What to Watch on WTTW for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May with a series of engaging programming on WTTW. Explore the fascinating stories behind important historical moments and figures including artists, athletes, authors, and scientists who made strides in their fields.

Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March

Tuesday, May 2 at 9:00 pm on WTTW

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.

American Masters: Tyrus Wong

Saturday, May 6 at 11:00 am on WTTW Prime

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.

Wong lived to be 106 years old. Meet other long-lived artists who passed their hundredth birthday. Plus, learn about some of the other artists behind Disney films.

American Masters: Waterman-Duke: The Spirit of Aloha

Saturday, May 6 at 12:30 pm on WTTW Prime

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.

Independent Lens: Hidden Letters

Saturday, May 6 at 2:00 pm on WTTW Prime

The bonds of sisterhood, and the parallels of struggles among generations of women in China, are drawn together by the once-secret written language of Nushu, the only script designed and used exclusively by women.

Independent Lens: Try Harder!

Saturday, May 6 at 3:30 pm on WTTW Prime and Sunday, May 21 at 10:00 am on WTTW

San Francisco's Lowell High, one of the best public schools in the country, draws high achievers from across the city into a fiercely competitive universe. Follow seniors as the pressure to impress admissions officers at elite universities intensifies.

American Masters: Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir

Saturday, May 6 at 5:00 pm on WTTW Prime

Explore the life of the groundbreaking author of The Joy Luck Club in this intimate portrait.

Lucky Chow

Sundays at 6:00 am on WTTW Prime

Follow LUCKYRICE culinary festival founder Danielle Chang as she travels across America exploring the Asian food landscape, featuring many of the country’s most renowned chefs and culinary personalities.

Asian Americans

Sunday, May 7, 14, and 21 at 9:00 pm on WTTW Prime

Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate personal stories, the series casts a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.

American Experience: Mr. Tornado

Sunday, May 7 at 11:00 pm on WTTW Prime

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.

Hear more about Fujita from one of his University of Chicago colleagues and friends.

Confucius Was a Foodie

Sundays, May 14, 21, and 28 at 5:00 am on WTTW Prime

Celebrity chef and former Food Network host Christine Cushing takes viewers on a voyage of discovery, uncovering the fascinating traditions, philosophies, and history of Chinese culinary culture and its surprising influence on food around the world. Cushing's motivation to embark on this journey is her discovery that 2,500-year-old Chinese philosopher Confucius was actually a foodie. From exploring Chinese cuisines in North America to the culinary politics of Taiwan, the tasty richness of Hong Kong, and the blended flavors of Southeast Asia, Cushing finds connections to the gastronomic precepts of the great Chinese philosopher both ancient and modern.

Armed with Language

Sunday, May 14 at 11:00 pm on WTTW Prime

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.

American Masters: Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV

Tuesday, May 16 at 8:00 pm on WTTW

See the world through the eyes of Nam June Paik, the father of video art and coiner of the term 'electronic superhighway.' Experience the acclaimed artist's creative evolution, as Academy Award nominee Steven Yeun reads from Paik's own writings.

American Experience: Plague at the Golden Gate

Sunday, May 21 at 10:00 pm on WTTW Prime and Friday, May 26 at 8:00 pm on WTTW

Over 100 years before the COVID-19 pandemic set off a nationwide wave of fear and anti-Asian sentiment, an outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco's Chinatown unleashed a similar crisis. The death of a Chinese immigrant in 1900 would have likely gone unnoticed if a medical officer hadn't discovered a swollen black lymph node on his groin: evidence of bubonic plague. Fearing the city would become the American epicenter of the disease, health officials drew on racist pseudoscience to cover up the threat and protect San Francisco's burgeoning economy. As the outbreak continued to spread, public health officer Rupert Blue became determined to save his city. He established ties to Chinatown and ultimately proved that throngs of flea-infested rats rather than the 'foreign' habits of the Chinese were the real reason the disease persisted.