Asian / Pacific Islander Heritage Month

This is the story of the immigration of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos to America. The documentary explores the history of each nationality through the personal stories of representative families. Intercut with family stories and rare archival footage are the observations of scholars, community activists, and writers.

Running Time: 58 mins
Year: 1990
Filmmakers: Elizabeth Clark Stern, Lucy Ostrander

When award-winning Korean-American filmmaker Grace Lee was growing up in Missouri, she was the only Grace Lee she knew. As an adult, however, she moved to New York and then California, where everyone she met seemed to know "another Grace Lee." But why did they assume that all Grace Lees were nice, dutiful, piano-playing bookworms? Official Selection at the SXSW Film Festival.

Running Time: 68 mins
Year: 2005
Filmmakers: Grace Lee

The story of an Indian American woman's struggle to stay connected to India after the loss of her father. Like most second-generation ethnic Americans, Indira Somani has struggled with identity issues, since her parents migrated to the U.S. in the 1960's. Being born and brought up in the U.S. Indira led an American life, but at home, her world was Indian because of her father's immense love for India and Indian culture... The film explores how Indira tries to stay connected to Indian culture and her extended family, despite the loss of her father. It is the story of how one daughter pays tribute to her father and all he has taught her about India, Indian culture and family.

Running Time: 32 mins
Year: 2007
Filmmakers: Indira Somani, Leena Jayaswal

Among the ten Japanese Internment that imprisoned 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, Tule Lake Segregation Center was the site for over 18,000 "disloyals." Fifty years later, seven former internees discuss their past and how they came to terms with their identity, politically and socially, both during and after their camp experience. The viewer is challenged to reconsider what loyalty and citizenship really mean in a country deeply rooted in a history of racism. Created to be shown during a pilgrimage to Tule Lake in 1994, Meeting At Tule Lake is the result of a community studies approach to research, teaching, and filmmaking.

Running Time: 34 mins
Year: 1994
Filmmaker: Scott T. Tsuchitani

KUKAN, a landmark color film that revealed the atrocities of World War II China to audiences around the world, was the first ever American feature documentary to receive an Academy Award in 1942 and was considered lost for decades. When filmmaker Robin Lung discovers a badly damaged film print of KUKAN, she pieces together the inspirational tale of the two renegades behind the making of it -- Chinese American playwright Li Ling-Ai and cameraman Rey Scott.

Running Time: 76 mins
Year: 2016
Filmmakers: Robin Lung
Features: Daniel Dae Kim, Kelly Hu

Gaysians is an exploration of family, immigration and language through the voices of five queer and trans Asian-Americans from New York City. The subjects share stories about their families, and in doing so, shed light on the complicated histories that have shaped these intimate and personal relationships. This moving short is an illuminating patchwork documentary exploring family and culture through the personal stories of a diverse panoply of LGBTQ individuals.

Running Time:14 mins
Year: 2015
Filmmakers: Vicky Du

Oh my! This award winning documentary features Star Trek legend, marriage equality advocate, and spokesperson for racial justice; superstar George Takei. Best known for his groundbreaking role of Hikaru Sulu on a certain epic starship and its multi-ethnic crew, Takei is one of the most visible Asian-American actors of all time, inspiring generations of fans. Following his Star Trek run, George's baritone voice later earned him work in animated series like The Simpsons, Futurama, and The Super Hero Squad Show. These days, from signings at New York City's Midtown Comics to ComiCon!, George's husband, business manager, and co-pilot, Brad, excels at keeping George (and his hordes of fans) organized.

But Takei's true legacy may be his off-screen advocacy. When Takei was just a boy, his family was uprooted from their home in Los Angeles and forced into Japanese Internment as part of the mid-20th century U.S. government efforts to subjugate Japanese American citizens based solely on their ethnic heritage. A true elder statesman with a wry sense of humor, his awesome Facebook presence--initiated to help promote his Broadway-bound musical Allegiance, inspired by his life in the Japanese Internment--provides a daily dose of wisdom and wit. At a time when alarming rhetoric about Islamic and Latino Americans dominates the landscape, there is perhaps no better spokesperson for the historical legacy of fear and xenophobia in the U.S. than George Takei. George, and husband Brad, have also been unflappable spokespeople for LGBTQ rights.

The film features unparalleled behind-the-scenes intimacy with the dynamic duo George and Brad, as well as interviews with famous friends from William Shatner to Howard Stern. The ultimate result is the ultimate examination of the vastness of what it means To Be Takei.

Running Time: 95 mins
Year: 2015
Filmmaker: Jennifer M. Kroot
Features: BD Wong, Brad Takei, George Takei, Howard Stern, William Shatner