May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Every year, this is an opportunity to listen and learn about the diversity within Asian and Pacific Islander communities as well as how deep the connections are to all facets of American history. Watch shows featuring their stories throughout the month on WHRO TV 15 and through our online media player.

Independent Lens: Try Harder | Monday, May 2, 10 p.m.

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 Experience: Mr. Tornado | Sunday, May 8, 2 p.m.

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.

American Masters: Waterman - Duke the Spirit of Aloha | Tuesday, May 10, 9 p.m.

(Will be rebroadcast on Sunday, May 15, 2 p.m.)

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.

American Masters: Tyrus Wong | Tuesday, May 17, 10 p.m.

(Will be rebroadcast Sunday, May 22, 2 p.m.)

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.

NOVA: Kilauea: Hawai'i on Fire | Wednesday, May 18, 9 p.m.

In May 2018, Kilauea volcano erupted, obliterating neighborhoods with devastating force and uprooting thousands of local residents. It is Hawai?i's most destructive volcanic eruption in generations. How can one of the most beautiful places on Earth suddenly transform into a roaring inferno, sputtering molten lava and bombs of volcanic rock the size of refrigerators?
https://mediaplayer.whro.org/program/nova/e/kilauea-hawaii-fire-e4qyuw

American Experience: Plague at the Golden Gate | Tuesday, May 24, 9 p.m.

(Will be rebroadcast Sunday, May 29, 2 p.m.)

Over 100 years before the deadly 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. Plague at the Golden Gate tells the gripping story of the desperate race against time to save San Francisco and the nation from the deadly plague. 

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