PBS Makes ‘Asian Americans’ Series Free To Watch After Atlanta Spa Shootings
Image via PBS
PBS is temporarily streaming the documentary series, Asian Americans, for free following a rise in hate crimes and overt prejudice against Asians, most notably the March 16 Atlanta shootings which killed eight people.
The five-part docuseries, which premiered last year, walks down a difficult 150 years of experiences faced by marginalized Asian-American and Pacific Islander immigrants integral to American history and identity. It was spearheaded by a team of Asian-American filmmakers, including Renee Tajima-Peña, whose series Who Killed Vincent Chin? was nominated for an Academy Award.
Figures featured in the series include Sikh-American Bhagat Singh, the first US serviceman who would wear a turban with his military uniform; Laureen Chew, one of the organizers of the 1968 San Francisco State University strike; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thanh Nguyen; and Anna May Wong, who is attributed as the first Chinese-American Hollywood movie star.
PBS made the decision to release this awakening series for free after a gunman shot and killed eight people at spas in Atlanta on March 16. Six of the victims were Asian women: Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong Ae Yue. The spike in dissent against Asians and Asian Americans in the country was largely perpetuated by warped and baseless speculations about where the coronavirus had originated.
In the same vein, Pixar has rolled out full Asian-fronted animated shorts which were previously exclusive to Disney+ to stand “in solidarity with the Asian and Asian American communities against Anti-Asian hate in all its forms.”
To watch all five episodes of the Asian American docuseries, head here.
More than ever, we need to understand Asian American history. PBS has made their 5-part documentary series, ASIAN AMERICANS, available for FREE to stream. I appear in episode 1, talking about Hollywood. #StopAsianHate H/t @CAPEUSA
— Nancy Wang Yuen (@nancywyuen) March 20, 2021
WATCH HERE: https://t.co/Np8hGxpU8h pic.twitter.com/Pwo9fBj3xb
[via Mashable, cover image via PBS]
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