2021

While the Asian and Pacific Islander communities have always faced forms of discrimination and xenophobia, the recent increase of hate and violence have been a troubling and heartbreaking  reminder of prejudice, especially as our elders have been targeted.

In times of division and hatred, arts and culture are a great source of humanity and hope. As we raise our voices and come together, turning to arts and culture can help us find new ways of learning, understanding and healing.

With Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month upon us, it is with great joy that I’m announcing that Google Arts & Culture has partnered with 48 cultural institutions and experts of Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) cultures to celebrate and launch a new hub dedicated to Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures. This builds on our work with partners including the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center,  Center for Asian American Media,  Museum of Chinese in America and Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design.

With new partners including Visual Communications, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, and Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the site includes over 110 stories and thousands of cultural artifacts, archives and artworks — all available in one place. Now, everyone will be able to learn more about API cultures in the US and how their contributions shaped the economical, political and cultural life of the country.

Whether these cultures are familiar or new to you, there will be something for you on this hub to get acquainted with and deepen your understanding of API cultures.

Wondering where to start? From food, art, music, poetry, science and innovation, follow our cultural bucket list to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures:

1. Poetry:Often called the Ellis Island of the West, Angel Island is where thousands of immigrants arrived in the US. Read this moving story about the immigrants’ poems engraved onto the barrack walls.
2. Art:Jenifer K Wofford’s mural, patterned with Tibetan bone aprons and Thai Kranok motifs, name-checks prominent figures in Bay Area Asian American art history, including Carlos Villa and Jade Snow Wong.
3. Heirlooms:What’s your favorite personal object? Hear the Museum of Chinese in America’s communityshare stories about a special object of theirs; a cassette single ofA Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime,” a Fu Manchu mustache, a jade necklace, a marathon medal.
4. Science: Ellison Onizuka was the first Asian American to fly to space, and whose important legacy has inspired many since.
5. Food:Meet Hieu Pham, the owner of Crawfish Shack Seafood in Atlanta, who uses his multicultural background to create unique Vietnamese cuisine with a touch of the American South.
6. Art:Read about Ruth Asawa’s journey to become one of America’s esteemed modern artists.
7. History:Learn about these two Queens of Hawaii, Kapi‘olani and Lili‘uokalani, whose legacy of advocacy and philanthropy are still at the heart of Hawaii today.
8. Sport: Follow the story of Tommy Kono, the record-breaking Olympian who overcame hardship and discrimination, becoming one of the greatest weightlifters of all time.

We’re hoping this will inspire you to start your journey of learning more about API cultures, and that you’ll  come back regularly as we work with cultural institutions to tell more Asian and Pacific Islander stories. 

My parents fled China by boat in the 1940s during the Communist Revolution, ultimately landing in New Jersey, where I grew up. As one of three Asian kids at my school, I felt like an outsider and it seemed clear that popularity and success didn’t come easily to people who looked like me. Today, I sometimes still feel like an outsider, and as a father of two girls, I often worry about what lies ahead for them. Our community is worried about our families, as the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community has faced unabated, horrific violence and racism over the last year. We’re afraid to step outside our homes. These challenges require national attention and dialogue in order for lasting change to occur. 

This year, for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Google is reaffirming its commitment to standing with the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the fight against hatred, while also honoring the diversity of different Asian cultures and elevating API voices. We’re doing this in part by launching a number of initiatives that uplift the API community through our products and in our own workplace. 

Our commitments to help #StopAsianHate

We’re honored to grow our support for the organizations on the front lines fighting for safety, dignity and equity for the API community and have committed more than $10 million toward this critical work.

There’s an urgent need to improve the psychological and physical safety of the API community. To help, we’ve donated more than $3 million in Google.org cash grants to Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and more than 35 local organizations across the country that provide physical protection services and mental health resources. These organizations include Self Help for the Elderly in the San Francisco Bay Area, Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) in Seattle, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) in Los Angeles and the Asian American Federation in New York City. 

We also understand that the challenges facing the API community require sustained attention in order to achieve lasting change. That’s why we’re providing $3.5 million in Ad Grants to Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Stop AAPI Hate and more to help fund incident reporting, bystander training and the advancement of civil rights for the Asian Pacific Islander community.  

Sharing our own history, celebrating our breakthroughs and educating the world about how we experience racism are critically important in this moment. So, we’re elevating API voices by providing $4 million in YouTube Ad Credits to nonprofits, creators and storytellers who are championing the #StopAsianHate movement. 

These organizations and individuals are doing the work required to create meaningful change. 

A spotlight on Asian and Pacific Islander art and culture

Throughout May, we’ll be elevating the voices of influential and inspirational members of the API community across our products and platforms. Today, the Google homepage celebrates the life and work of Hisaye Yamamoto, a Japanese-American author who was interned during WWII. Hisaye’s work reveals the Japanese immigrant experience in America, the disconnect between first- and second-generation immigrants, as well as the intersectional challenges she experienced.

