I came across some news that got my attention and had to share it with you all. The following comes from NBC News.

New York City’s Lucky Lee, a white-owned Chinese restaurant, was shut down last Friday. The establishment was opened by nutritionist Arielle Haspel, who described their cuisine as “clean Chinese food.” Being accused of racism and cultural appropriation, Haspel drew backlash when internet users pointed out the offensive language used in earlier social media posts that perpetuated Chinese restaurant stereotypes. The Asian American community continued to voice their frustrations and after 8 months, the restaurant closed its doors.

Arielle Haspel advised the following in a New York Times interview:

“We were never trying to do something against the Chinese community. We thought we were complementing an incredibly important cuisine, in a way that would cater to people that had certain dietary requirements. Shame on us for not being smarter about cultural sensitivities.”

I wanted to share this information because many within my community still question how to develop a Code of Conduct. Well, this is how. Instead of the laundry list of complaints about race relations, cultural appropriation, lack of wealth, and disunity; instead of keeping an Open Door Policy for others and supporting them more than we support ourselves; instead of complaining about the disrespect from others, either through abuse or theft, follow it with action.

The Asian American community has made it clear that they won’t be disrespected, and I can’t fault them for that.

Click here if you’d like to check out the full article.

Until Next Time…