May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This month highlights the historical and cultural contributions of many races, beginning with the Chinese and their mass contribution to the Transcontinental Railroad. As we celebrate AAPI heritage month, here are five movies you can watch to better understand this national observance month.
5. Fresh Off the Boat (2015)
An Asian American family decides to migrate from Washington D.C. to Orlando, Florida in order to fulfill their American Dream. This comedy series showcases the struggles of the family of six, as they attempt to settle into a foreign country. You can find and watch this on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
4. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Evelyn Wang finds herself in an awkward position at work and at home. A laundromat close to shutting down, an unstable relationship with her husband, and bad terms with her father and daughter has Evelyn worried about everything. A meeting with a strange bureaucrat changes her perspective, as a strange rift opens up with multiple parallel universes. Evelyn must adapt to her new powers, and conquer an evil force, adding even more to her plate. You can watch this movie on Netflix, Paramount +, and Amazon Prime Video.
3. Never Have I Ever (2020)
After the death of her father which left her paralyzed in the legs all freshman year, Devi Vishwakumari, a 15-year-old first generation Indian American, looks to find a way to drop her nickname as “Crazy Devi” and climb the social ladder at her school. This coming of age comedy showcases the ups and downs of Devi’s messy social and love life. You can watch it on Netflix.
2. Minari (2020)
A Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of the American dream. The family faces many challenges as they try to adjust to their new life and make a living off their farm land, however these challenges teach them the lessons of family resilience and what really makes a home. You can watch this movie on Netflix, Youtube, and Amazon Prime.
1. The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Inspired by Amy Tan’s bestselling novel, the movie follows an aging group of Chinese women in San Francisco, who form a club where they regularly share stories over games of Majiang. The movie lets you follow each member as they face their traumas in order to help their Americanized daughters. You can watch this movie on Hulu, Hoopla, and FuboTV.
