How to support Asian American Pacific Islanders

vKind connects consumers with brands, businesses, and professionals that champion conscious and compassionate living. We take a stand against all forms of oppression against both animals and humans, and believe that if you want to live a life driven by your values, it’s important to be aware of and take action on that oppression.

While racism against Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) is not new, we have experienced an alarming amount of reported assaults, burglaries, and murders against AAPI individuals this past year—especially elders—on top of the pandemic we are already facing. AAPI residents are on high alert, some parents have discouraged their children from attending in-person learning, and despite calls for awareness and action, advocates say leaders aren’t doing enough.

We can support AAPI individuals in multiple ways. Non-AAPI friends and colleagues can check in with their peers, offer help, stand in solidarity against anti-Asian violence on social media, and educate themselves about the history of anti-Asian racism. Employers can provide space and time for employees to process and heal, provide mental health days or flexibility at work, and invest in diversity, racial equity, and inclusion practices. 

A national report released in March 2021 by Stop AAPI Hate found over 30% of reported anti-Asian violence incidents took place on a public street or public park. If you witness an incident, report it to the authorities and/or groups like Stop AAPI Hate. Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) offers virtual trainings that teach strategies for intervention to prioritize your safety while intervening.

You can also donate to Asian communities and advocacy groups. New York Magazine’s The Strategist published a comprehensive list here.

An easy way to support our vegan AAPI-owned businesses

Another way to combat anti-Asian racism is to support businesses owned by AAPI individuals. In addition to our “Woman Owned” filter, we have a “Vegans of Color” filter to support businesses owned by people of color.

We want to be the top resource for vegan professionals and organizations online that has full transparency around vegan business listings. We believe it should be easy for anyone using our site and app to spend their dollars not only in the VegEconomy®, but on and with businesses that reflect their values.

Here are just a few vegan professionals/businesses in the vKind community we’d love you to support: 

Chef Reina

Chef Reina Montenegro’s new space includes a to-go window for online and walk-up orders and a studio space for her to produce online cooking demos and other digital events. This launch marks a significant step toward Chef Montenegro’s vision of introducing vegan Filipino comfort food to the masses, and ultimately, of culinary activism.

The Herbivorous Butcher

Siblings Aubry and Kale Walch make plant-based meats and cheeses in America’s first vegan butcher shop in northeast Minneapolis. They ship to customers and retail partners nationwide, operate a seasonal food truck, and have a non-profit farm sanctuary called Herbivorous Acres.

Lauren Toyota

Lauren Toyota launched hot for food as a blog in 2014. Her knack for creating vegan versions of popular comfort foods like mac and cheese, burgers, caesar salad, and even cheesecake has helped to catapult the vegan lifestyle into the mainstream and prove that plant-based diets are far from boring. Every Wednesday you can find Lauren sharing gourmet vegan comfort food recipes on her YouTube channel that boasts over 473,000 subscribers and over 36 million channel views since 2015. Her debut cookbook, Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes To Feed Your Face, and her second cookbook, hot for food all day, are available where books are sold.

Sweet Simple Vegan

With her husband Chris, Jasmine Briones creates fresh, fun and healthy recipes. When she was a freshman in college, she developed an eating disorder that took over her life and diminished her health. She did research on how to improve and regain her health, and came across veganism. She decided that even after restoring her health, she still wanted to continue being vegan. Every week, Sweet Simple Vegan shares a new recipe that is always 100% vegan and easy to make. Join them to make the world a sweeter place!

The Traveling Vet

While growing up, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Aman Kanwar always felt a deeper connection with the animals he encountered than most people around him. After graduating with a degree in Biology, Aman pursued a career in Veterinary Medicine at RUSVM in St. Kitts. Living on the small Caribbean island gave him the opportunity to be involved in various animal rescue operations. Soon, Aman realized his dream of starting his own non-profit animal rescue, The Traveling Vet

Yvonne's Vegan Kitchen

Yvonne Ardestani is a French-trained chef who spent her career creating classic restaurant dishes alongside some of the most prestigious names in food. She started her blog, My Eclectic Kitchen, when she enrolled in culinary school, chronicling her life in a culinary setting as an intern-turned-cook for a world-renowned chef, Suzanne Goin. Yvonne learned the importance of preparing foods farm-to-table while focusing on locally grown seasonal foods. Now, she is reinventing those meals and treats without the use of meat, dairy, eggs, honey, or gluten, and sharing them via her mobile app, e-Book, celebration cakes business, and vegan treats wholesale business, Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen.

We encourage you to continue supporting the Asian-owned businesses in your area and stand up for your AAPI friends and colleagues year-round to work toward ending anti-Asian racism, while also supporting the VegEconomy®.

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