Bay Area Revelations: Asian American Pioneers

In this installment of our Emmy-award winning documentary series, Bay Area Revelations, we profile how the people of Asia profoundly shaped the modern Bay Area.

The very first asian immigrant arrived to the Bay Area before the Gold Rush and settled in San Francisco's Chinatown. The people of Asia have been excluded, imprisoned and vilified. Yet, they fought for their right to stay and work here. And, because of that, Asian Americans have made a big impact in Bay Area politics, arts, philanthropy and, of course, cuisine.

Our interviews include former Congressman Mike Honda, a survivor of internment camps; Vivek Ranadivé, the first Indian-American to own an NBA team; the Filipino entrepreneur who made personal computers possible; and the family who opened up the very first Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco.

An encore presentation of this episode will air on broadcast television on May 1, 2021 on NBC Bay Area.

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