Who is the founder of AMAZN and why is this publication necessary?
Hi, Pranav Iyer here! A little background on me if you don't know who I am -- I am a former Indian American collegiate football player who witnessed firsthand the struggles of being such a drastic minority in the sport. Through the lack of representation, constant stereotypes, and my own culture’s expectations and norms, I was the last person people expected to have dreams in a sport that wasn’t table tennis, badminton, or cricket. Along the ride, I was ridiculed and made a mockery of through slurs and disses, from the stereotypical ‘go back to math class’ to ‘Slumdog Millionaire.' I saw so many of my peers grow up with similar sports dreams as I did, only to have them dashed because of their own lack of faith or pressure from their surrounding communities.
See, a lot of this boils down to representation (yes, I know it's such an overused word). But even though there isn't a significant presence of Asian Americans at the highest levels of sports, for those that make it to that level, they usually go completely under the radar. How do I know this? Over the past year, I have dedicated much of my time to uncovering these stories and I realized that there are so many cases of underreported stars walking right in front of us -- the types of examples that would have given my peers and so many other Asian American youth the assurance that they can succeed in an unconventional field as well. If you want to check out those stories to get a better sense of the vastness of the community and what inspired me to launch this publication, feel free to check out these links: The Rise of Asian American Basketball (http://getsportsfocus.com/High_School-detail/th...), 0.4% - The Struggle, Identity and Pride of Asian Americans in Football (http://getsportsfocus.com/High_School-detail/th...)
Since the existence of the Asian American diaspora, the community has been greatly underserved in so many regards, especially media. That is why AMAZN's mission is to give a voice to perpetually undercovered and misrepresented Asian American athletes with the intention to accurately portray the community, eradicate misinformed stereotypes and instigate inspiration for the next generation of Asian American youth.
What type of content will be featured and who will be covered?
AMAZN will consist of a website (AMAZNHQ.com) and social media platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The website will be the host to video, written, and audio content.
WHAT
- Video
- Player highlights, player profiles, event recaps, and short documentaries
- Written
- National news, player profiles, columns, long-form issue stories, and Player Tribune-type pieces
- Audio
WHO
- High school athletes
- College athletes
- Domestic and overseas professional athletes
- Asian American sports leagues and tournaments
Why I am asking for your help
This is a startup publication, but I don't want it to seem like one. My plan is to get this venture off and running from day one. Here are some of the upfront costs that I am dealing with:
- Equipment
- Camera, lenses, tripods, hard drives, and microphones
- Website
- Travel
- Transportation cost for commute throughout California and potentially elsewhere
- Staff (future)
- Pay reporters, designers, and others for their work down the road
At this moment, this is a one-man project. However, I am seeking the help of volunteer reporters who are passionate about the cause. And hopefully, this can be a larger operation in the future so that the diaspora residing all around the country can be fully covered.
How you can help
Obviously, the most tangible way of helping my vision is through donating to the cause -- any amount helps! But I understand that, even if this is a cause you are passionate about, you may not be in a place right now where you can pitch in monetarily. And that is completely fine!
Here are other ways to help:
- Share this campaign on social media
- Spread the word of the publication
- Volunteer yourself or refer other Asian American reporters to help further coverage
- View and share content
- Pitch me story ideas
I am also seeking sponsorships from organizations that actively seek to promote the Asian American narrative. So if you would like to partner in that way or know of organizations that would potentially be interested, please contact me!
Where you can find AMAZN (after it's launched)
Website - AMAZNHQ.com.
Social media
How to contact me
Want to hear more about my vision, pitch me stories, talk about sponsorships, provide me advice, or anything else? Feel free to reach out to me at any time at iyer.pranav4@gmail.com.
Whether you can help out or not, I am greatly thankful that you took your time reading through my vision! Now let's rewrite the narrative one step at a time!
