Eastern Kentucky and most of Appalachia had a thriving coal industry for more than 100 years. We went to coal country to talk to people about how much Appalachia has changed with its decline.
Coal has been the lifeblood of Appalachia for generations. We traveled to Kentucky to find out how the decline of coal has affected their lives and their communities, which were literally built for the industry.
Although the decline of coal in Appalachia has had a severe impact on communities there, there are some ways that the region can transition and thrive without the coal industry. We traveled to eastern Kentucky to find people who are trying to make that happen.
Boston, Massachusetts, was once home to one of the first major Syrian communities in the United States, starting in the 1890s. This was at a time when Syrians fought to be classed as “white” to gain citizenship. Though no physical traces of “Syriantown” remain, the memory of the vibrant community lives on in one of its last surviving residents: Olivia Waishek.
AJ+ producer Omar Duwaji goes home to Massachusetts to talk to his parents about immigrating from Syria. Together they explore what it meant as new immigrants to raise children in this country and how important it was to pass along their language and culture to them.
Zainab Abdo and her family fled Syria when war reached their doorstep. We met up with her to hear about their journey and how they ended up in the suburbs of Boston.
Chicago has a long history of racist housing policies that have led to a racially divided city – a major factor behind the city's reputation of violence.
Black and Latino students are suffering the most from the inequity in Chicago's public schools. Why is that?
AJ+ spent a day on the South Side of Chicago with Ja'Mal Green, a popular activist who's fighting to take back the narrative in the Auburn Gresham and Englewood neighborhoods.
The common narrative of Chicago is one of violence, homicides and guns. But there's a lot more to Chi-Town than mainstream media would lead us to believe.
Chinese-Americans have a long history of facing exclusion in the U.S. As a means of survival, many first-wave Chinese immigrants opened restaurants and catered Chinese food to American tastebuds.
There's a rather unknown community of Chinese-Americans who've lived in the Mississippi Delta for more than a hundred years. They played an important role in the segregated South in the middle of the 20th century. Join us as we get a taste of Southern Chinese food and learn about the unique history of the Delta Chinese.
Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley is the Chinese food mecca of the U.S., representing dishes from most regions of China. In this video, we'll learn how the newest wave of mainland Chinese immigrants are impacting the food scene
In this video, we divide the history of Chinese immigration to the U.S. into four major periods, identifying the push and pull of forces in each country.
Alaska's indigenous people have fought against colonization, assimilation and exploitation — this is their story.
ANWR is a critical habitat for polar bears, as well as the calving grounds of the porcupine caribou herd, which the Gwich'in people depend upon for survival. AJ+ goes above the Arctic Circle to a village where the Gwich'in way of life is at stake as Congress prepares to approve drilling for oil in the refuge.
Marjorie, a young Alaska Native woman, gives facial tattoos to indigenous women as a way to connect with a culture once banned by missionaries. She hopes this reconnection and renewed cultural pride will help Alaska's indigenous communities heal from years of exploitation, assimilation and discrimination.
The indigenous people of Alaska face many harmful misconceptions and stereotypes. This is what they have to say about these commonly held beliefs.
Los Angeles is home to the largest community of Iranians outside of Iran. But what are the origins of this slice of Iran in America, aka “Tehrangeles”?
Young Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles face two stereotypes: the wealthy snob or the “scary terrorist.” But they're way cooler than that.
Iranian-American AJ+ Producer Yara Elmjouie takes us to meet his parents and reflects on his own experience growing up as a second-generation Iranian-American.
Iranian-Americans (aka Persians) break down common myths and misconceptions about them, and tell the world what being "Persian" really means.
The U.S. territory of Guam has a unique history as one of the longest-running colonies in history. How did it get this way?
More Americans from Guam serve in the U.S. military, per capita, than from any U.S. state. But they can’t even vote for president.
There’s a growing movement of young people on Guam who envision a sustainable future for the island. They want to end the island's dependency on imported processed foods, which has been ongoing since World War II and has led to high rates of heart disease and diabetes.
What does it mean to be a citizen of a United States territory and also be indigenous? The Chamorro people on Guam tell us about their multifaceted — and often complicated — identity.
What's it like to be a young Deaf college student at Gallaudet University? Gallaudet isn't just a school – it's the center of the American Deaf community. Here's why there's so much more to being Deaf than you think.
Pearl Pearson is a Deaf, Black man who survived a brutal beating by Oklahoma Highway Patrol in 2014. Not only were the troopers cleared of wrongdoing, but Pearl was also charged with resisting arrest. This is his story.
Shaheem Sanchez is a Deaf dancer and instructor with his own method of feeling music's vibrations to learn a song.
Deafness is not a disability – it's a community and culture with its own language. Here are some answers to the questions you might have about what it means to be Deaf.
We’re excited about Priyanka Chopra and Mindy Kaling’s upcoming Indian wedding movie, but what if you're just an ordinary millennial desi? Young Indian American couples can face a tough choice: Do they strictly adhere to the traditional expectations of their parents, or modernize the ceremony to be more "American"?
A growing number of truckers in the U.S. are Sikhs from Punjab, India. Some of them have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and faced detention to realize their American dream.
One out of every 10 Korean Americans are adopted. But why? And what’s it like for adoptees to return to their birthland for the first time?
In South Korea, one in three women under 30 has had plastic surgery — most often to enlarge their eyes, and now to slim their faces too. It’s a trend that’s influenced by selfie apps like Snow and Facetune, and K-pop stars like SixBomb and Kwanghee. And now Americans are also taking part.
Meet Chinese cowboy Bruce Wang, an international student in Texas who decided to transform to fit in. He learned a Southern accent by watching Duck Dynasty and got a job on a ranch. AJ+ host Dolly Li traveled to Lubbock to understand how – and why – a Chinese city boy became a Texan cowboy.
Welcome to Donald Chen’s Texas ranch: a place where Chinese gun lovers live out firearm fantasies that are largely forbidden in China. For Chen, this is the American Dream.