The news of violent attacks against Asian Americans — both nationally and in Chicago — in recent weeks has come as little surprise to some.
“When (Donald) Trump said ‘China virus’ I knew it was going to get bad,” said Beverly Kim, co-owner and co-chef of Avondale restaurants Parachute and Wherewithall, which she runs with husband Johnny Clark. “It reminded me of growing up in Downers Grove. It didn’t happen all the time, but kids would tell me to go back to my country, even though I was born here.
“I didn’t have the words to speak up for myself. So I took it in. It made me feel like a foreigner.”
Faced with the March 16 shooting in Atlanta that left eight people dead, including six women of Asian descent, and more attacks that followed, many Asian American chefs, beverage experts and other restaurateurs in Chicago have channeled their outrage over these apparent acts of hate into action — all the while still grappling with devastating financial and health challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In ways both large and small, the city’s restaurant community stepped up — and now, it’s making its efforts national.
Kim worked with chefs around the country to launch a national movement called Dough Something. Restaurants will offer a dough-related special throughout April, and portions of the sales will benefit Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ).
Already, culinary heavyweights have signed on, including Chicago restaurants Cellar Door Provisions, Kasama, Kumiko, Longman & Eagle, Lost Lake, Lost Larson, Lula Cafe, Monteverde, Parson’s Chicken & Fish, Prairie Grass Cafe, Pretty Cool Ice Cream, Sugargoat and Yugen.
Nationally, Daybird and n/naka and n/soto in Los Angeles are on board, along with Chao Baan (St. Louis), L’Etoile (Madison, Wisconsin), Maketto + ABC Pony (Washington, D.C.) and Revel (Seattle).
AAAJ is an advocacy group that advocates for racial equity through championing legislation, offering English language classes, connecting community leaders, voter outreach and education, and bystander intervention training.
“Any ordinary person can be an advocate if they see harassment happening,” Kim said.
In the days that followed the shooting in Atlanta, restaurants — both those helmed by Asian American restaurateurs as well as allies — rallied quickly to raise money for advocacy. Julia Momose donated money from cocktail sales at Kumiko. Co-owners Ellen King and Julie Matthei of Hewn in Evanston raised money for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, an organization formed in 1974 that “protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans.”
Kim created a resource page for people to donate and research more about the issues that Asian Americans continue to face.
“We’ve been trained to think we should be passive about our issues and not take up space,” Kim said. “There are long-standing problems that Asian Americans have faced for generations. We all have a story. It’s not new, but it’s the moment to speak up.”
Ed Marszewski, who co-founded Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar with his South Korean-born mother, and also helms the adjacent restaurants Kimski and Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream, said he was already working on hosting a fundraiser for Asian Americans Advancing Justice before the Atlanta shooting, after Kim had reached out to him.
“She first brought it up a month ago, when reports were escalating about Asian folks being harassed across the country,” Marszewski said. “She introduced us to people who were working with the AAAJ and we were working on something for April. Then the attacks in Atlanta happened.”
Wanting to help as quickly as possible, he organized a raffle with his restaurants, along with Marz Community Brewing, which he also owns, and Public Media Institute. “We raised $4,000 in three days,” Marszewski said. “I was just blown away. We do fundraisers every month as a part of our mission, so we are used to doing this. We have a community that supports what we are doing and cares about helping others. We are really fortunate. It gives you hope.”
Alexis Thomas and Eve Studnicka, the duo behind the Midwestern-themed meal delivery service Funeral Potatoes, also raised money for AAAJ by hosting a pierogi raffle.
“When we started last year, we wanted to incorporate asking for donations into our process,” Studnicka said. “After the attacks in Atlanta, we were motivated to help in whatever way we could.”
Side Practice Coffee teamed up with the clothing brand Coursework to raise money for the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Community Fund. The Filipino-owned businesses donated all proceeds from a specially designed T-shirt with the words “Malakas Tayo” emblazoned across the front. The phrase means “we are strong” in Tagalog, one of the two national languages of the Philippines.
While he’s pleased with the amount of support he’s gotten from the community, Marszewski said he worries that violence is going to happen “again and again,” unless more people take it seriously.
“It’s taking place in communities all across the U.S.,” Marszewski said. “We need more people to be aware of this kind of hate crime.”
As for Kim, she said she hopes the community’s efforts will mitigate comments that have contributed to the dehumanization of Asian Americans, and center the focus on the victims of violent attacks and hate crimes.
“There are a lot of aspects that we need help with, especially in the media. One is telling the stories from the victim’s perspective, and not just giving excuses for the terrible behavior. These women (who were killed) had children and families,” Kim said.
But more needs to be done.
“I think it’s time to teach true Asian American history, so kids can learn about the internment camps, the railroad workers, and how we were abused in the system,” Kim said. “The government was a part of it. Sometimes what you see, it comes from the top.”
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com
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