Through the lens of the country’s fastest growing population, Asian Americans illuminates the way one group of Americans, who were long excluded and considered outsiders, have pursued two visions of the American Dream: one of opportunity and a better life, but also the pursuit of ideals of equality and a more perfect union.

This five-part documentary series traces the epic story of Asian Americans, and the vital role they have played in defining who we are as a nation, spanning 150 years of immigration, racial politics, international relations, and cultural innovation.

As the United States is rapidly becoming more diverse, but also more divided, their stories are a celebration of the grit and resilience of a people that reflects the experience of all Americans.

Episode 1: Breaking Ground
In an era of exclusion and U.S. empire, new immigrants arrive from China, India, Japan, the Philippines and beyond. Barred by anti-Asian laws, they become America’s first “undocumented immigrants,” yet they build railroads, dazzle on the silver screen, and take their fight for equality to the U.S. Supreme Court.