15 at 4:30 pm on KQED 9

Sun, 5/15

4:30pm Canefield Songs: Holehole Bushi
In this new film, Professor of Anthropology Christine Yano explains, "If we want to know something of what some of these womenʻs lives were like...we could do no better than to listen to their own words, as expressed through song." The women that Professor Yano is referring to are Japanese immigrants who worked in Hawaii's sugarcane fields in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through their canefield songs, or holehole bushi, these women sang about their joys and sorrows of trying to start life in a new world. Hosted and narrated by ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, the film tells the story of music teacher Harry Urata, and his efforts to record, preserve and perpetuate these musical oral histories.

6pm Confucius Was a Foodie: Celebrations, Ceremonies and the Dumpling
Christine eats her way through the Chinese Solar Lunar calendar with traditional customs, cuisine and culture. The calendar appears to have a dumpling for every occasion

9pm Hayao Miyazaki: 10 Years with the Master: Ponyo Is Here
Hayao Miyazaki dreams up characters and plot lines for what would become his 2008 blockbuster, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. Miyazaki explores the limits of his physical ability and imagination to conjure memorable protagonists.

9:51pm Hayao Miyazaki: 10 Years with the Master: Drawing What's Real
As Miyazaki dreams up characters and plot lines for Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, he delves into memories of his late mother for a thread to weave the story. "Movies show who you are," Miyazaki says, "no matter how hard you try to hide it."

10:42pm Hayao Miyazaki: 10 Years with the Master: Go Ahead - Threaten Me
Sparks begin to fly as Miyazaki and his son Goro, an up-and-coming director, work on the 2011 film From Up on Poppy Hill. In the final stretch, a massive earthquake and nuclear disaster rock Japan and leave the team in shock. Amid power outages, they decide they must pause their work. That's when Hayao puts his son's resolve as a director to the test.

11:33pm Hayao Miyazaki: 10 Years with the Master: No Cheap Excuses
At age 72, Miyazaki takes on a new challenge - one that would become the highly-acclaimed 2013 film The Wind Rises, Miyazaki's first film about a historical figure. Bringing the film from concept to reality turns out to be a long and difficult journey. In the process, Miyazaki grapples with tough questions about issues such as aging and the meaning of making animated films in a turbulent time.

"Lucky Chow: Koreatown USA" airs Wednesday, May 18 at 1:30pm on KQED 9

Wed, 5/18

1:30pm Lucky Chow: Koreatown USA
This episode visits New York and Los Angeles - home to the two largest Korean populations in the United States - to explore what distinguishes each. Both are 24-hour hubs of food and drinking culture. However, New York City's Koreatown covers just one block, whereas Los Angeles' Koreatown seems like a city unto itself. At dinner with Lisa Ling and her husband Paul Song, chef Sang Yoon breaks down the basics of Korean cooking. Back in New York, at Saveur Magazine'stest kitchen, Top Chef winner Kristen Kish, a Seoul-born Korean adoptee, receives her first-ever Korean cooking lesson, a kimchi tutorial, from Korean homemaker and YouTube sensation, Maangchi. The episode ends with a night out at Pocha 32, an export of Korea's popular "tent" restaurants.

4pm Touching The Sound
Undeterred by his lifelong blindness, pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii has an extraordinary ability to connect with audiences around the world, transcending cultural obstacles and inspiring concert-goers and music critics with a feeling Time magazine coined "Nobu Fever." Touching the Sound traces the artistic development of this remarkable young musician, from an early ability to play piano by ear to his gold medal triumph in the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, to his debut at Carnegie Hall. The documentary also follows Tsujii as he tours the tsunami-devastated coastline of Tohoku, Japan, hoping to bring solace through his music to those impacted by the 2011 catastrophe, which killed 20,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of families.

Fri, 5/20
12pm Simply Ming: On the Road In California: Santa Cruz
On this episode of Simply Ming we are on the road in sunny Santa Cruz to explore fusion Mexican delicacies with chef Kendra Baker. Kendra takes us to her hidden secret, her favorite tortilla manufacturer located at a small market in a strip mall called El Pueblo Market. With tortillas in hand, they head to her restaurant Snap Tacos, where make tacos two ways, Kendra makes a "Lost Island Taco" with pulled pork and snappy pineapple salsa and Ming makes vegetarian inside out tacos with "mucho queso" (lots of cheese).

