As Asian Americans face racist attacks, a PBS series celebrates their unsung history
Like many immigrant children, Daniel Dae Kim didn't learn of the hard-won American dream that brought his parents to the United States until later in life. He was a teenager when they finally told him their story, one that resembled those chronicled in PBS' five-part docuseries "Asian Americans," a landmark program spanning 150 years that couldn't arrive at a more timely moment.
They described how, when he was 1 year old, they'd come to the U.S. from South Korea with just $200. Eventually, the family put down roots in Pennsylvania. "From that they built a whole life for themselves and raised three happy, healthy children, one of whom who is fortunate enough to speak to you right now," said Kim, known for his roles on "Lost" and "Hawaii Five-0."
Tamlyn Tomita was a junior high student in the San Fernando Valley when she learned that America had incarcerated 120,000 persons of Japanese descent, including U.S.-born Japanese American citizens, during World War II. The "Joy Luck Club" actress would later launch her career with "The Karate Kid Part II" and help tell stories of internment on screen. On that day
