Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. We continue our celebration with some of the best television shows starring Asian American and Pacific Islander actors or hailing from AAPI directors and producers. Check out a list of our favorite AAPI TV shows inside.
A simple way to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month is by supporting the creators who are uplifting their communities and making sure the next generation is properly represented onscreen. Everyone deserves to see themselves on the big screen and for their stories to be heard. We decided to spotlight some of the best TV shows, highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander talent. From comedies, thrillers and dramas, these TV shows are sure to keep you entertained.
Amongst our curated list of excellent AAPI shows are some notable series like Dwayne Johnson’s “Young Rock” and Netflix’s newest popular limited series “Beef,” starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. There are some lesser known series on the list that deserve attention like Prime Video’s “The Cleaning Lady” and Hulu’s “Pen15.” The talent is stellar and should be praised beyond their cultural identity. Wong argues that Asian Americans are past needing representation and are valued for their talents beyond their racial identity.
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In order for more stories to be heard, fans have to do their part and support existing content available now on TV. Be sure to binge these AAPI shows this month and the next (and the next and the next).
We compiled a list of our favorites but comment some of your favorite AAPI shows below if we missed any.
Check out a list of our favorite AAPI TV shows below:
1. Never Have I Ever
Created by Mindy Kaling, the comedy-drama focuses on a first-generation Indian-American named Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) who seeks popularity at school.
Watch on Netflix.
2. Fresh off the Boat
Randall Park and Constance Wu spearhead the six-season sitcom based on chef Eddie Huang’s best-selling memoir of the same name. It’s a humorous look at the lives of immigrants in America as Eddie’s family moves to suburban Orlando in pursuit of the American dream.
Watch on Hulu.
3. Beef
A road rage incident between two strangers (Wong and Yeun) — a failing contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur — sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses.
Watch on Netflix.
4. Squid Games
The South Korean survival drama took the world by storm. Eyes were glued to the TV as hundreds of contestants in need of money accepted an invitation to compete in children’s games despite the deadly stakes.
Watch on Netflix.
5. Kim's Convenience
The Canadian sitcom focuses on the Korean-Canadian Kim family and depicts the ins-and-outs of running a “Mom and Pop” convenience store in a culture that’s not your own in hopes of giving your kids a better life. The series is based on Ins Choi’s 2011 play of the same name.
Watch on Netflix.
6. Young Rock
The year is 2032 and Dwayne Johnson is running for president, which forces him to be a little introspective as he takes a comedic look back on his childhood, his teenage years, and all the moments that shaped him into a man qualified to lead the American people.
Watch on Peacock.
7. Warrior
In this crime drama, martial arts prodigy and Chinese immigrant, Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), arrives in San Francisco and becomes a hit man for a powerful organized crime family in Chinatown amidst the gang wars.
Watch on Prime Video.
8. Killing Eve
Sandra Oh stars as Eve, a MI5 security officer who pursues Villanelle, a skilled assassin. As they indulge in a cat-and-mouse game, they find themselves equally as obsessed with one another.
Watch on Hulu.
9. PEN15
Comics Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, as adults, play versions of themselves in the year 2000 as they navigate the ups-and-downs of middle school.
Watch on Hulu.
10. Sunnyside
Kal Penn stars as Garret Modi, the youngest Queens councilman ever elected, whose reputation takes a hit. He’s forced to move in with his sister and figure out how to get back on his feet. He’s eventually hired on by a group of idealists who need his assistance to become citizens.
Watch on Prime Video.
11. Wu Assassins
The supernatural action series focuses on Kai Jin (Iko Uwais), a young Chinatown chef in present-day San Francisco, who has a mystical encounter and reluctantly becomes the latest in line of Wu Assassins in order to stop criminals from destroying the world.
Watch on Netflix.
12. Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area
If you got through the list and still need something to watch, keep your eyes peeled for this Korean remake of the Spanish hit crime drama “Money Heist.” It’s set in the fictional Joint Economic Area, “in a world where the Korean Peninsula faces reunification.” It has an impressive cast featuring “Parasite” star Park Myung-hoon, “Lost” actor Yunjin Kim, and “Squid Game’s” Park Hae-soo.
Watch on Netflix.
13. The Cleaning Lady
The crime series by Miranda Kwok tackles immigration issues as Cambodian doctor Thony De La Rosa comes to the U.S. to get life-saving treatment for her son. When the system fails her, she stumbles into a life of organized crime in order to ensure her child’s survival.
Watch on Apple TV.
14. Kung Fu
Olivia Liang stars as Nicky Chen, a Chinese-American woman going through a quarter-life crisis who drops out of college and seeks guidance at a monastery in China. When she returns home, she realizes her community is in trouble, so she finds her purpose by protecting them from crime and corruption while setting her sights on an assassin who killed her mentor.
Watch on HBO Max.
15. Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens
As the title of the comedy implies, Awkwafina stars as Nora in a scripted series about her real-life beginnings in Flushing, New York, as she leans on her family, including cousin, dad, and grandma, to navigate young adulthood.