Sat, 5/21

10am Cycle Around Japan Highlights
Cycle Around Japan Highlights offers a way to discover Japan by bicycle and provides useful information to enjoy the adventure. Throughout the 13-part series, viewers vicariously experience breath-taking cycling adventures and see a side of Japan they won't find in the guidebooks. Journeys include a 330-kilometer ride through the northern land of Akita and a challenging ride up a 2,000-meter peak in Nagano Prefecture, which provides breathtaking views of the Japan Alps mountain pass. Along the way, riders take part in traditions such as the harvesting of wasabi plants and the making of baskets from wild bamboo. In every location, viewers are treated to the local culture, history, food and traditions that makes cycling around Japan such a unique journey.

Wed, 5/25
1:30pm Lucky Chow: Northern Thai Cuisine
Track the evolution of Chinese food in America through the lens of two third-generation Chinese-American restaurateurs. Wilson Tang preserves the legacy of his family's dim sum parlor (America's oldest) while opening a fine-dining Chinese restaurant on Chinatown's expanding Lower East Side. Ed Schoenfeld, a self-proclaimed Chinese food expert and owner of one of the most critically acclaimed Chinese restaurants in New York, provides a tutorial on Peking duck preparation. The episode concludes at Hakkasan, a global Chinese brand that includes nightclubs and restaurants from Beverly Hills to Dubai to Shanghai.

"Play Like A Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar" airs Wednesday, May 25 at 4pm

4pm Play Like A Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar
Award-winning Play Like a Lion travels India and across centuries to explore the musical legacy of iconic multi-Grammy nominated Indian sarodist Ali Akbar Khan, as seen through the eyes of his son Alam. With commentaries by Carlos Santana, the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, slide guitarist Derek Trucks, jazz saxophonist John Handy, Khan's eldest son virtuoso sarodist Aashish Khan, and tabla masters Zakir Hussain and Swapan Chaudhuri to a soundtrack of Khan's music-"the sound of singing water." Directed by Joshua Dylan Mellars.

Thurs, 5/26
11pm Reel South: Seadrift
In 1979, a fatal shooting ignited a maelstrom of hostilities against Vietnamese refugee fishermen along the Gulf Coast. Set during the early days of Vietnamese refugee arrival in the U.S., "Seadrift" examines this turbulent yet little-seen chapter of American history and explores its consequences that continue to reverberate today.

Fri, 5/27
12pm Simply Ming: On the Road In California: Monterey
On this episode of Simply Ming we are on the road in beautiful Monterey, CA and we are talking abalone with renowned chef Paul Corsentino Executive Chef of Saltwood Kitchen and Oysterette. Before heading to cook the feast, we visit Monterey Abalone Company where they farm-raise sustainable abalone. With the abalone in hand Ming and Paul go back to Paul's restaurant to cook a delectable meal of grilled abalone with shiitake, bok choy salad while Ming cooks his own version of an Asian abalone Rockefeller.

KQED WORLD

Sun, 5/1
7pm Asian Americans: Breaking Ground
See how new immigrants from China, India, Japan, the Philippines and beyond, despite anti-Asian laws, still manage to build railroads, dazzle on the silver screen and take their fight for equality to the U.S.

"Ito Sisters: An American Story" airs Sunday, May 1 at 8pm on KQED 9

8pm Ito Sisters: An American Story
Explore the lives of three Nisei sisters from the Sacramento Delta, from their childhood on a farm in the Delta to their internment during WWII and beyond.

Tues, 5/3
6pm Independent Lens: Eating Up Easter
See how climate change and a booming tourism trade threaten the fragile economy of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, and meet the local artists, ecologists and developers balancing their strong cultural heritage with modern-day challenges.

Wed, 5/4
4pm Reel South: Hindsight
Reel South has partnered with Firelight Media and Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) to create the Hindsight Project, a new initiative that focuses on supporting Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) filmmakers living in the American South and U.S. Territories. Six filmmakers were selected to create short films for a new digital series exploring the experiences of communities of color in the South and in Puerto Rico that reflect the migrations and movements throughout the complicated history of these regions.

