#Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

[creatediana]

"At Night" by Yone Noguchi (1875–1947), the first Japanese-born writer to publish work in English

[elgaberino-mcoc]

MCOC WISHLIST TOP TEN MOST-WANTED ASIAN / PACIFIC CHAMPS, PART 2

Ranked by Summoners

014 Lady Deathstrike 017 Silver Samurai 023 Silk 031 Wenwu (The Mandarin) 041 Shatterstar* 047 Sunfire 064 Armor 065 Blink* 125 Daken 130 Radioactive Man

Vote: http://tinyurl.com/mcocwishlist 

*denotes Asian casting of a non-Asian character

[padawan-historian]

This May marks Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As we recommit ourselves to collective liberation and restorative learning, I wanted send out a gentle reminder that these months should not be the extent of your antiracist (un)learning (x)

1. The Korean Women’s Relief Society in Hawai’i was founded in 1919 in response to the  March First Independence Movement in Korea (that called for full independence from Imperial Japan). Along with organizing aid through the Korean Red Cross, the KWRS also organized cultural activities and events like this mock Korean wedding ceremony (1921).

2. A family of Chinese immigrants relaxes in a San Fransisco park (1980s).

3. The wives of the Philippine delegation accompany their partners to Washington D.C. campaigning for the recognition of their independence and island sovereignty; here they are received by First Lady Harding and Mme. De Veyra (1922).

4. American soldier John Konopka holds out a piece of candy to a young Korean child carried  men of the 25th infantry division relax during their advance against the Chinese communist enemy troops in Osan, Korea (1951).

5. Japanese serviceman, Neisi, poses with American Japanese women (1945).

6. Two Chinese soldiers hold the captured Japanese flag as journalist Walter G. Rundle applies first aid to a freed woman who the Japanese soldiers had forced to act as a comfort woman. Although these bondwomen were thought to have been of Chinese descent, additional research speculates that they hailed from Korea (1944).

7. Australian soldiers of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) pull together to throw a feast for the 50 displaced Korean children from Bukhansan Orphanage in Seoul. Private Alpha Cashmore Hunter and another unidentified soldier help pass out plates (+ chocolate). After dinner, a the soldiers gathered to listen to the children sing folk songs, play the piano and violin, and recite English classics (1951-53).

8. Young Japanese-Americans from the Y.W.C.A. Summer Camp in Pueblo, Colorado, many of them displaced by the Relocation Center at Granada, working alongside white local farmers (1943).

9. The champion Chinese Hose Team of America, triumphed in the great Hub-and-Hub race at Deadwood, South Dakota (1888).

[interact-if]

Final Day of our Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Featured Author Interviews, continuing with Ze Hai Lu!

Ze Hai Lu, one of authors of Chronicles of Tal’Dun: The Remainder

(VN)

This is a story of two magi, Vyn and Ilar, who find themselves trapped in a collapsing tower with their only hope for salvation being a difficult ritual. Or at least that is what Ilar tells you. The thing is - you don’t remember anything, and Ilar’s story makes less and less sense the closer you are to the ritual. Are they hiding things to protect you from the bitter truth, or are they deceiving you for some more nefarious reason?

Guide Vyn’s actions to death and beyond and uncover Ilar’s truth. Are they your colleague, lover or something completely different? Read between the lines of what they are telling you, explore your surroundings for clues and use hands-on deduction to break the viscious circle and set them free.

Read more about Chronicles of Tal’Dun: The Remainder here. Play the Game on Steam or Itch. Tags: Fantasy, Mystery.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!]

Q1. Hello! Could you tell us a little bit about to yourself and your project?

Chronicles of Tal'dun: The Remainder is a dark fantasy mystery game. I made it because I really wished that more games existed that focused on story, characters, mystery and surprises. My partner and I made it together, we learned how to write, produce music, script, and design in the process of making this game

I was a game artist for several years before this. I've always played casually with building stories and worlds, but never made a complete project until now.

I used to feel like I wasn't ready to create a compelling story, and was waiting until I became ready to start creating one, but making the Remainder has taught me that I'm ready when I decide I am.

Q2. What inspired your current project?

Games: Dark Souls, Hades, Dragon Age

Writers: Lois McMaster Bujold, Joe Abercrombie, Robert Anton Wilson

Film: Miyazaki

Q3. Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

I've moved every few years for most of my life, from several provinces in China, to Canada, to Germany, to America, to Croatia. I shifted through many worldviews, atheism, agnosticism, buddhism, christianity, agnosticism, sufism, liberalism, conservatism, anarchism, and more. I played with changing my body and my mind, and I never settled on one thing and said 'I am this'. I guess you could say I had a fluid identity. I think that's why the Remainder's story has a lot to do with change, and its characters are very diverse and weird. They're non-binary, they're non human, they anything but normal. Normal is a concept, an illusion. 

