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Asian American Heritage Month: Editor's Picks

May is Asian American Heritage Month

Check out our entire collection of Asian American radio here!

As I Am: Asians in America
Nathan Kupel, 57:00: This pilot features reports, analyses, and commentary on social, political, cultural and artistic topics. It received an award from the American Women in Radio and Television in the "Outstanding Special Category."
The Story of Lata
Outer Voices, 54:00: Women and the revival of traditional Polynesian sailing in the Solomon Islands.
Girls from Cambodia
Outer Voices, 59:00: An honest look into sex trafficking in Cambodia.
The Journey of Lady Buddha
Dmae Roberts, 56:42: A personal and historical exploration of cultural conflicts in spirituality and the search for the Asian goddess of compassion and mercy.
The Hula Lesson
Outer Voices, 52:30: Members of the halau speak about the issues of preserving a culture in a multi-cultural world.

Don Ho Tribute
Public Radio WorldWide, 60:00

Features Don Ho in Hawaii in his last face-to-face Public Radio interview before he died in April 2007.

Secret Asian Woman
Dmae Roberts, 25:00: A brief personal history of mixed race in America.
Mei Mei, A Daughter's Song
Dmae Roberts, 26:34: Winner of the Peabody award, Mei Mei, A Daughter's Song is the personal story of cross-cultural and cross-generational conflict produced by Dmae Roberts.
Tsim Txom: Domestic Violence in Hmong Society
Wisconsin Public Radio, 29:42: A look at domestic abuse in Hmong culture.
Don't Take The Colors Apart
Dmae Roberts, 26:09: "The documentary profiles the life of Venila Hasu Houston, whose ethnicity is African-America, Japanese, and Native American. What makes this documentary interesting is it explores the stories, complexities, and emotions behind her unique mixture of DNA." Nuzum / full review
Chinese Women's Poetry
Modern Language Association, 29:00: "I urge programmers to think about pairing this half hour with another half hour poetry piece for April or with another Asian piece for Asian Pacific American heritage month in May." Roberts / full review

Hmong Funerals
Wisconsin Public Radio/Brian Bull, 07:50: The tradition of Hmong Funerals as carried out in America.
Bla Pahinui: Hawaiian Mana (Spirit or Soul)
Heidi Chang, 09:18: Hawaiian musician Bla Pahinui carries on the legacy of his father Gabby Pahinui, the father of modern slack key guitar, in a unique way. Bla is known for his soulful and distinctive voice, as well as his own style of music.
Japanese American World War II Draft Resisters
Robynn Takayama, 09:11: After being relocated from their west coast homes on suspicion of being disloyal Americans, some Japanese Americans stood up to the hypocrisy when they were drafted from the internment camps.
City Lights
Jennifer Dunn, 20:48: "China is the story of our time and what happens there in the next decade or so will surely shape the world we live in...this story adds quite a lot to what little I know about the people and the country." McGrath / full review
Nona Beamer: Hawaiian Elder
Heidi Chang, 06:35: Winner of a 2000 National Award from the Asian American Journalists Association. Nona Beamer is a revered Hawaiian elder and one of the last links to the art of Hawaiian storytelling, chant and traditional hula. She's also a talented musician and composer.
Inuyama Tofu
Kelly Jones, 06:40: A Japanese artisanal tofu maker fights globalization one brick of bean curd at a time.

Hollywood Beauty Reigns in Asian-American Eyes
George Bodarky, WFUV, 04:02: WFUV's George Bodarky reports on the growing number of Asian-Americans seeking plastic surgery to look more like their favorite American celebrities.
Tokyo "All Aboard" Melodies
Andy Raskin, 03:30: Tokyo train platforms used to use a buzzer to tell people "all aboard." About ten years ago, Japan Railway began introducing more soothing synthesized melodies to do the job.
Come On Down
New California Media, 05:10: A Chinese American's Words of Warning for South Asians looking for themselves in movies and TV.
Forget Cinderella
New California Media, 03:41: "Christine Wong, a first generation Asian-American, elegantly illustrates the cultural diffences between her and her parents. She also reveals their shared cultural traditions as she prepares for her wedding. Wong addresses large issues with refreshing simplicity. Her commentary is ideal for Morning Edition or All things Considered." Transom Editors / full review