Avatar Wiki AAPI

Welcome back everyone to another heritage month blog on Avatar Wiki, as throughout the month of May we join with other wikis across Fandom to celebrate *Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month*. The theme this year is *Visibility and Amplification*, shining a light on the contributions of AAPI creators of various backgrounds to your favourite fandoms and amplifying their voices so they can share their story.

Be sure to check out this blog on Community Central for more details, and also check out the roundtables Fandom will be running throughout the month, upcoming interviews with creators, and more!

## What is Asian American Pacific Islander Month?

Having originally begun as Asian American Heritage week in the 1970s, the US Congress came to observe *Asian American Pacific Islander Month* as a full month-long observation in 1990. Over the month, people are encouraged to consider and celebrate the significant contributions of the AAPI community to American culture, whether that be in science, sports, activism, or entertainment.

Equally as important is to consider and mention the challenges that members of the AAPI community have faced over the last few years, with discrimination and violence on the rise. By working together as a community and shining a light on such actions, we can ensure that everyone has a safe space to live in, whoever they are and wherever they come from.

## Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Month on Avatar Wiki

To celebrate *Asian American Pacific Islander Month* on *Avatar Wiki*, we want to highlight and celebrate the contributions of AAPI creators to the *Avatar* franchise, across film, comic, and television. Following the theme of visibility and amplification, be sure to take a look at the articles for each person linked below, and let us know in the comments below your favourite work they have been in. Perhaps you might even find a new fandom to enjoy.

Jessica Jade Andres.png*Template:Film*Dante Basco.png*Dante Basco*Derek Basco.png*Derek Basco*May Chan.png*May Chan*George Chung.png*George Cheung*Tim Dang.png*Tim Dang*Jenny Dorsey.jpeg*Jenny Dorsey*Takayo Fischer.png*Takayo Fischer*Kim Mai Guest.png*Kim Mai Guest*Michael Hagiwara.png*Mike Hagiwara*Amy Hill.png*Amy Hill*James Hong.png*James Hong*Kiku Hughes.png*Kiku Hughes*Mako(voice).png*Mako Iwamatsu*Albert Kim.png*Albert Kim*Daniel Dae Kim.png*Daniel Dae Kim*Randall Duk Kim.png*Template:Film*Clyde Kusatsu.png*Clyde Kusatsu*Jennie Kwan.png*Jennie Kwan*Siu-Leung Lee.png*Siu-Leung Lee*Ken Leung.png*Ken Leung*Dallas Liu.jpg*Dallas Liu*Rami Malek.png*Rami Malek*Sunil Malhotra.png*Sunil Malhotra*Aasif Mandvi.png*Template:Film*Karen Maruyama.png*Karen Maruyama*Paul Nakauchi.png*Paul Nakauchi*Lysa Penrose.jpg*Lysa Penrose*Jeanne Sakata.png*Jeanne Sakata*Stephanie Sheh.png*Stephanie Sheh*James Shigeta.png*James Shigeta*Sab Shimono.png*Sab Shimono*M. Night Shyamalan.png*Template:Film*James Sie.png*James Sie*Keong Sim.png*Template:Film*Isaac Jin Solstein.png*Template:Film*George Takei.png*George Takei*Brian Tochi.png*Brian Tochi*Marcus Toji.png*Marcus Toji*Lauren Tom.png*Lauren Tom*Tamlyn Tomita.png*Tamlyn Tomita*Shaun Toub.png*Template:Film*Kristy Wu.png*Kristy Wu*Michael Yama.png*Michael Yama*Gene Yang.png*Gene Luen Yang*Steven Yeun.png*Steven Yeun*Keone Young.png*Keone Young*Elizabeth Yu.jpg*Elizabeth Yu*
Beyond just the creators that have made the franchise what it is, the *Avatar* franchise also owes its success to the many influences from Asian and Pacific Islander culture, some of which we wanted to highlight below:

 File:Spirited Away.png
* The artistic and animation styles used in Avatar are influenced by various forms of Japanese anime, in particular the films *Spirited Away* and *Princess Mononoke* by Hayao Miyazaki.
* The choreographed martial art bending moves were inspired by Asian cinema, including *Shaolin Soccer* and *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*. The four main bending styles are based almost entirely upon traditional Chinese martial arts.
* The concept of the five elements was first developed in India and the Five Classical Elements of Hinduism and Buddhism, providing the backbone of the five elements seen in the *Avatar* franchise.
* Writing in the Avatar world uses Traditional Chinese characters, which eventually spread throughout East Asia.
* Concepts like yin and yang, exemplified by the spirits Tui and La, as well as balance are influenced by Chinese beliefs.
* Water Tribe ships distinctly resemble Polynesian catamarans.  File:Water Tribe boats.png
* The architecture, clothing, and culture of the Earth Kingdom take influences from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese culture.
* Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom, is based on ancient Chinese capitals such as Beijing, with the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace largely based on the Forbidden City.
* The design and scale of the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se is based on the Great Wall of China.
* The culture of the Fire Nation is primarily inspired by East, South, and Southeast Asia. Its geography is drawn from volcanic islands including Hawaii and the Polynesian Islands.
* The architecture of the Fire Nation draws influences on many cultures, but is predominantly similar to Chinese and Southeast Asian architecture.

## Notice

*This list has been compiled entirely in good faith and to the best of our ability. If there is someone you feel has accidentally been excluded from this list, please don't hesitate to let us know.*