I've also dabbled in a few different spiritual practices and philosophies, and had a number of mind-altering experiences. A near-death experience, heroic doses of psychedelics, ayahuasca ceremonies, and deep meditative states. I borrow liberally from these to enrich the world and the story. The most inspiring one to me is Buddhism and its marks are all over the world and culture.

Q4. What are you most excited about your project?

I really enjoy the fact that since only two people work on the game, and we have no obligations to investors or publishers, we're free to experiment on many unconventional mechanics, subjedt matters, and storytelling techniques. We ended up with a story unlike any other I've read.

Q5. What has your experience writing an IF and with the IF community been like?

We didn’t know what to expect at first, but we're positively surprised at how helpful and friendly people have been. 

Q6. What changes in the IF community would you like to see?

We're relatively new to the community but we either got very lucky or the community is just very supportive and nice. We have no complaints at all.

Q7. What piece of advice would you give to fellow creators?

I've heard a few people express a desire to write a story but struggle with some sort of inhibitions that stop them from doing so. I hope they will give it a shot in spite of these fears. Even if it doesn't turn out perfectly at first, improvements will come. So long as you put down one word after another, you'll get better. There is no perfect, but all you need is good enough.

Not everyone will like your work, not everyone will care, but that's OK, the world is so big and filled with so many people that you will find those who will love it, and they will make it worthwhile. 

[writewithkora]

Just because you’re “only” half poc, doesn’t mean you’re only half as valid.

Remember that mixed kids were once illegal too.

[ayowotsdis]

CREATE MORE POC CHARACTERS THEN MAKING WHITE ONES POC!!!!!

Hollywood already did this with several redhead characters!!!!

As a poc myself I have something to say!!

You cannot just erase a characters whole racial identity just cuz you wanna jump into the Liberal wagon of woke.

Seriously we do not need another white character be poc. Just create stories with original thoughts with poc. Going again and again with same ideas, recreating a character who was loved already.

Several poc would agree with me on this.

It's asian and Pacific islander heritage month.

Everytime a poc tries to speak against something regarding poc in media WE GET CANCELLED FOR SPEAKING ABOUT OURSELVES!!!!

Everytime we get white people replaced by poc it feeds into a stereotype!!

Rather then making movies about poc and their stories and their struggles, we just fit into a white designed frame!!!

GIVE US OUR OWN STORIES!!!!!!

[bongwateronthevancarpet]

Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. - “Another Body Murdered” 1995 I couldn’t get enough of this song for like 3 years straight. Sorry this is the censored version, I wanted you to see the raw presence of these Samoan guys.

[transaurus]

I'm just slightly salty that Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is only recognised in America but like,, Asians and Pacific Islanders all over the world, I hope you know I love you

[agnesandhilda]

what a good day to remember that it's Asian and Pacific Islander heritage month

[elgaberino-mcoc]

MCOC WISHLIST: TOP FIVE MOST-WANTED ASIAN / PACIFIC CHAMPS

Ranked by Summoners

014 Lady Deathstrike 017 Silver Samurai 023 Silk 031 Wenwu (The Mandarin) 041 Shatterstar*

Vote: http://tinyurl.com/mcocwishlist 

*denotes Asian casting of a non-Asian character

[interact-if]

Day 7 of our Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Featured Author Interviews, continuing with Sou!

Sou, author of Cherry Soda

As children, an accident between you and your friend Ryan changed the course of your life forever. Since then, you have transversed the boundary of life and death: your waking moments are haunted by memories of the living and the remnants of the deceased.

The two of you diverged; Ryan began attending elite private academy, and you summarily moved across the country. A phone call years later between the two of ends with you promising to come visit her, a throwaway sentence you thought to be nothing more than a platitude.

Following six months of radio silence, you sense her death before the search team even finds her body. And suddenly, the phone call may have been part of something a lot larger.

Swept up in a whirlwind of the horrific inheritance she left behind for you to uncover, the more you investigate, the deeper the lies and secrets go. A reckless desperation to break the fate that threatened to overtake the both of you had led Ryan down a path of no return. The same path you now find yourself on.

Read more about Cherry Soda here.

Play the Demo here.

Tags: Fantasy.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!]

Q1. Hello! Could you tell us a little bit about to yourself and your project?

