Lack of diversity and inclusion is a growing concern in the NFT space, not to mention racism. Amid this, a new NFT project, Asian Identity, is bringing a much-needed change by celebrating cultural diversity. Founded by artist Grace Kim, the project aims to empower Asian communities settled abroad and build a “culturally sensitive” society.
The Asian Identity NFT collection features 10,000 unique Asians living on the Ethereum network. Generated from over 400 hand-drawn traits, the NFTs bring together both modern and cultural items. The project’s pre-sale goes live at 6 pm EST on April 22. Thereafter, the public sale drops at 6 pm EST on April 24 for 0.065 ETH per NFT.
What is the inspiration behind the Asian Identity NFT collection?
Originally from South Korea, Kim immigrated to Canada as a teenager and is currently settled there with three children. Growing up in Canada, she struggled to adjust to Canada’s norms and expectations, which were starkly different from that of her hometown, Seoul. Eventually, while Kim adjusted to her new environment, she and her husband have been working hard to ensure their children, born in Canada, are aware of their cultural heritage.
Unfortunately, the racism and discrimination she faces were further exacerbated by the pandemic. Amid these difficult circumstances, Kim realized how important it was for Asian immigrants to belong to a community.
Thus, she created the Asian Identity NFT collection to recognise and celebrate the myriad ways in which Asian culture is expressed worldwide. Primarily, she took inspiration from the stories and experiences of her community members in Canada. However, she also wanted to ensure that the project was inclusive and accessible to everyone.
“Too many projects nowadays really do ask too much of their communities,” Kim said. “They charge high prices to mint while creating pre-sale list requirements that are almost impossible to achieve. This is not healthy, and it alienates many people who would otherwise benefit from a project such as ours…this is a project for everyone, not just the rich or technologically savvy.”
The project offers many amazing perks to holders
First of all, to recognise early-backers, Asian Identity will give the first 500 collectors Original Identity NFTs. These NFTs will offer unique benefits in the future, including early access to new projects, airdrops, and voting rights. Next, a few lucky Asian Identity holders will get a chance to go on a fully-funded trip to an Asian city of their choice. Besides, the team is developing a social networking app—AFrens—to bring together people with similar cultural backgrounds and interests.
Furthermore, the project also has philanthropic goals. Asian Identity will use 5% of the NFT sales profits to support and sponsor Asian communities living abroad. Aside from this, 2.5% of the funds go to sponsoring emerging Asian artists. Then, the project will also use funds to support community members through trips and giveaways.
To find out more about the Asian Identity NFT project, make sure to check its website. Don’t forget to follow the project on Twitter and Instagram and join their Discord server!
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