Celebrating AAPIHM: Part 1

Minecraft is a sandbox of playstyles. Some players like to build works of wonder, others to explore the deepest parts of the Nether. There’s even a few who likes to play pranks on their friends by constantly filling their chests with 24 stacks of chicken eggs – er, w-which I totally wouldn’t do! The point is that Minecraft is a diverse game, with a diverse community – and it should be celebrated. 

The Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month was established in 1977 to recognize and bring awareness to the culture and the history of Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. Nowadays, this initiative is celebrated beyond the borders of the United States, amplifying voices and highlighting achievements across the world in countries like the Philippines, Aotearoa/New Zealand, or even Sweden. 

Today, and during next week, we will be highlighting some of the cool, passionate people we're celebrating for AAPIHM – both within Mojang Studios and the wider Minecraft community. To start us off: meet Marc and Whetu! 

Even though Marc still lives in the Philippines, he has had plenty of conversations with fellow Filipinos about the experience of living abroad and outside the Asian region. He paints a grim picture of the prejudice and judgment many have experienced, as well as the challenge of adjusting to these societies. 

“As a Filipino, this is really disheartening, because much of the world seems to think that we are nomads that keep bouncing from country to country just because we want to. But those of us who migrate from the Philippines do this because we want to experience a better life. We strive to help our hometowns and families survive with everything from shelter, enough food, and money.” 

For Marc, that means doing what he does best – creating amazing Minecraft content together with his team. Just last week, they released Endangered Animals: Philippines, a map that features exactly what its name suggests: endangered wildlife of the Philippines. 

“You start off outside of a native village, with textures that are meant to depict real materials that are used to create what we call 'bahay kubo' or bamboo hut in English," Marc explains. “You get to interact with the natives that introduce to you our national symbols – from the mango fruit and carabao animal to the sport known as arnis, narra tree, and the national flower, sampaguita. Overall, we wanted to capture the beauty of our country and share it with the world.  

"For me, representing my country in this amazing space is one of my dreams. Being able to fulfill that dream at a young age is a huge accomplishment for me.” 

Whetu was raised in the ancestral lands of his Māori ancestors (Harataunga, Aotearoa/New Zealand). After moving back to Aotearoa/New Zealand from Australia with his young whānau (family), he noticed there weren’t many games his children could identify with. His solution was to develop resources in Minecraft that represented their culture, people, and likeness. 

“We have four tamariki (children), all who speak in their native language, Te Reo Māori. Our two youngest tamariki had Te Reo Māori as their first and only language until recently. Now, they can not only see their own likeness in one of the most well-loved games around, but have also see that it’s totally possible for them to be involved in game design themselves using the thing that makes them who they are – their own indigenous identities!” 

When asked about what work he’s most proud of, three maps come to mind: Pā Wars – a resource-gathering minigame that features a small fort based on the traditional Māori settlements called 'Pā'; Ngā Motu – an education-based map developed with Microsoft to provide an authentic indigenous experience in and out of classrooms; and lastly, the more easy-going game, Lucky Bubble Factory.