This is a website for the video game version of "Diversity in America" sold in game stores near you!
As a people, we all go through our own challenges regarding identity. Whether it’s race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability, or religion, we all have something that defines us as individuals. Through this game there are 6 characters with different identities who all go through America dealing with different forms of discrimination. By the end of the game they must be able to accomplish their end goal, good or bad regarding better education and knowledge toward their specific identity.
Educating the world about the importance of diversity is the goal of this video game. Even though there will always be someone who does not accept your full person, I wanted the goals at the end of this video game to make it known that something good can come out of feeling “othered”. The significance of each character overcoming America’s judgement is very powerful and I hope truly empowering.
The following characters are meant to be representation of extreme senarios. This is not meant to offend any of the players in the process. It's a learning experience for all.
Jeremiah lives in Potomac Maryland with his mother and father. He goes to a prodominately white all boys boarding school in Connecticut. He has recently become intrested in seeking justice for victims of police brutality after his cousin was killed. Jeremiah has never been arrested and his family is very well off, however everyone at his school constantly asks him if he's on scholarship. From these experiences, Jeremiah wants to learn more about his blackness, however his enviroment is preventing him from doing so.
Sarah lives in Blowing Rock North Carolina with her father who considers himself a white supremacist. Her mother died when she was really young. Sarah and her father are not doing so well financially, however, they are heavily invovled in the Catholic Church life. Sarah has recently accepted the fact that she is lesbian and is extremely afraid to tell her father.
Abhi lives in Ardmore Pennsylvania. He recently went on a school trip and was the only one that was spot checked at the airport. He was asked to leave the plane and was anable to continue to the trip. No one in his class realized that he was no longer on the plane. Abhi has never experienced racism in his life until this moment.
Hilary has recently graduated college pre-med and her parents are sending her directly to medical school. Hilary has recently fallen in love with creative writing and wants to be an author. She has yet to tell her parents, who would disown her if she were to "waste" their money on something else other than what they wanted her to do.
Mateo lives in East LA with his mom and brothers. All his brothers are apart of a gang that runs east LA and are unkind to most people in the community. Mateo is in 10th grade and once he graduates high school he is told to join the gang with his brothers in order to support the family. However, Mateo wants to go to college but he would be the first in his family to do so and there is no one to support him.
Aanisah lives in Ocean City New Jersey. At her high school, she has witnessed many inccidents of islamaphobia. She has been called a terroist many times and her family has gotten many death threats just for wearing their "ethnically ambiguous" clothing. Aanisah wants people to get to know her and her family better before they jump to conclusions about their personal life.
Here are some examples of the types of characters end products (not necessarily all ideal which suggests the realness of each situation):
If you are intrested in purchasing this video game click here: Diversity in America!