We started the Asians at Xbox Community two years ago in the hope of giving our community a space where they can connect and support one another. We also wanted to contribute to the important mission of creating a safe place where everyone on the planet can experience the joys of gaming as we advocate and empower our community’s stunning, groundbreaking content. Today we’re celebrating AAPI Heritage Month on Xbox for the first time. We are grateful for the platform and for being part of a gaming community that promotes inclusivity and representation.
You may be wondering why the first time? Why now? The horrific events that have taken place against our Asia-American and Pacific islander communities in recent months have deepened our community support and celebration efforts. Asian xenophobia is not new, but in 2020 there have been many hate crimes related to COVID-19 against members of the AAPI community, especially the elderly and women. These attacks are terrifying and reprehensible, but we remain strong and vigilant in our endeavors, with the support of our Xbox family, to raise awareness, take action, and celebrate our heritage and contributions. The fight against systematic racism is one that we all face, and we remain united in strength and partnership with our allies to advance efforts to prevent and ultimately eliminate all forms of bias, discrimination and racism, including anti-Asian hatred.
Xbox will serve the Asian-American and Pacific islander communities, including staff and gamers, through partnerships and initiatives that address issues that have historically and uniquely impacted the AAPI community. We will continue to advocate content and causes that reflect the diversity of today’s gamers and empower those across the industry. We agree with a quote from actress Sandra Oh: “I’m #ProudToBeAsian”
We invite you to join this celebration of the culture and contributions of the Asia-American Pacific and Islander community. Here are some of the ways Xbox is planning to honor these communities this month::
Xbox games
Xbox will dedicate our live streaming content in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by featuring Asian and Pacific Islander protagonists in games, developers, and content creators / streamers! Follow us on Twitch.tv/Xbox so you don’t miss any of the action!
- Week of May 3rd – AAPI Community Appreciation Week
- “Let’s play and watch games with the AAPI community on the front lines.”
- Week of May 10th – AAPI Community Takeover Week
- “Meet new and familiar faces in the AAPI gaming community”
- Week of May 24th – AAPI Community Appreciation Week
- “Let’s play and watch games with the AAPI community on the front lines.”
Xbox ambassador
In the Xbox Ambassadors Community, we’re dedicated to sharing and amplifying community voices. In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we asked those who identify as Asian and Pacific Islanders in the Xbox Ambassadors community how games with different representations have impacted them and their stories of being a member Gaming community to share.
Here are their stories: https://blog-ambassadors.xbox.com/
Microsoft Rewards on Xbox
Microsoft Rewards members in the US can earn points and donate Asian American Advancing Justice | AAJC and Asia-Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) via Xbox. All Microsoft Rewards donations will be pooled by Microsoft during the month of May to commemorate the Month of the Heritage of the Asian-American and Pacific Islanders.
Xbox players can earn Microsoft Rewards points in a number of ways, including: B. When playing or buying games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. Join today and Donate via Xbox.
Minecraft
Mojang Studios supported the AAPI community with a donation of $ 100,000 Promote Justice AAJC and will highlight the voices of the AAPI community later this month.
Xbox Game Club
The Xbox Community Game Club is a weekly opportunity to play, share and discuss games together as a community. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month we are for the entire month of May with games created with or by individuals who identify themselves as Asian or Pacific Islanders. Check in weekly to discover your next favorite game and use #XboxGameClub to let us know about some of your favorite games with members of this community.
Collections curated by Asian American and Pacific islanders
In May and beyond, we’ll feature games, movies, and TV selected by Asian and Pacific Islanders at Microsoft that celebrate the wide variety of identities of East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders.
Check out a few highlights from the complete game collection With Creator, Protagonists playable characters, and Character creation options::
- Outer wilderness – Check out this otherworldly open world secret from Japanese-American Mobius Digital founder Masi Oka. You could recognize him from Heroes!
- Raji: An old epic – This unique adventure game designed by Archival Singh is set in ancient India and is inspired by Hindu and Balinese mythology.
- prey – – Play as the male or female version of the Asian protagonist Morgan Yu in this futuristic space adventure and discover the secrets of a space station orbiting the moon.
- Marvel’s Avenger – Kamala Khan is finally making the leap from comics to games as the star of the story, and we celebrate the groundbreaking visibility she and her story arc gives to Pakistani American and Muslim identities.
Outstanding from the full movies and tv collection With Creator, leads, educational views, and Family entertainment lock in:
- “Moana” – Disney’s first film with a strong young woman and the protagonist of the Pacific islanders is the result of research and partnership with anthropologists, cultural workers, historians and much more from Polynesia.
- “Crazy Rich Asians” – An incredible milestone for the Asian American and Asian representation in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The talented international cast expands the visibility of a range of Asian identities not seen often and is led by John M. Chu.
- “Minari” – This Oscar-nominated film, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, tells the story of Korean immigrants in rural Arkansas, and we appreciate exploring Asian-American identity and experience.
View the full collections in the Microsoft Store on Xbox Microsoft Store on Windowsand the Xbox app on Windows in the US and Canada. After May 31, visitors to both Xbox and Windows stores can find APPI community tips by searching for “AAPI Heritage Month” and related terms.
Play. Connect. A hit: Find out more about everything Xbox and Microsoft are doing to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month on our website Xbox Community Hub and Microsoft AAPIHM Community Hub.
