May 1, 2021

Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Month on Twitch

Asian & Pacific Islander Month is one month of the year, but it’s a celebration of many cultures and even more subcultures. The Asian & Pacific Islander Community is a massive one that can’t be defined, diminished, or represented by any one thing, and nowhere is that more obvious than right here on Twitch. So this May, we’ve decided to rename Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to Asian & Pacific Islander Month, celebrating the API creators from around the globe who boldly represent their heritage, communities, and the API experience every time they go live. The impact Asians and Pacific Islanders have had on Twitch, gaming, and culture at large can’t be overstated.

And with all that’s going on in the world right now, this is a chance for all of us to support the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Joining us in our month-long effort are over 40 featured Asian and Pacific Islander creators and communities we’ll be spotlighting on Twitch and beyond. Each one brings a unique expression of the Asian and Pacific Islander experience to Twitch and we can’t wait for you to get to know them better. You can also look forward to some special programming all month long including LIONS SHARE’s inaugural LION AWARDS.

It all kicks off May 1. Here’s a look at who and what is going live when:

 

The Weekly // Icons - Thursdays @ 11am PT  on /twitchgaming

Every week in May we’re inviting Asian and Pacific Islander streamers to join /twitchgaming’s The Weekly to discuss representation in gaming, celebrate Asian culture, and bring awareness to the challenges they are working to overcome.

Game Changers - May 14 @ 9am PT  on /twitchgaming

We will be hosting a 12 hour stream on May 14, 2021 from 9AM to 9PM PST focusing on AAPI Creators as they showcase their channel and lift up another Creator in the process. Each participant will spend 50 minutes in a solo stream and then a nominated streamer will be brought in for an interview/hang out for the last 10 minutes of the hour. After which the previous Creator will “pass the torch” along to the interviewee and will do their own 50 minute solo stream till the next Creator joins. Essentially we are having a rotating marathon showcasing the diversity of the AAPI Community, spotlighting them with an interview hangout session and bringing communities together.

The LION AWARDS - May 21-23 @ 4pm PT  on /lionsshare

Tune in to the first ever peoples’ choice award show exclusively on Twitch that celebrates and uplifts Asian creators, highlights diversity within the Asian experience, and raises money for Hate is a Virus, a registered 501(c)3 organization supporting AAPI communities. The LION AWARDS features an all-star cast of celebrity judges like Eugene Lee Yang, LilyPichu and MC Jin and interlude performances highlighting top talent in food, cosplay, dance, fashion, beauty, and activism.

 

An Open Dialogue on Violence Against the AAPI Community

In case you missed it, on March 3, we hosted a panel discussion featuring Allyson Toy (Event Moderator, Twitch Artist Relations and Asian Guild Lead), Justin Kan (Justin.tv Founder), Sue Lee (Twitch Sr. Strategic Account Manager, Esports Host), Kevin Lin (Twitch Co-Founder), and mxmtoon(Artist and Twitch creator) to help raise awareness and community actions to help take a stand against rising violence threatening all AAPI communities everywhere. Check out the VOD anytime.

Our goal is for a safe, fun experience that shows everyone just how awesome these creators and communities are. We know more visibility can sometimes lead to unwanted trolling and harassment so we’re offering sessions on mod tools, best practices, and more to every creator participating in our Asian and Pacific Islander Month celebration. We’ve also implemented a clear escalation process for any creator in need of more support.

In addition to all our featured content, here are some ways you can get involved to support Asian and Pacific Islander creators and make a difference in the fight against hate:

Spotlight Asian creators - We’ve provided a list in this blog of creators we recommend you check out (and a team page here), but there are so many more you can support in our own ways through raiding, hosting, and collaboration. Don’t forget that you can also customize your “suggested streamers” section on your profile page to feature your favorite Asian creators by editing your Host List in your dashboard.

Vocalize Your Support - Not only by shouting out your favorite streamers or dropping those Prime Gaming Subs, but also by speaking about the anti-Asian violence that so many of our creators and community members face.

Fundraise for Charity - Our community has shown time and time again the powerful ability to mobilize around a common goal. There are plenty of organizations that support the Asian and Pacific Islander community on Tiltify, and don’t forget to check out the Creator Camp on Charity Streaming for best practices and tips. Don’t see the charity you’d like to support listed? Let us know at charity@twitch.tv and we’ll work with Tiltify to try and get them added.

Report. Don’t Just Ban - Racism, hateful conduct, and harassment have no place on Twitch, social media, or anywhere else. Please report it to us so that we can continue to take action against those who violate our Community Guidelines and seek to harm our community and creators. If you only ban, without reporting, Twitch doesn’t know what happened.

Whether you identify as a member of the Asian and Pacific Islander Community or not, we hope you’ll join us by educating yourself or others about issues affecting the community, raising awareness, donating, speaking out, or tuning in to our featured creators. Let’s all represent together, this month and all year long.

-Twitch

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