FAQ – Project AWR

Q: Is Project AWR affiliated with any company?

A: No, our team as well as our members come from different companies and backgrounds.

Q: What initiated Project AWR?

A: The general lack of Asian/Asian women representation, accusations in the gaming industry combined with the Anti Asian/AAPI Hate created a need for a safe space to share things with people having the same kind of background and experiences and to uplift each other.

Q: Why does the project focus on Asian women and not all Asians?

A: There is a lack of representation, are not often in high positions and tend to be sexualized or overlooked, which are specific topics that are not easy to share with people who cannot relate, and also a lack of spaces specifically set up for Asian women for discussions and peer guidance.

Q: Does the project include South Asian women as well?

A: Yes, it absolutely does.

Q: Why does the project focus on Asian women in the gaming industry and not Asian women in general?

A: The founders of Project AWR all work in or participate in the gaming industry. With the rise of AAPI hate as well as controversies within the gaming industry in the past few years, our goal was to use our expertise and network to offer a safe space, resources, and more for Asian women in this space.

Q: What are your goals and actions?

A: Our goals are to create a supportive and safe space for Asian women in the gaming industry, and to work with other Asian supporting organizations to support the Asian Community as a whole.

Our actions are to create a mentorship program to guide Asian women in their careers and future aspirations, to have a consulting agency helping on representation matters and also to network and connect Asian women within the Project AWR community to create stronger support.

Q: I want to get involved with the project, who can I reach out to?

A: You can write to us on the website, Twitter, LinkedIn, or reach out to either Project AWR admins or Mods on Discord and let us know what and how you would like to be involved with.

A: We open up submissions regularly on Discord. Note that we cannot showcase all submissions sent in. Please check out the current ones on display on the site for an idea of the quality and type of content we’d love to help boost!

Q: What does Project AWR actually do in terms of activities and initiatives?

A: On the Discord, there are discussions that happen on the daily centered on news regarding Asian women/Asian folks in the gaming or entertainment industry. We also share prompts and gather personal answers that help shed light on greater issues impacting Asian women that then get turned into website articles (with permission from those who shared their stories on the server). Signal boosting relevant news or achievements in the industry related to our cause also occurs often via suggestions from women in our Discord server.

During events that Project AWR has a presence in (i.e. Women in Games Festival’s virtual booths), admins will ask members in the servers to see if they’d like to contribute to whatever initiative Project AWR might get involved in (i.e. share testimonials, appear on videos, sharing their stories, boothing etc.).

In the future, we hope to offer a way to offer consultancy services as well as mentorship programs (which is currently setting up its Beta phase).

DISCORD

Q: Is the Discord server accessible to Asian women only?

A: Everyone interested in the cause can join the server on request. That means that if you are an ally, you are more than welcome to join us if you wish to. However, there is a private space reserved for discussions amongst Asian women only. This is to provide a safe space for conversations or for those seeking advice.

Q: Is the Discord server LGBTQIA+ friendly?

A: Yes, definitely. We also have Assignable Roles offering you the option to select your pronoun(s).

Q: Do I need to speak English to join the Discord server?

A: English is the primary language spoken on the server at this time, but we have channels where folks speaking or learning different Asian languages can discuss together.

Q: Can I speak other languages on the Discord server?

A: We can have one text channel and/or one voice channel per Asian language requested. If you don’t see it in the Assignable Roles or in the channels list, you can ping Admins or Mods to have it added. So far, we have: Cantonese, Mandarin and Vietnamese.

Q: I am shy / quiet / an introvert / not sure I will react or reply to anything on the server, can I still join?

A: You can completely join and lurk, if that makes you more comfortable. Some people like reacting to posts, sharing things themselves and replying to other members, but it’s perfectly fine if you enjoy scrolling and reading through the different channels once in a while. Whatever works best for you!

Q: How do I access the Discord server to join the discussion?

A: To request access, you can write to us here, or on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. Keep in mind that there are several verifications in place to ensure safety on the server, especially for the Safe Space reserved for Asian Women.

Q: Am I allowed in the Safe Space if I’m genderfluid / non-binary…? Am I allowed in the Safe Space if I’m a woman, and only part Asian?

A: The Safe Space is dedicated to Asian women, but it’s up to you to decide if you identify or if a part of you identifies as an Asian woman. If you feel like you belong to this Safe Space, then you’re welcome there! Our verification process is only to ensure that your demeanor is positive and not malicious towards Asian Women currently in the Safe Space, it does not identify or decide if you’re an Asian Woman yourself; that is up to you.

Q: I identify as an Asian woman – once I’m on the server, how do I access the Safe Space?

A: You will have to read and agree to the Rules of the server, then you can request access to the Safe Space by pinging any Admin on Discord.

Q: I want to invite someone on the server, how should I process?

A: You can reach out to Project AWR members to generate a unique link for you to send.