Sat, 5/7
10:30am POV Shorts: In the Absence
A South Korean community is torn apart by a ferry disaster that claimed the lives of hundreds of children. When government incompetence is revealed as the main cause, the victims' families seek justice.

9pm American Experience: Mr. Tornado
Meet pioneering meteorologist Ted Fujita, who transformed our understanding of tornados. His technological advancements saved lives and helped Americans prepare for and respond to dangerous weather phenomena.

10pm Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story
Meet the statesman who served as cabinet secretary for Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. Imprisoned by the U.S. during World War II for his Japanese ancestry, Mineta rose to become the first Asian American to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Sun, 5/8

7pm Asian Americans: A Question of Loyalty
Meet the first generation of U.S.-born Asian Americans, whose loyalties are tested during WWII.

8pm Myanmar Coup: Digital Resistance
On February 1, 2021, Myanmar's military seized power after detaining State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders. In a letter written in preparation for her impending detention, Aung San Suu Kyi said the military's actions would put the country back under a dictatorship and she urged supporters to "protest against the coup." In Myanmar Coup: Digital Resistance, NHK worked with a team of digital investigators to learn more about the protesters' work in Myanmar and how supporters outside the country are assisting in the fight.

Mon, 5/9
4pm Pacific Heartbeat: Tokyo Hula
Today it is estimated there are nearly 2 million people dancing hula in Japan - a figure greater than the entire population of Hawai'i. Tokyo Hula examines how tourism, economics, and a love for all things Hawaiian have fueled this cultural phenomenon by focusing on the personal stories of Japanese teachers who have started their own schools and Hawaiian master teachers who are now living and teaching in Japan.

Wed, 5/11
12:30pm Guru Nanak: The Founder of Sikhism
Guru Nanak: The Founder of Sikhism recounts the life story of the 15th century teacher and revolutionary activist from Punjab, India who founded the Sikh faith - the world's fifth largest religion. The documentary also explores how Guru Nanak's legacy inspires Sikh Americans today - including Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Snatam Kaur and Hoboken, New Jersey mayor Ravi Bhalla - to exercise compassion, take risks, challenge established norms, and help others.

"POV: About Love" airs Wednesday, May 11 at 4pm on KQED 9

4pm POV: About Love
Three generations of the Phadke family live in their home in Mumbai. When the youngest daughter turns the camera toward her family, the personal becomes political as power structures within the family become visible -- and eventually unravels.

Thu, 5/12
12pm Gandhi’s Awakening
Gandhi's Awakening documents Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in his young, transformative years in South Africa before he became known as Mahatma (Great Soul) and Father of the Indian nation. In South Africa he faces prejudice and hatred as an Indian immigrant, undergoes a spiritual epiphany of purpose and creates a revolutionary nonviolent method to fight injustice and oppression that will later be adopted by millions around the globe.

1pm Gandhi’s Gift
Gandhi's Gift documents Gandhi at the end of his life, on the brink of attaining his lifelong goal of freedom from the British but with his heartbreaking by the partition of India and terrible communal violence that is killing an estimated million or more. Having led masses in nonviolent marches, Gandhi now walks alone for unity and peace.

5pm America Reframed: Jaddoland
Nadia Shihab's Jaddoland is an intimate portrait of the work and process of the director's visual artist mother Lahib Jaddo. Jaddoland offers viewers a fresh look at the immigrant story in America. Through an exploration of her mother's art and connections to her life in Texas, Shihab also drafts a unique picture of how art can help both the creator and the audience make sense of familial and cultural connections, loss, perseverance and life.

Sun, 5/15
7pm Asian Americans: Good Americans
Learn how Asian Americans are simultaneously heralded as a model minority and targeted as the perpetual foreigner during the Cold War. It is also a time of bold ambition, as Asian Americans aspire to national political office.

8pm Myanmar in Turmoil: The Inside Story on the Military Crackdown
A human rights group says Myanmar's military has killed more than 1, 000 people since carrying out the coup in February. In Myanmar in Turmoil: The Inside Story on the Military Crackdown, NHK takes a look at the financial links between its top officers and two major business conglomerates and hears from former soldiers who tell us they were trained to view people who support democracy as the enemy.