Google Arts & Culture is also launching a hub dedicated to Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences alongside more than 48 partners, including the Museum of Chinese in America, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, the Center for Asian American Mediaand the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design — to name a few. It features more than 114 online stories, and thousands of cultural artifacts, archives and artworks that dive into a rich history, such as the emotional story of the Chinese Poetry engraved on the walls of Angel Island by detainees of the Immigration Station.

On the YouTube Spotlight channel, we’ll be showcasing the breadth of API creators and artists throughout May and YouTube Music will release a flagship playlist titled “Celebrating APAHM” featuring both emerging and iconic Asian American artists.

Taking care of our Asian and Pacific Islander community at Google

How we support our own Asian and Pacific Islander community is critical — and we’re focused on ensuring our employees feel supported and heard. Over the past few months, Employee Resource Groups like the Asian Google Network (AGN), Filipino Google Network (FGN) and other API community groups have hosted listening sessions for our global communities, as well as highlighted priorities for our allyship programs. Google is also matching donations for an internal giving campaign focused on organizations supporting the community and advocating for justice. 

And this month, AGN will be hosting events like the “Celebrate Your Elders” campaign, which will share stories of resilience from seniors in our communities. AGN will also host virtual Talks at Google speakers to discuss the API experience. Additionally, FGN will host “The Adobo Project,” highlighting the historical and personal significance food holds in the community. 

In recent months, I’ve been encouraged by how our Google API community has come together and how the company has stood against anti-Asian racism and hatred. And as I think about my own story and role as a father, I remain hopeful things can be different for my daughters and that they’ll feel a sense of belonging and inclusion which I, and so many others, have not.

When I think back to all of the time I have spent watching sports, a few memorable moments rise to the top. Lisa Leslie’s famous dunk, the first in WNBA history, took the world by storm. My daughter and I were on the edge of our seats when the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the fourth time back in 2019. And seeing Simone Biles perform multiple signature gymnastics moves that have never been done before is a testament to her creativity and incredible talent. These moments are inspiring and remind us that investment in women and girls allows for them to live out their dreams.  

Despite knowing the importance of representation, only 4% of television sports coverage and less than 1% of sponsorship is dedicated to women’s sports. This lack of visibility and support impacts not only professional athletes, but all of us, from fans and emerging athletes to our kids who dream of following in the footsteps of their idols. It even transcends sports by reinforcing standards of inequity. This is something I am personally passionate about, and that we at Google are eager to help change. 

Today, we’re proud to announce that we’re embarking on a multi-year partnership with the WNBA and ESPN as a WNBA Changemaker. As a Changemaker, we are committed to increasing visibility and coverage of women’s sports to help break down barriers.

First up, as the Presenting Partner of the WNBA on ESPN, we will work with both companies to deliver “25 for 25”: 25 regular season games on ABC and ESPN for the 25th season of the league. We are also working with ESPN to add a dedicated segment for women’s sports on SportsCenter, ensuring the network’s flagship program celebrates the top plays, inclusive of all genders. 

Like all of us, WNBA players have their own stories off the court. So later this month, we’ll work with the league, ESPN and others to launch these stories on ESPN Films’ 30 for 30. We’ll follow Maya Moore and her fight for criminal justice reform as well as get a peek into the energy of last year’s WNBA Playoff Wubble in the documentary “144.”

Finally, as an ‘Official Trends & Fan Insights Partner’ of the WNBA and an ‘Official Technology Partner,’ we will harness the best of Google’s products and innovation to enrich WNBA fans’ connection to the game, to the culture and to one another. We will continue to make it easy to follow the game on Search, helping you check scores, standings, stats and more. Plus, this year you’ll be able see highlights from the recent games on Search, so you never miss any of the action.

It’s time for another update to our Stadia Savepoint series, recapping the new games, features and updates on Stadia.

In April, players took up detective work in Judgment as well as within The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark, solving everything from macabre mysteries to violent crimes. They protected countless treasures from intruders in Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager and breakdanced to the beat in Floor Kids.

In addition to these April games available now on the Stadia store, subscribers to Stadia Pro played new titles like Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA and PIKUNIKU — which they can claim as long as they’re Pro subscribers. More games to add to their growing library on Stadia!

We announced 10 new games from Stadia Makers, the program created in partnership with Unity to support independent developers bringing creative and unique games to the Stadia store. That includes FORECLOSED from Merge Games, a narrative-driven cyberpunk action-adventure coming in summer 2021, and Figment 2: Creed Valley from Bedtime Digital Games, a puzzle adventure through the human mind coming in fall 2021.

Following the April 1 launch of Resident Evil 7 biohazard Gold Edition as a Stadia Pro title, all Stadia players can also now play up to 60 minutes of Resident Evil Village ahead of its release on May 7. This demo is only available to play until May 9 at 5 PM Pacific time, no Stadia subscription or payment required.

Subscribe to Ubisoft+ within Stadia

Ubisoft+ is now available for players to subscribe to directly within Stadia, giving subscribers instant access to an expanded library of their favorite Ubisoft titles. Only available in the U.S.

Search bar on web

Finding your favorite games and add-ons is much easier with a search bar on web.

Stadia library update

An updated user interface for your Stadia library makes it a breeze to keep track of all your claimed and purchased games.