Embedded Files
Sumin Kim
Abstract
Abstract
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of Asian and Asian American communities has taken a toll from a bombardment of news broadcasts of attacks against Asian community members as well as an increase in dispersing information about historical racism. Furthermore, the experience of racism can be that much even more painful when we consider that the society where people experience racism is the same society that claims to promote social justice.
On top of that, the occurrence of microaggressions is just as harmful in how they oppress a community into a certain social position. In response, I used art-based auto-ethnographic research to create a virtual reality space for participants to “feel” what it's like to be in this difficult position. I hope this work will raise awareness for those who don’t know about microaggressions and provide a space to talk about them, while validating the experiences of those who have suffered from them.
Resources Used
Unity, Zbrush, Keyshot, Procreate, Oculus Quest 2, and mixed media
“Like one paper cut, so it’s something small, but it hurts the person at the core of their identity level.
But it happens so often; you come home every day with like 15 paper cuts...and it really hurts” (Amenabar, 2016, p. 29)
What is Microaggression?
Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice by Sue et al. (2007) describes microaggressions under three forms: microassault, microinsult, and microinvalidation (p. 271). Sue explains racial microaggressions as brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color.
Story Board
Microaggression Giver
Microaggression Giver
The Trauma
The Trauma
Mid-point Project Process
Final project results
Project Timeline (Mildstones)
#1- Design office arrangement with Lego - 10/10
#2- Download office furniture asset - 10/13
#3 - Import furniture asset in Unity - 10/13
#4 - Design characters- officers - 10/13
#5 - 3D sculpt “Microaggression Giver” in Zbrush - 10/18
#6 - Render in Keyshot 10/19
#7 - Import the 3D characters in Unity- 10/19
#8- Add animation to the airplane and slogan
#9 - Basic environment design -11/17
#10 - 3D sculpt The Trauma figure in Zbrush - 11/27
#11 - Import The Trauma figure in Unity
#12 - Apply coding to The Trauma to make the figure track the user
#13 - Apply animation on characters in the hallway - 12/5
#14 - Apply texts of racial microaggression examples in Unity (google font text mesh in Unity) - 12/05
#15 - Record a video of Asian hate crime news and add the video clip to the laptop asset- 12/12
#16 - Design “I Love Diversity” poster using Microaggression giver characters (rendered in Keyshot)
#17 - Search social justice-based posters and import all posters into Unity- 12/14
#18 - Add smoke VFX and lights- 12/15
#19 - Export apk file and ready to present (final presentation) - 12/16
Mid-point Lessons learned from the project
FBX file from Keyshot comes with an action camera - in order to remove it,
I need to unpack the component first
Move the asset to the folder and re-move it to the hierarchy.
I learned how to change the background environment (Lighting - Environment - Drag the sky asset to Skybox Material.)
The first steps are always the hardest.
Warning signs in Unity are anxiety-provoking, but I can ignore those by clicking “clear.” unless the warning keeps showing up whenever I make changes.
Sometimes, I just need to re-start everything. Just like our life.
I should stay logged into my Unity account while using it.
Light makes a huge difference! - The directional light makes assets look more naturalistic. Point light changes the atmosphere of the assets (the warning sign inspired me to use red point light on my “Microaggression giver” figures to make them look more creepy.
Most of all, being patient and staying curious are the key points to continuing the VR creation. Whenever I felt frustrated and stressed by this project, I always reminded myself of the goals and possible impact of my VR work as well as my VR community, professor, TA, and classmates, I can get support from.
Mid-point VR Video Demonstration
Final Lessons learned from the project
I found the use of character design and virtual reality space to be particularly effective for depicting the situation of everyday microaggressions and their negative mental health impacts. When I shared my work, I realized that the character designs in my VR were not only drawing viewers’ attention to the work but were also emphasizing the atmosphere of the themes of the artwork.
My use of a big laughing mouth and the use of a red light was intended to create an uncomfortable tone in the work. I was trying to create a feeling that something bad was about to happen or was already happening. My goal was to help viewers to feel how others would feel when encountering microaggressions and lead them to experience empathy. Laurel (2013) explains the cause of empathy in human-computer interaction as “we experience the characters’ emotions as if they were our own, but quite not” (p.145).
As I shared my art, small communities began to form around me, and that experience was also empowering. Whenever I shared my work, it broached a conversation regarding everyday racism. People related by sharing their experiences of microaggressions and how they felt when they were faced with them. It was validating and reassuring to see that I wasn't alone in my experiences and that I wasn't overreacting in my response.
Around late November, I tended to avoid working on Unity (VR builder) due to the feeling of discomfort that comes from the topic of the project as well as the complexity of building VR.
I came to the conclusion that antiracist training shouldn't just be to prevent racism, but it is also needed for people of color, especially for international students of color to help them recognize and become aware of it in case it happens to them.
I learned teamwork is critical in VR creation. I cannot imagine completing my VR work without the class's various support throughout the semester.
I always learned something by just attending classes and the professor's office hour dropping in.
Welcome to the World of Microaggression Givers
VR Video Demonstration
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