Mon, 5/16
11am Pacific Heartbeat: For My Father’s Kingdom
For My Father’s Kingdom follows Tongan pensioner Saia Mafile'o and his family as they are stretched to breaking point by the commitment and passion to God that has driven Saia's life. This debut feature documentary offers a rich view of how contemporary secular families deal with the rigors of devout Christian tithing, as well as a unique insight into traditional Tongan culture.

"Pacific Heartbeat: Stan" airs Monday, May 16 at 12pm on KQED 9

12pm Pacific Heartbeat: Stan
This breathtakingly honest and brave documentary follows 26-year-old musician Stan Walker as he fights a rare cancer caused by a genetic mutation that has killed 25 members of his family. Facing his diagnosis with humor and determination, he embarks on a mission to seek aggressive treatment and convince his family members who carry the gene that they need to face their potential fate.

1pm Pacific Heartbeat: Anote’s Ark
The Pacific Island nation of Kiribati (population: 100,000) is one of the most remote places on the planet, seemingly far-removed from the pressures of modern life. Yet it is one of the first countries that must confront the main existential dilemma of our time: imminent annihilation from sea-level rise. While Kiribati's President Anote Tong races to find a way to protect his nation's people and maintain their dignity, many Kiribati are already seeking safe harbor overseas. Set against the backdrop of international climate and human rights negotiations, Anote's struggle to save his nation is intertwined with the extraordinary fate of Tiemeri, a young mother of six, who fights to migrate her family to New Zealand. At stake is the survival of Tiemeri's family, the Kiribati people, and 4,000 years of Kiribati culture.

4pm Pacific Heartbeat: American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai’i
American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawai’i tells the stories of three kumu hula (master instructors) who direct hula schools based in California. The film explores the challenges they face trying to perpetuate hula faithfully, from the very traditional to the contemporary, as it evolves on distant shores. Their stories serve as a reminder of the power of tradition for communities creating a home away from home.

Tue, 5/17
11am Pacific Heartbeat: Power Meri
Power Meri follows Papua New Guinea's first national women's rugby league team, the PNG Orchids, on their journey to the 2017 World Cup in Australia. These trailblazers must beat not only the sporting competition, but also intense sexism, a lack of funding, and national prejudice to reach their biggest stage yet. Proud, strong and hopeful, these women have overcome more challenges than most to take the field in their much-loved national sport. But after years playing at the grassroots level with no coaches, funding or support, they have just three months to transform themselves into a competitive national team to take up an invitation to compete on the world stage.

12pm Pacific Heartbeat: Born This Way: Awa’s Story and the Rogers
Born This Way: Awaʻs Story - In New Zealand, Te Awarangi 'Awa' Puna is an openly transgender Maori teen attending her final year at Kapiti College in Wellington, New Zealand. This documentary follows her journey from male to female as we see the support of her family and the hurdles she must overcome. The Rogers - An intimate glimpse into the lives of those who formed the first visible group of transgender men in the Pacific Islands - The Rogers of Samoa - as they build an outside oven, seek romance, and prepare to perform a traditional men's dance in public. While still facing many obstacles, their stories illustrate the power that come when those rejected by society create their own community.

1pm Pacific Heartbeat: Prison Songs
The people imprisoned in a Darwin jail are shown in a unique and completely new light in Australia's first-ever documentary musical. Incarcerated in tropical Northern Territory, over 800 inmates squeeze into the overcrowded spaces of Berrimah Prison. In an Australian first, the inmates share their feelings, faults and experiences in the most extraordinary way - through song.

Wed, 5/18
11am Pacific Heartbeat: Leitis in Waiting
Leitis in Waiting tells the story of Tonga's evolving approach to gender fluidity through a character-driven portrait of the most prominent leiti (transgender) in the Kingdom, Joey Mataele, a devout Catholic of royal descent. Over the course of an eventful year, Joey organizes a beauty pageant, mentors a young leiti who is rejected by her family, and attempts to work with fundamentalist Christians regarding Tonga's anti-sodomy and cross-dressing laws. Her story reveals what it means to be different in a deeply religious and conservative society, and what it takes to be accepted without giving up who you are.

