Racquel Stephen, WXXI News Health, equity and community reporter, profiles Asian Americans in the Rochester area who are making an impact in our community. Links will be added here as stories are posted. Visit WXXINews.org.
Asian Islander Pacific Heritage
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story • WXXI-TV + Streams Live on the PBS App
Corky Lee’s epic quest to document Asian American history, culture, and activism. (55m 5s)
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story airs Monday, May 25 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Using his camera as a “weapon against injustice,” Chinese American photographer Corky Lee’s art is his activism. His unforgettable images of Asian American life empowered generations. This film’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.
Finding Your Roots “Far From Home” • WXXI-TV
Jamie Chung, Cyndi Lauper, and Danny Trejo uncover the stories of their immigrant ancestors.
Finding Your Roots “Far From Home” airs Sunday, May 17 at 11:30 a.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, exploring records in Italy, Korea, and Mexico to uncover ancestors whose stories were lost when their families immigrated to America.
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens “Haruka Fujii” • WXXI-TV + Streams Live on the PBS App
Rhiannon and Japanese percussionist Haruka Fujii perform and chat.
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens “Haruka Fujii” airs Saturday, May 25 at 11:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Japanese percussionist Haruka Fujii talks with Rhiannon about the surprising history of the marimba in Japan and her own mission to spread the beauty of Japanese music to diverse audiences. They discuss Silkroad’s “American Railroad” project, and the episode ends with a performance of Fujii’s original composition “Tamping Song.”
Independent Lens “Third Act” • WXXI-TV + Streams Live on the PBS App
A filmmaker honors his father’s legacy of art, activism, and resilience across generations.
Independent Lens “Third Act” airs Monday, May 25 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Generations call Robert A. Nakamura the godfather of Asian American film. Tadashi Nakamura calls him Dad. Tadashi turns the camera on his father as they confront art, activism, and aging. From WWII incarceration to cultural awakening and a Parkinson’s diagnosis, Third Act is a tender portrait of legacy, inherited trauma, and the final chapter of a shared creative life.
Independent Lens “Light of the Setting Sun” • WXXI-TV + Streams Live on the PBS App
A filmmaker confronts her Chinese family’s trauma and questions whether the cycle can end.
Independent Lens “Light of the Setting Sun” airs Monday, May 18 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
A Chinese family’s multigenerational trauma unfolds across time, place, and identity. Turning the camera inward, filmmaker Vicky Du traces her family’s mental illness back to the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949. Spanning Taipei, Taiwan, and New Jersey, Light of the Setting Sun explores identity, gender roles, and whether healing can break the cycle for future generations.
Education Resources: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage
Find useful media and educational resources for of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success.
Asian Americans PBS LearningMedia Collection
Injustice At Home: Classroom Collection On-Demand
PBS KIDS Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage On-Demand
Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond On-Demand
Before They Take Us Away: On-Demand
Asian Pacific American Our Experience: Local Stories On-Demand
Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March On-Demand
Jelly, Ben and Pogo Videos, Activities & Resources
Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March PBS LearningMedia Collection
Dear Corky | American Masters | PBS
Musicians of Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage: Classical On-Demand
A People’s History of Asian America On-Demand
Remembering Pearl Harbor Electronic Field Trip On-Demand
PBS Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage
Sesame Street: See Us Coming Together Special
Independent Lens “Home Court” • On-Demand
This film traces the ascent of Cambodian American teenager Ashley Chea, a basketball prodigy whose life intensifies amid college recruitment, injury, and triumph.
Independent Lens “Home Court” is available on-demand above through 6/22/25 and on the PBS App.
Filmed over three years of Ashley’s high school career, ”Home Court” is a coming-of-age story that relays the highs and lows of her immigrant family, surmounting racial and class differences, and personal trials that include a devastating knee injury.
The film opens in Ashley’s sophomore year of high school. She shuttles between her home in a lower-income neighborhood in Los Angeles and her private school, Flintridge Prep, while traveling to youth basketball tournaments and visiting colleges around the country. Ashley’s parents work long hours at their donut shop, so her coach, Jayme Kiyomura Chan, steps in where they cannot.
With the pressure of being one of the top basketball recruits in the country, tensions rise as Ashley navigates college offers and her family’s input. Meanwhile, she grapples with the task of leading her high school team, as well as being a leader in her community and the mounting responsibility to represent her culture. The film culminates in the bittersweet moments of Ashley leaving for college with her family.