PBS SoCal and KQED Partner to Host April 28 and May 5 Virtual Events Celebrating Groundbreaking New PBS Documentary Series ASIAN AMERICANS Airing May 11-12
CONTACT for PBS SoCal: CONTACT for KQED:
Allison Gray Peter Cavagnaro
agray@pbssocal.org pcavagnaro@kqed.org
747.201.5298 415.553.8451
Local Screenings Also Include LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, Beginning May 1 in Honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Costa Mesa, Calif. – April 23, 2020 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s home for the premieres of new PBS programs, announced today a partnership with KQED in San Francisco to present a series of virtual events supporting ASIAN AMERICANS, a new five-part documentary series from PBS. The series examines what the 2010 U.S. Census identifies as the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States. Told through individual lives and personal histories, ASIAN AMERICANS explores the impact of this group on the country’s past, present and future. ASIAN AMERICANS will air Mon. May 11 and Tues. May 12 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and KQED 9 and will be broadcast on PBS stations across the country with streaming available online at pbssocal.org/asianamericans, as well as on pbs.org and on the free PBS Video App.
The series will aim to expand audience reach and engage diverse perspectives through targeted virtual events, impactful education initiatives and integrated digital content. Online articles will help viewers navigate content via an episode guide as well as illuminate the Asian American experience, its successes, challenges and underexplored role in the shaping of a nation. PBS SoCal and KQED will be hosting the first two free virtual events on April 28 and May 5 via the digital platform OVEE and a third screening will take place at THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL VIRTUAL SHOWCASE, which begins May 1 in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Upcoming screenings of ASIAN AMERICANS are as follows (subject to change): Tues., April 28 at 6 p.m.: “Asian American Identity and History in California” From the Chinese Exclusion Act, to Japanese Internment in World War II, to highly-skilled Silicon Valley workers – Asian American immigrants call California their home. Join KQED and PBS SoCal for an online sneak preview of ASIAN AMERICANS. Following the preview Michael Isip, KQED President and CEO, will introduce Mina Kim, host of KQED’s Forum, who will be joined by Jeff Chang, Vice President of Race Forward and poet Jason Bayani to discuss the role of Asian Americans in shaping California’s history and culture. To RSVP and receive a link to the screening on the OVEE platform, click here. Fri., May 1 at 5 p.m.: THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL VIRTUAL SHOWCASE The series will also screen as part of a free digital showcase of films and panels to help keep audiences connected during this uncertain time. The online showcase aims to highlight artists whose stories are critical at this moment in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, and will begin May 1st and run through May 28 as part of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The LAAPFF VIRTUAL SHOWCASE will launch May 1st with its Opening Day Film - a premiere sneak preview of Episodes 3 and 4 of ASIAN AMERICANS. Both episodes will be available from 8AM PST to 8PM PST in the LAAPFF VIRTUAL SHOWCASE for personal viewing. Then at 5PM PST/8PM EST, a special online Q&A with the filmmakers and special guests will take place to discuss the film and current issues. For additional details, please click here.
Tues., May 5 at 6 p.m.: “Evolution of the Asian American Voice” Representations of Asian Americans in pop culture have a history of racist stereotypes and one-dimensional depictions. Join PBS SoCal and KQED to watch clips from the new PBS series ASIAN AMERICANS, followed by a discussion featuring episode producer S. Leo Chiang and sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen, moderated by Rosey Alvero, host of KCET’s series SOCAL WANDERER that explores California’s hidden gems. This conversation will look at the history of Asian American representation in pop culture and media. Additionally, the panelists will discuss how Asian Americans have fought against these depictions to craft their own narratives and define a complex Asian American identity. To RSVP and receive a link to the screening on the OVEE platform, click here. ASIAN AMERICANS is a production of WETA Washington, DC and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) for PBS, in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Flash Cuts and Tajima-Peña Productions. Major funding for ASIAN AMERICANS is provided by Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB); Wallace H. Coulter Foundation; Public Broadcasting Service (PBS); Ford Foundation/JustFilms; National Endowment for the Humanities; The Freeman Foundation; The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; Carnegie Corporation of New York; Kay Family Foundation; Long Family Foundation; Spring Wang; and California Humanities.
Join the conversation on social media using #AsianAmPBS
ABOUT PBS SOCAL PBS SoCal is a donor-supported community institution that is a part of Public Media Group of Southern California, the flagship PBS station for 19 million diverse people across California formed by the merger of PBS SoCal and KCETLink Media Group. PBS SoCal delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and entertain – over the air, online, in the community and in the classroom. We offer the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Frontline, Independent Lens, a broad library of documentary films including works from Ken Burns; and educational PBS KIDS programs including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Curious George. Our programs are accessible for free through four broadcast channels, and available for streaming at pbssocal.org, on the PBS mobile apps, and via connected TV platforms Samsung devices, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
ABOUT KQED KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. kqed.org