In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Center for Asian American Media is proud to present the following world premieres on public television:
Nailed It: Vietnamese Americans & The Nail Industry – May 7, 2019
Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story – May 20, 2019
Next Gen Asian American Art – May 1, 2019
In Nailed It, director Adele Pham deftly captures an unforgettable and often hilarious saga born of tragedy, charting the rise, struggle, stereotypes, and steady hold Vietnamese Americans have on today’s multiethnic $8 billion dollar nail economy. Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story, directed by Dianne Fukami, is a uniquely American story, detailing Mineta’s experience incarcerated in a Japanese American WWII internment camp to his rise in American government. Still thriving today in his 80s, he’s celebrated as a bipartisan visionary. Next Gen Asian American Art, directed by S. Steve Arounsack, explores how Asian Americans in California’s Central Valley use art to reshape narratives about and within their communities, featuring artists from diverse Asian backgrounds in a region better known for its agricultural productivity.
“We are proud to present these compelling stories to the public, stories that bridge cultural divides, and that promote greater empathy and understanding of America’s diversity,” said CAAM Executive Director Stephen Gong.
The projects are supported or co-produced by CAAM, with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Please check local listings for all programs.
Nailed It: Vietnamese Americans & The Nail Industry (dir. Adele Pham, funded by CAAM)
Broadcast – Tuesday, May 7, 2019 on WORLD Channel (check local listings)
Visit any strip mall in the United States, and there’s bound to be a Vietnamese nail salon. While ubiquitous in cities across the country, few Americans know the history behind the salons and the 20 Vietnamese refugee women, who in 1975, sparked a multibillion dollar industry that supports their community to this day. Weaving powerful personal stories with insightful interviews, Nailed It, a new documentary by director Adele Free Pham, captures an unforgettable and often hilarious saga born of tragedy, charting the rise, struggle, stereotypes, and steady hold Vietnamese Americans have on today’s multiethnic $8 billion dollar nail economy.
Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story (dir. Dianne Fukami, funded by CAAM)
Broadcast – May 20, 2019 9pm (check local listings)
was Grand Marshal, Courtesy Mineta Legacy Project
A son of immigrants and forced into a U.S. World War II concentration camp as a child, Norman Mineta became the first Asian American mayor of a major city (San Jose, California); leading to a distinguished 20-year career in Congress; the first Asian American Cabinet member, serving two U.S. Presidents, a Democrat and Republican. He never forgot his roots or the shame and humiliation he and his family felt during WWII, and led the way for an apology from the U.S. government and redress for Japanese Americans. On September 11, 2001, his leadership as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, would ensure that what happened to Japanese Americans during WWII did not happen to any other group based on ethnicity or religion.
Next Gen Asian American Art (dir. S. Steve Arounsack, funded by CAAM)
Broadcast – May 1, 2019 (check local listings)
Next Gen Asian American Art (formerly titled Halfway Home: Asian American Art in the Central Valley), produced and directed by S. Steve Arounsack, co-produced by CAAM, and executive produced by David Hosley, explores how Asian Americans in California’s Central Valley are using art to reshape narratives about and within their communities. Lon La Dee Chan of Stockton, Nikiko Masumoto of Del Rey and Paramjeet Kaur and Harjeet Singh of Yuba City are portrayed creating distinctive art in a region better known for its agricultural productivity. Three of them are immigrants, and in celebrating their communities these vanguards are crafting hybrids halfway between their ancestral cultures and today’s California’s contemporary culture. Project partners are the Center for Asian American Media and KVIE Public Television. The program was shot in 4K HD. Funding comes from the California Arts Council and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
