Reported acts of racism, violence and hate crimes directed at Asian Americans have increased significantly during the pandemic. Last month a white man shot and killed eight people, including six Asian American women in Atlanta, Georgia. After the Atlanta shooting, five Asian American restaurant and food cart owners in Portland gathered together to talk about the violence and how to move forward. They decided to form a group, called the Rice Bowl Posse, to support one another and lift up other Asian American and Pacific Islander restaurant owners. We talk with two members of the group: Thuy Pham, the owner of Mama Dút Foods, and Richard Văn Lê, the owner of the food cart Matta.
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