Little America, seasons 1 and 2, tell 16 different stories of 16 different people and families. We see why they came to America, where they lived, what they did to survive, how they thrived, what they accomplished. They came from everywhere in the world, spoke many languages, and had many dreams.

Little America came out in 2020, a very different time. These stories of survival and success as immigrants became contributors to American life are more relevant than ever in 2026. I’m glad Apple TV+ decided to run the series again now.

I’ll start you off with the trailer for season 1. It will give you an idea of the diversity of the stories.

Instead of summarizing every individual story, I’ll give you a few highlights. The smiling woman up at the top came from Uganda. She made a living as a baker and became famous for her chocolate chip cookies.

There was a Korean woman who only wanted to play baseball and started a women’s baseball team. There was a French woman who fell in love at a silent retreat.

There was a young girl who joined a squash team to get a free pair of shoes and became a leader in the world of women’s athletics.

There was a 12 year old boy who ran the family’s motel when his parents were deported. There was a gay man from Syria who would have been killed at home. There was a Nigerian student in Oklahoma who learned to be a cowboy and went on to be a university professor himself.

There was a big dreamer and hustler who bought a lot because it was the only one he could afford. He didn’t see the house-sized rock planted there as an obstacle to his dream home.

There was a Korean boy who helped his mother in her hat shop and went on to become a famous hat designer. There was a woman from Sri Lanka who managed to win a car by kissing it for over two days without stopping. There was a Somali chef in Minnesota who dreamed of selling camel on a stick at the state fair. He’s still selling camel burgers in his restaurant.

There was a young woman from El Salvador who went to live with her sister in the mansion where the sister worked. She became a gardener.

You might recognize a few of the actors like June Squibb, Phylicia Rashad, or Mélanie Laurent, but most of the stories featured unknown actors. To a person, they were excellent. Every episode was beautifully written, directed, and acted. The settings were well chosen. Lee Eisenberg, Emily V. Gordon, and Kumail Nanjiani developed the series.

The writers and directors were often directly related to the country of origin of the immigrant in the story. The music was always authentic. There were a lot of women directors: Deepa Mehta, Aurora Guerrero, Siân Heder, Tara Miele, Diane Paragas, Gita Pullapilly, Patricia Riggen, and Tinge.

This was a wonderful and powerful series. I hope people watch it and think about the importance of new people and new ideas to the success of the country.