Premiering on May 13th on HBO Max, “THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIA AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS” arrives as a timely and deeply personal documentary exploring identity, belonging, and the layered meaning of AAPI pride. Directed by Eugene Yi and shaped through interviews conducted by journalist Jada Yuan, the film gathers a wide-ranging group of voices whose experiences reflect the diversity and complexity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora.

Among those featured are Sandra Oh, Tammy Duckworth, Kumail Nanjiani, Bowen Yang, and Connie Chung, alongside figures from across disciplines, including activism, science, food, and the arts. The documentary expands beyond celebrity, assembling a chorus of perspectives that includes Schuyler Bailar, Amanda Nguyen, DJ Rekha, Cliff Kapono, and many more.

Rather than presenting a single, unified definition of what it means to be AAPI, “THE A LIST” leans into multiplicity. Through moments of humor, vulnerability, and reflection, participants recount their personal journeys—navigating cultural expectations, confronting discrimination, and ultimately finding community. The film’s guiding thread is the concept of “ethnic pride,” framed not as a slogan but as a lived, evolving relationship with heritage, identity, and self-worth.

What sets Yi’s documentary apart is its intimacy. These are not polished or rehearsed narratives; they feel immediate, at times raw, as if the audience is being invited into conversations that have long gone unheard. That authenticity gives the film its emotional weight, transforming it from a collection of interviews into something closer to a shared reckoning.

At a moment when questions of representation and cultural storytelling are increasingly urgent, “THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIA AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS” offers a space for nuance, honesty, and connection. It’s a reminder that identity is not singular, but prismatic—and that within those differences lies a powerful sense of belonging.