LibGuides: Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies Subject Guide: Film/Video

AAPI Videos on the Web

The Split Horn: Life of a Hmong Shaman in America - In this documentary, a Hmong shaman moves his family from Laos to Wisconsin. Spanning seventeen years, the journey and transition uncovers the inherent challenges to both assimilate into American culture as well as maintain valuable cultural traditions.

In Between - Short film exploring the experiences of a Chinese-American teenage boy grappling with the increasingly isolating reality that he doesn't neatly fit into either the Chinese or American cultural identity/stereotype.

Year of the Rat - This short film explores themes of family dynamics and connection amidst cultural differences within a household. A self-described "dramedy," The Year of the Rat features an immigrant Chinese mom and her US-born daughter attempting to bridge relationship gaps through a joint venture in online dating.

Minari - Set in the early 1980s, a Korean-American family moves from California to Arkansas to start a new venture growing and selling Korean produce for local restaurants and markets. They encounter various challenges and setbacks in this unfamiliar land, but ultimately realize the importance of familial resilience in building a successful life together.

Being Asian in America - This documentary showcases interviews from focus groups which were a part of a recent Pew Research Center study. The analysis revealed that Asian American individuals encounter significant challenges establishing and maintaining their own identities in a nation where being identified as "Asian" carries specific assumptions about background, behavior, and physical attributes.

AAPI Videos @ Meredith Streamed

Rising Against Asian Hate : One Day in March
This PBS-distributed film captures how the Asian American community united after the Atlanta shootings, highlighting their struggles, triumphs, and progress.
Island of Warriors
Pacific Islanders from Guam, serving in the US military, have disproportionately higher percentages of participation, higher casualty rates and more difficulty as veterans getting good health care.
A Question of Loyalty
Japanese Americans straddle their dual identities during WWII, with family loyalties tested in detention camps and brothers divided in battle.
Project Yellow
"Yellow" is a documentary that explores the representation of Asian males in the media and gay culture, examining how these perceptions are shaped by their childhood experiences.
Korean Americans
This film examines the challenges of Korean-Americans as they have conflicted frequently and violently with inner-city African-Americans and struggle to assimilate and retain cultural values.

AAPI Video Collected Resources from the Web

Asian Americans | PBS
Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever ... told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.
CAAM: Center for Asian American Media
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible.
International Documentary Association: AAPI
Celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month by checking out these documentaries from current IDA members and past IDA Documentary Awards winners and nominees!
PBS Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month
These documentaries celebrate the light and love in our diverse AANHPI communities. We also recognize the need to face ugly truths about events of racism, xenophobia, and violence targeted towards AAPI communities.