Chef Kevin Tien at the Wharf. Photograph courtesy of Moon Rabbit
When Moon Rabbit chef Kevin Tien saw the recent reports of elderly Asian Americans being attacked—and even killed—while going about their daily lives, he didn’t just see vicious hate crimes. He saw victims who could easily be his parents and grandparents, friends and colleagues.
“Since Covid started, we have chef friends in LA who’ve been threatened,” says Tien, an American of Vietnamese descent. “Even talking to my staff who’re Asian in background, they are scared walking around in public because of these random attacks. Everyone is worried about their mom and grandmas.”