May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States, a celebration of these communities and the contributions they have made to American history and culture. May was designated as AAPI Heritage Month due to its historical significance: it marked the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the US in 1843 and the completion of the first transcontinental US railroad, which owed its success to the substantial contributions made by Chinese workers.
This May, API at Riot, our Rioter Inclusion Group for Asians and Pacific Islanders at Riot took center stage with events that celebrate the wide array of cultures under the API umbrella.
Night Market on Campus
API at Riot kicked off the month with a massive night market at our Los Angeles headquarters. The event featured small businesses from API communities who came in to sell food, apparel, artwork, jewelry, and so much more so Rioters could enjoy and support API business owners around the city.
API Representation in the Games Industry Livestream
Senior leaders across the gaming industry from Riot, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard King, and Xbox came together to discuss the impact of API representation in games and how the community can support each other. If you missed the panel, you can watch it below on our YouTube channel:
Elevating API Stories at Riot
Members of API at Riot answered a few questions about their heritage, what brings them joy, and their favorite foods.
Our video team sat down with more members of the RIG to talk about the importance of API representation in games, the work they do with the RIG, and some of their favorite cultural traditions.
From the Night Market to honest conversations about representation, AAPI Heritage Month is in the books. We’re excited to see what API at Riot has planned for next year and in the meantime we’ll continue to uplift API voices at Riot, in the gaming world, and around the world 365 days a year.
