Concerns about "Fists of the Ruby Phoenix"


Pathfinder Adventure Path General Discussion

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Comments and entire conversation threads have been removed for being off-topic or inflammatory. This thread will remain locked.

Please remember that this forum is filled with diverse people and perspectives. One way we can foster a welcoming community is to not assume sex or gender based on names, avatars, and user names.

With regard to the initial topic of this post, “Concerns with Regard to Ruby Phoenix”: By questioning as if under the assumption that none of the authors working on this AP are of Asian descent, authors who are in fact of Asian descent are put in a place of having to defend their existence over expressing their excitement about their work. It’s a lot of emotional labor to have to say “I exist” and I think many of us can empathize with that. Along those lines, lets not further marginalize BIPOC in the forum (and Asians in this thread) by asking them to explain racist content. Just because a specific group isn't speaking up against something that could be problematic, doesn't mean that they're 100% okay with it. By asking folks to speak up, you're asking them to potentially put themselves at risk.

Paizo takes representation seriously. Do we get it right 100% of the time? Of course not. But we make informed decisions, learn from any mistakes, and do better in the future to make sure we’re doing right by our community with the worlds and narratives we weave. Paizo’s incredible authors and editorial staff are doing their due diligence in making sure that Ruby Phoenix is both respectful and fun and we are confident that fans will not be disappointed.

Customer Service Representative

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As a member of Paizo's staff, a moderator, and a Korean-American myself, I felt a lot of ways as I picked my way through this thread. Here are some surface-level thoughts addressing some of the most problematic things I read.

The economic power of your ancestral homeland does not determine whether you are or are not a marginalized group in America. When American media exoticizes, fetishizes, and inaccurately portrays other cultures, it can be hurtful and it often perpetuates inaccurate and harmful sterotypes. I would argue that this affects me more than a Korean national because I am Korean-AMERICAN, and have to deal with the perpetuation of these stereotypes by Americans (and the microaggressions that arise from them) on a regular basis. I’m being othered in a community where I already am the other.

And I really want to reiterate this. Please, let's not further marginalize BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) in the forum by asking them to have to explain potentially problematic and racist content. I can stand up against racist portrayals of other cultures, and likewise non-Asians can stand up against racist portrayals of Asian cultures. I actually welcome and appreciate white folks who take that emotional labor off of my plate. I face racist microaggressions nearly every day. And while I have a lot of privilege because I’m a light-skinned Korean-American, that doesn’t mean I have the energy to call out every problematic thing I see. In a very white-dominant industry, it can be intimidating to speak up if you’re not part of the perceived majority. So please come to these conversations with grace.

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