04 May Rocky Mountain PBS Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month programming

This just in from Joni Sakaguchi of the Japanese American Resource Center of Colorado: Here’s a list of PBS programs being shown for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month through Rocky Mountain PBS. These documentaries appear a bit heavy on Pacific Islander coverage but that’s cool. Especially here in Colorado, there’s a great deal of interest in Pacific Islander history and culture. JARCC is the organization that has a small museum and exhibit space on the 2nd floor of Sakura Square at 19th and Lawrence that’s open by appointment only or on the second Saturday of every month from 11am-2pm (303-650-0708):

PACIFIC HEARTBEAT
PAPA MAU: THE WAYFINDER
Sunday, May 6 › 1pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
In 1974, Hawaiians sailed the traditional voyaging canoe HÃ…ÃŒkÅ«le’a from Hawai’i to Tahiti and proved to the world that their ancestors had explored the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean by navigating with the stars. Papa Mau: The Wayfinder is the story of critical role that master navigator Mau Piailug played in that voyage, and the rebirth of Polynesian unity and pride that followed. The HÃ…ÃŒkÅ«le’a was built by members of the newly formed Polynesian Voyaging Society, who dreamed of sailing in the way of their ancestors. Shortly thereafter, a search began for someone who could teach them the art of non-instrument navigation, which had been all but lost until they met Micronesian-born Mau, who agreed to share his knowledge. Follow the remarkable journey of an iconic voyaging canoe and a new generation of Hawaiian navigators who, under the guidance of Papa Mau, revitalized and reclaimed Polynesia’s voyaging tradition. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen

PACIFIC HEARTBEAT
WAIMEA ‘UKULELE & SLACK KEY GUITAR
Sunday, May 6 › 2pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
This performance documentary provides an insider’s peek into the unparalleled talent and camaraderie of the Waimea ‘Ukulele and Slack Key Guitar Institute, held annually in the quaint cowboy town of Waimea on Hawai’i Island. During the five-day event, some of the world’s finest ‘ukulele and slack key guitar artists gather to share their passion for music with aspiring musicians, fans, and one another through one-of-a-kind workshops and rousing concert performances. Featured musicians include Muriel Anderson, Danny Carvalho, Benny Chong, Kalai Ho’opi’i, Richard Ho’opi’i, Bobby Ingano,Ledward Kaapana, Mike Kaawa, David Kamakahi, Dennis Kamakahi, Ozzie Kotani, Sonny Lim, Aaron Mahi, Chino Montero, Cyril Pahinui, and Jeff Peterson. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen

INDEPENDENT LENS
SUMMER PASTURE
Thursday, May 10 › 10pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
“Summer Pasture” is the story of a young nomadic couple living with their infant daughter in the high grasslands of eastern Tibet. The film offers a rare window into a highly insular community seldom seen by outsiders. In the collective imagination of Tibet, nomads have traditionally occupied a dual role – romanticized as embodying the purest form of Tibetan identity and mocked as being backwards, uncivilized and inferior. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK SOO
Sunday, May 13 › 4:30pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
This program tells the story of a pioneering American entertainer, Jack Soo, an Oakland native who became the first Asian American to be cast in the lead role in a regular television series, “Valentine’s Day” (1963), and later starred in the popular comedy show “Barney Miller” (1975-1978). Featuring rare footage and interviews with Soo’s co-stars and friends, including actors George Takei, Nancy Kwan and Max Gail, comedians Steve Landesberg and Gary Austin, and producer Hal Kanter, the film traces Soo’s early beginnings as a nightclub singer and comedian, to his breakthrough role as Sammy Fong in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Broadway play and film version of “The Flower Drum Song”. The film also explores why Soo, a former internee who was actually born Goro Suzuki, was forced to change his name in the post WWII era, in order to perform in clubs in the midwest. Because of his experiences, throughout his career in films and television, Soo refused to play roles that were demeaning to Asian Americans and often spoke out against negative ethnic portrayals. The film shows how Soo’s work laid the groundwork for a new generation of Asian American actors and comedians. High Definition

Watch Finding Your Roots: Sanjay Gupta, Margaret Cho & Martha Stewart – Preview on PBS. See more from Finding Your Roots.

FINDING YOUR ROOTS
SANJAY GUPTA, MARGARET CHO AND MARTHA STEWART
Sunday, May 13 › 7pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
The three guests in this episode are all children of first- or second-generation immigrants and share the peculiar burdens of that heritage. In an episode that crisscrosses the planet, from India to Korea to Poland, catch a glimpse of three distinct yet oddly overlapping experiences of families leaving their homes and becoming American. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen

Watch Heart Strings: The Story of the Kamaka ‘Ukulele on PBS. See more from pbs.

HEART STRINGS: THE STORY OF THE KAMAKA ‘UKULELE’
Sunday, May 20 › 1:30pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
For nearly 100 years, Kamaka and Sons from their tiny shop in Honolulu, have crafted the diminutive instrument that has become the gold standard for ‘ukuleles worldwide. This program is a Hawaiian story about age-old values of hard work, fortitude, honesty and creativity from a distinctly Hawaiian point of view. Rooted in such concepts as aloha (unconditional love), malama (to serve and care for)and pono (doing what’s right), this film offers insight into this family of businessmen and artists and how they work together to preserve the family tradition of success and artistry. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen

PACIFIC HEARTBEAT
THERE ONCE WAS AN ISLAND – TE HENUA E NNOHO
Sunday, May 20 › 2pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
There Once was an Island – Te Henua e Nnoho gives a human face to the issue of global climate change. It is the story of a Pacific Island community fighting to preserve what really matters in the face of rising tides. Takuu Atoll is an idyllic home to articulate, educated people who maintain a 1,200-year-old culture and language. The island is disintegrating and when scientists arrive to investigate, residents realize that their attempts to preserve the atoll are making the situation worse. With limited means of communication or outside support, the people of Takuu must make the heart-wrenching decision of whether to risk their safety and remain on their beloved island or become environmental refugees and begin new lives in neighboring, but foreign, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. There Once Was an Island – Te Henua e Nnoho is a sobering expose on climate change and how a community’s sense of identity will be lost in the rising tides. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen

INDEPENDENT LENS
LEFT BY THE SHIP
Thursday, May 24 › 10:30pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
JR, Charlene, Margarita and Robert are half American; they are among the many children born to U.S. servicemen who were stationed in military bases in the Philippines until 1992. Like most Filipino Amerasians, they were left behind by their biological fathers and largely forgotten. Over the course of two years, they delve into the psychological and social consequences of the U.S. military presence and its legacy. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen

PACIFIC HEARTBEAT
UNDER A JARVIS MOON
Sunday, May 27 › 2pm
on Rocky Mountain PBS
Under a Jarvis Moon is the story of 130 young men from Hawai’i who, from the late 1930s through the early years of World War II, were part of a clandestine mission by the U.S. federal government to occupy desert islands in the middle of the Pacific. The first wave of these colonists were Hawaiian high school students, chosen because government officials assumed Pacific Islanders could best survive the harsh conditions present on the tiny, isolated islands. For the young men, who were unaware of the true purpose of their role as colonists, what ensued is a tale of intrigue, courage, and ultimately, tragedy. Amazingly, these men (four of whom are still alive) are only now being recognized for their sacrifice, and efforts are underway for the United States to officially acknowledge them for serving their country. High Definition | Anamorphic Widescreen