12pm Pacific Heartbeat: Te Kuhane O Te Tupuna (The Spirit of the Ancestors)
This documentary film is a journey from Easter Island to London, in search of the lost Moai Hoa Haka Nanaia, a statue of significant cultural importance. It explores the social and political landscape of the island of Rapanui as the people attempt to claim back what is rightfully theirs: their land and a lava-rock image of tremendous presence, representing one of the world's most extraordinary cosmological views.

"Pacific Heartbeat: Corridor Four" airs Wednesday, May 18 at 1pm on KQED 9

1pm Pacific Heartbeat: Corridor Four
A nationally recognized K9 Unit Officer, Isaac Ho'opi'i is responsible for saving numerous people from the Pentagon during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Countless articles were written about his heroism following 9/11. He was photographed by Richard Avedon for a spread in USA Today. He appeared on NBC's Today Show. And he ran the Olympic Torch on its way to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Corridor Four is a documentary that illustrates Isaac's story in the aftermath of 9/11. After all the news cameras had turned off and all the lights had dimmed, Isaac was left only with the horrific images he had seen and the memory of those he was unable to save. His is a story not of a hero basking in the glory of his past deeds, but of a human being filled with regret that he couldn't change something completely out of his control.

4:30pm POV: American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
Grace Lee Boggs, 98, is a Chinese American philosopher, writer and activist in Detroit with a thick FBI file and a surprising vision of what an American revolution can be. Rooted in 75 years of the labor, civil rights and Black Power movements, she challenges a new generation to throw off old assumptions, think creatively and redefine revolution for our times.

Thurs, 5/19
5pm America Reframed: Geographies of Kinship
Through the lens of independent films, this series tells the many stories of a transforming American culture and its broad diversity. It takes an unfiltered look at relevant domestic topics (healthcare, immigration, the workplace, and politics) with personal storytelling tied to programming social themes. The series showcases films that will give viewers a "snapshot" of the transforming American life - the guts, the glory, the grit of a new and changing America. From contemporary life on Native American reservations to stories of recovery on the Gulf, from hardships and revitalization in towns big and small, to stories from city streets across the country, these independent, personal and opinionated films document the times in which we live.

Fri, 5/20
4pm POV: Still Tomorrow
A village woman without a high school diploma has become China's most famous poet. Meet the breakout writer Yu Xihua, a woman with cerebral palsy, poignantly weaving her personal story with that of an ascendant, urbanizing China.

"POV: Singing with Angry Bird" airs Saturday, May 21 at 11am on KQED 9

Sat, 5/21
11am POV: Singing with Angry Bird
Jae-chang Kim, nicknamed "Angry Bird," runs a children's choir in Pune, India. Their parents, however, are reluctant to let them sing instead of work. To convince them, Angry Bird decides to train everyone to sing for a joint concert.

Mon, 5/23
4pm Pacific Heartbeat: Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula
The role of male hula dancers has long been overshadowed by Western concepts of gender and sexuality. Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula follows a group of male dancers, who range in age from 18 to 55 years old, as they prepare to compete in the largest hula competition in the world, the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival. Through the lens of dance, this film explores the meaning of Hawaiian pride and the role of men in Hawaiian culture.

5pm Local, USA: A Tale of Three Chinatowns (NEW)
A Tale of Three Chinatowns explores the survival of urban ethnic neighborhoods in three American cities: Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Boston. Through the voices of residents, community activists, developers, and government officials, the film looks at the forces altering each community and the challenges that go with them, including the pressing issue of urban development and gentrification.

6:30pm Stories from the Stage: Growing Up Asian (NEW)
Explore the art of storytelling through interviews with the storytellers talking about their craft, their on-stage performances, and comments and stories from the audience. Theresa Okokon and Wes Hazard host, introducing each episode's theme.

Wed, 5/25
4pm Independent Lens: The People vs. Agent Orange
Follow Vietnamese activist Tran To Nga, who, in a French court, is suing the American chemical industry for poisoning her and her family in Vietnam. And in Oregon, Carol Van Strum battles to stop the ongoing spraying of toxins by the timber industry.

Thurs, 5/26

"Registry" airs Thursday, May 26 at 4pm on KQED 9

4pm Registry
This film breaks open the hidden history of the US Army's Military Intelligence Service (MIS) during World War II - a story made possible because of a few aging Japanese American Veterans with a little internet-savvy and a lot of determination.

On TV: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month — May 2022

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