The Asian American Experience

Lucky Liu's announces temporary closure due to racist abuse

Victoria Kenneth Oral History

Asian cuisine is a staple of American life. Thai and Chinese food in particular are popular dishes, a sign of both American tastes as well as the flow of immigrants that have come to this country. But staff and owners of these restaurants across America have faced an additional obstacle during COVID – xenophobic and racist abuse, which has in no small part been spurred by the President referring to the virus as the “Chinese Flu” or the "Wuhan Virus."

Extending well beyond restaurants, Asian Americans have had to contend with an onslaught of unwarranted prejudice and abuse. At least one Milwaukee restaurant had to close down due to the abuse, although it reopened several weeks after an overwhelming response of admiration from the community. Others, like Sweet Basil, opened in the middle of the pandemic. Like every minority demographic in America, Asian Americans have suffered far more during the pandemic than the average Caucasian American, and Milwaukee has been no exception.