Hi, I'm Sou and I’m a first-generation Japanese immigrant. Cherry Soda is my first and only project at the moment. You play as a private school transfer student investigating the death of a childhood friend. It's a southern gothic with the bones of a murder mystery – something is hiding buried under layers of privilege and corruption, and with an (un)natural affinity for seeing beyond the veil, it's up to you to uncover the truth.

Q2. What inspired your current project?

I attended a private boarding school as a scholarship student for the majority of high school. If that sounds familiar, that's because the premise of my IF is based upon my experiences there. I recently lost my former roommate and good friend from said school, and while dealing with my grief, I ended up channeling it into my writing. Ultimately, I started this project with the intention to create a story with the overarching theme of exploring and coming to terms with loss, hence why the project is dedicated in his memory.

Q3. Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

It’s reflected through several aspects. The more apparent one is the portrayal of the supernatural. Shinto traditions shaped how I decided to approach the boundary between the living and the dead, and the concept of changing one’s “fate” or predestined future.

On a fundamental level, Cherry Soda is also a story about alienation. My personal experiences with the pressure to conform influenced the way I crafted the characters. It's not a one-to-one connection, but each of the ROs and by extension the MC, struggle to reconcile parts of their identity in this sort of privileged, elitist fishbowl the story is set within. Self-acceptance is a big theme in the story. It's a little impossible to divest my identity from my writing at this point, haha. It's a consistent presence when I create, and I hope it’s something people can relate with.

Q4. What are you most excited about your project?

[Spoiler], definitely. In all sincerity, I’m the most excited for people to solve the mystery. And whether it be making true-blue friendships, landing yourself in a relationship, or just dealing with school, there's plenty for everyone to look forward to. (Or losing your sanity. There's always that thrilling possibility.)

Q5. What has your experience writing an IF and with the IF community been like?

Interactive fiction is such a flexible medium, and there’s really no shortage of new ideas I can try to implement. Coding and writing gets difficult at times, but with all the amazing stories being put forth by equally amazing people, it’s easy to become inspired. I'm always so grateful for all the support and kindness I’ve received from both writers and readers alike.

Q6. What changes in the IF community would you like to see?

There’s a tendency in writing spheres to view Asian cultures through a colonial lense – which ultimately manifests portrayals that fall into harmful stereotypes and racist caricatures. The diasporic, immigrant, and local experiences are nuanced in their differences, and I think it goes without saying that research and respect goes a long way with accurate representation. Taking feedback, seeking out resources, listening to people and their stories – all of these are such vital steps and so often overlooked. Nobody is exempt from learning.

Q7. What piece of advice would you give to fellow creators?

Go crazy, go stupid. But honestly, don’t be afraid to make the leap. As cliche as it is, everyone has a story to tell. Someone out there will love what you have to say, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Starting out can be difficult, but everyone is a beginner at one point. Be kind to yourself, try things out, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

(And remember to take breaks. Burnout is not your friend.)

[onelonelystory]

One time I was in a group of all Asians for an assignment on diversity and general cultural knowledge. The only question we answered incorrectly was “Which month is Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month?”

Anyway one of my white exes texted me to wish me a happy Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month today, so.

Happy Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

[thediaryofatheatrekid]

Casting Goals: Sweeney Todd (Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month)

1. Jon Jon Briones as Sweeney Todd 2 Joan Almedilla as Mrs. Lovett 3. Darren Criss as Anthony Hope 4. Ashley Park as Johanna Barker 5. Hoon Lee as Judge Turpin 6. Jose Llana as Beadle Bamford 7. Karen Olivo as Beggar Woman 8. Jin Ha as Adolfo Pirelli

Honorable Mentions: Ali Ewoldt as Johanna Barker DeeDee Magno-Hall as Mrs. Lovett Jon Jon Briones as Judge Turpin Lianah Sta. Ana as Johanna Barker Marcus Choi as Beadle Bamford Michael K. Lee as Sweeney Todd Ramin Karimloo as Judge Turpin

[reedienews]

On Saturday evening, come celebrate our inaugural Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a night of delicious food from local API-owned caterers followed by some lively dancing and music with DJ Anjali.

Co-sponsored by the Multicultural Resource Center, the Office for Institutional Diversity, and the Office for Inclusive Community. 

Free and open to the public.

[evipineschi]

The last week really got away from me but I'm determined to finish these Asian and Pacific Islander Month Comics!!! I would've loved to have ended everything perfectly on May 31st but it's looking unlikely. I'll get the last few up as soon as I can and thank you for reading!!