May is AAPI Heritage month, which means we will see a surge of Asian American and Pacific Islander movies, TV shows and books being promoted.
Growing up, I remember not seeing many Asians on TV or in the movies. When one does show up, I was so happy! It was always exciting to see some representation in the media and to see someone that looks like me.
Back in the 70s and 80s, Asians were not even cast in lead roles in movies and TV. When they were casted, they had secondary roles as the "smart best friend", the nerd, or the waiter. So fast forward to today, now there are so many opportunities for Asians in the media. Asians are gaining more lead roles and even their own series/movies. We are seeing many more books, toys, and social media platforms that are created by Asian Americans.
Although I am glad to see that we have a voice in Hollywood now, I think we still have a long ways to go. Whenever May comes around, all things Asian American suddenly pops up in the media, with books, articles, social media and streaming media. It has become the "trend" of the month and the rest of the year it goes back to normal. Although I am glad to see there is a month to acknowledge us, I'm hoping to see more Asian American Pacific Islander content that's more intentional and not just a "trend".
With that said, we've asked some people in our community what are some of their current favorite AAPI movies, TV shows, books, and social influencers (YouTubers, TikTokers, Instagram)!
MOVIES |
Always Be My Maybe (PG-13)
The Breadwinner (PG-13)
Crazy Rich Asians (PG-13)
Easter Sunday (PG-13)
Everything Everywhere All At Once (R)
The Farewell (PG)
Finding 'Ohana (PG)
The Half of It (PG-13)
Joyland
Joy Ride (R)
Mighty Little Bheem
Mira, Royal Detective (Y)
Minari (PG-13)
Nam June Paik:Moon is the Oldest TV
Never Have I Ever (PG-13)
Over The Moon (PG)
Polite Society
Raya and the Last Dragon (PG)
Searching (PG-13)
Set It Up (TV-14)
Sitara: Let Girls Dream (PG)
Marvel's Shang Chi (PG-13)
To All The Boys I've Loved Before (PG-13)
To All The Boys P.S. I Still Love You (PG-13)
To All The Boys Always and Forever (PG-13)
A Tourist's Guide to Love
Turning Red (PG)
Umma (PG-13)
Good Enemy - audible theater
Documentaries
Far East Deep South - an award winning documentary that takes you on a journey with the Chiu Family as they search about their lost family history in Mississippi.
TV SERIES |
American Born Chinese
BEEF (MA)
Bling Empire (MA)
Doogie Kamealoha, MD (PG)
Fresh Off The Boat (PG)
House of Ho (MA)
Kung Fu (TV-14)
Kim's Convenience (TV-14)
Ms. Marvel (TV-14)
Together as One
The Witcher: Blood Origin (MA)
XO, Kitty (TV-14)
BOOKS |
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Chlorine: A Novel by Jade Song
Hula by Jamin Iolani Hakes
Local: A Memoir by Jessica Machado
Natural Beauty: A Novel by Ling Ling Huang
The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim
The Not-So-Perfect Plan by Christina Matula
Rise: A Pop Up History of Asian American from the Nineties to Now - Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, Philip Wang
Sea Change: A Novel by Gina Chung
Uplifted: Journeys of Abundance, Community, and Identity by Geena Chen, Asian Hustle Network
We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu
Children's Books
A Child's Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander History:
The Heroes, the Stories, and the Cultures that Helped to Build America
(A Child's Introduction Series)
All My Rage - Sabaa Tahir
American Born Chinese - Gene Luen Yang
Amina's Voice - Hena Khan
An Asian American A to Z: A Children's Guide to Our History - Cathy Linh Che (Picture Book)
Bitty Bao books
A Different Pond - Bao Phi (Picture Book)
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
Finding Junie Kim - Ellen Oh
Flamer - Mike Curato
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trail That Galvanized the Asian American Movement - Paula Yoo
Front Desk series- Kelly Yang
Geraldine Pu and Her Lunchbox Too! - Maggie Chang
Green Lantern: Legacy - Minh Le
Golden Mountain Chronicles series - Laurence Yep
Hello Universe - Erin Entrada Kelly
Hundred Years of Happiness - Thanhha Lai
I Am American: The Wong Kim Ark Story (Picture Book) - Marcha Brockenbrough
I Am Golden - Eva Chen
I Love BOBA - Katrina Liu
Inside Out & Back Again - Thanhha Lai
Kalei's May Day in Hawaii Nei - Keilani Akoi Clark
Kira-Kira - Cynthia Kadohata
Last Chance - Maisy Chen
Laxmi's Mooch - Shelly Anand
Leila in Saffron - Rukhsanna Guidroz
Lucky Cat by AsianBossGirl
Maizy Chen's Last Chance - Lisa Yee
Monstrous - Sarah Myer
Obie is Man Enough - Schuyler Bailar
Role Models Who Look Like Me - Jasmine Cho
Ruby Lu books and Alvin Ho books by Lenore Look
Saints and Misfits - S.K. Ali
Secret Coders - Gene Yang
Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story - Paula Yoo (Picture Books)
This is Just a Test - Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Troublemaker - Jon Cho
Thao: A Picture Book - Thao Lam
We Are Not Free - Traci Chee
What's That? - Karen Chen
When Lola Visits - Michelle Sterling
You Are Here: Connecting Flights - Ellen Oh
PODCASTS AND SOCIAL PLATFORMS |
Asian Boss Girl - podcast for the modern day Asian American women
Asian Enough - all about being Asian-American
Dear Asian Americans - focus on authentic storytelling rooted in origin, identity, and legacy
Gen Asian - sharing stories from Asian Canadian millennials
The Infatu Asian Podcast - elevate Asian culture and creators
Love, Discovery & Dim Sum - an enlightening discussion on Asian American perspective on race and culture
The May Lee Show - conversations with those who are making an impact in the Asian American community
Mid Pacific - explores what it means to be Asian American
Outcasts the Podcasts - two girls from Macau
Perfectly Imperfect with Christina and Regina - for those searching for growth and acceptance
REEL Asian Podcast - focuses on Asian and Asian-American films, exploring themes and cultural impact
Self Evident Podcast - telling Asian American stories that impact lives
Shoes Off: A Sexy Asian Podcast - celebrates badass Asians who are making a mark on pop culture and entertainment
They Call Us Bruce - unfiltered conversations about what's happening in Asian America
YOUTUBE
Felix and Amanda Eats - Foodies Felix and Amanda take you around Hawaii for some good eats
Fong Bros - Two brothers discussing Asian representation
Wong Fu Productions - Dramatic Shorts and Comedy Sketches
Resources |
One thing I enjoy about learning other cultures is going to events and festivals. There are some great resources to find festivals in SoCal and even in other states.
Aloha World - resource for Hawaii events on the Mainland
Heleloa - resource for Hawaii events and businesses in Southern California
Japanese City - Japanese Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
Want to learn another language or skill? Youtube and Udemy are some great resources. Here are a few of our favorite links:
Have Fun Learning Japanese - Learning Japanese with Sayuri
Learn to Hula - Gloria
Chinese Cooking - Chun Shim
Sing-Along Learning Songs for Children - Be Studios Enhancing Wellness Through Creativity
Know of any other great resources? Email conniet@macaronikid.com and let us know!
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