Greetings, ‘Finders! Paizo is proud to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month by showcasing some of our AAPI contributors and creators. We have invited these contributors to talk about their culture, heritage, and how to support their work!
As part of our celebration, we are also currently running the Pathfinder Asian Fantasy Humble Bundle, with proceeds benefitting Stop AAPI Hate. Get everything you need for adventuring in Tian Xia and help support AAPI communities with this bundle!
Left to right, illustrations by Kent Hamilton and Wayne Reynolds
Eren Ahn (they/them)
안녕, 여러분! I’m going to take this chance to celebrate my mother. While not a leader in any professionally acknowledged way, she’s always encouraged me to approach life unflinchingly and fight for what I stand for. My mother has professionally translated accounts of Korean comfort women, teaches immigrants how to speak English, and, in her youth, was one of many students fighting for the democratization of South Korea. Even now, she’s working on a Ph.D. in linguistics (her second, if you want to know the shoes I’m expected to fill) on the development of DEI language over the past ten years— and she’s told me if the administration attempts to clothesline her work anymore than it has already, she’ll drop the degree immediately.
I like to joke that, unlike other Korean American kids, I don’t have a mom who wants me to be a doctor or a lawyer. Instead, I have one who pushed me to understand the weight my words carry and who even now encourages me to focus on writing— which is why I get to write for this blog post to begin with! Thanks, 엄마. I’m doing my best to make you proud.
Hiromi Cota (they/she)
This year for AANHPI Month, I have a pair of things I’d like to highlight, and one’s not even a game! I recently celebrated my peoples’ (Okinawan & Yaeyaman) parallel cultures by getting tattoos! In the Ryukyuan cultures, women get hand tattoos to mark milestones towards adulthood, and men get forearm tattoos. As a non-binary & femme person, I got my right hand tattooed with a mix of Okinawan and Yaeyaman styles to celebrate both parts of my Indigenous Islander heritage.
The other thing I want to highlight is Tian Xia+, a third-party expansion to the Tian Xia World & Character Guides by Team+. Most of the people working on the book were people of Asian descent—some of the same folks who worked on the official Tian Xia books, in fact. I gave the sai some love, as it’s a traditional Okinawan weapon that’s near and dear to my heart. You can find this sai goodness under the Three-Finger Fist archetype. I also worked on the Minatan Warrior archetype, which was heavily based on Filipino Martial Arts, and the expansion of the Tsukumogami Poppets, because I love those little guys, too!
Happy AANHPI Month!
Left to right, illustrations by Nicholas Phillips and Mylene Bertrand
Matthew Fu (he/him)
content warning: death
Hi everyone! I’m Matthew, a Chinese American chemist by day and freelance writer and GM by night. I don’t have anything else to promote since the release of NPC Core, but I wanted to take a moment to celebrate and reflect on the lessons that my Po Po (grandmother) instilled upon me. She recently passed, and I have her to thank for who am I as a person. She was generous, kind, and patient, and she showed her love through example, always putting her family before herself.
I’ve always struggled with coming to terms with my heritage, but she always presented Chinese culture in a welcoming and inclusive manner, never pressuring me to accept it if I didn’t want to. It’s something that I am still at odds with even to this day, but I am eternally grateful for her exposing me to many wonderful customs that I might have disregarded elsewise. Regardless of what I make of it, I can rest easy knowing that her love will always stay with me.
Thank you for letting me share my story.
John Godek III (he/him)
Hi! I’m John, a multi-ethnic Filipino American gamer, gamemaster, freelancer, and podcaster. I spent my early childhood in Hawai’i and the Philippines and later sailed the seven seas as I started my career.
Over the past 5 years, I have written 20 freelance TTRPG projects, including several scheduled for release later this year! I’ve worked mostly for Paizo, but also for Legendary Games, Evil Genius Games, and Evil Robot Games. I produce two podcasts on the Know Direction Network: Digital Divination, with Paizo Senior Designer Jason Keeley and D&D Designer Ron Lundeen, and Intrepid Heroes, an RPG actual play where we play mostly Starfinder adventures (currently A Cosmic Birthday). Previously, I produced Presenting – Gamers Making Games, where I interviewed over 100 game designers, developers, artists, and editors about their journey into the industry. I’m presenting a summary of these interviews at Gen Con this year. In my non-gaming life, I do university research and teaching on entrepreneurship and social enterprise. This summer, I am researching the effects of TTRPGs—feel free to reach out if you are interested in helping!
You can reach me at https://knowdirectionpodcast.com/, on YouTube, @johngodek.bsky.social, or at johngodek.com.
Illustration by Gunship Revolution
Michelle Y. Kim (she/her)
I can’t express the joy and excitement I felt upon realizing that Yoon had a Korean name, and that her heritage was, in fact, my own. Being Korean as a kid was frustrating—I’d always be asked if I was Chinese and where Korea was, anyway. (The 90s were tough.) But things have changed. K-pop, Korean dramas, and barbecue have shaken things up, and I hope to do the same with RPGs. Not just for myself, but for everyone who’s felt a little on the wayside. All my love to everyone who’s had to explain where their country is or answer ignorant questions about their heritage. You matter, and we’re with you.
We are proud of the stories our AAPI contributors bring to the table—this month, and every month! We also welcome other AAPI folks in the community to share their experiences and their joy in the comments!
In Solidarity,
Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)
Marketing & Media Specialist
Read more at this site