#VeryAsian movement spreads north to Toronto with businesses embracing identity

A hashtag started by a Korean-American television anchor after she shared a racist voicemail message has sparked a movement that is now being embraced by businesses in Toronto, who say they are proudly wearing their Asian heritage on their sleeve.

Michelle Li shared the message on her social media accounts with the hashtag #VeryAsian, in which a caller said her comments on-air about enjoying dumpling soup on New Years were "not inappropriate" and complained she was being "very Asian." The caller also said for Li to "keep her Korean" to herself.

"It's 2022. I can't believe someone would take the time out of their day to call in a news anchor to say keep your business to yourself," said Brian Tran, one of the co-founders of La La Bakeshop, a Vietnamese bakery in Toronto.

"To me, that's so backward."

Tran is one of many business owners who are now branding themselves with the viral hashtag #VeryAsian — proudly advertising their Asian culture.

The #VeryAsian movement comes after a reported spike in anti-Asian racism brought on by the pandemic. Toronto police statistics show hate crimes rose 51 per cent in 2020 over the previous year and only Jewish and Black people were targeted more often than Asians. It's also happening nearly one year after the Atlanta spa shootings that left eight dead — mostly Asian women. While many in Toronto are embracing the new hashtag movement, they say more still needs to be done to address anti-Asian hate.

An 'act of defiance'

In the window of Tran's Annex bakery now hangs a sign that says "We are a #VeryAsian bakery" and explains that it uses ingredients like durian, salted egg yolk and pork floss.

Tran said they often see customers walk in, then walk out, saying they thought it was a "normal" bakery. His goal, he said, is to challenge the idea of what a "normal" bakery looks like.

"I decided to print off a sign that said, 'Hey, we are a #VeryAsian bakery. You are welcome to come in and ask us questions. Maybe try something out. No pressure,'" said Tran.

"I put the sign up almost as a very small act of defiance. I didn't think anything would come of it. But we've had such a warm outpouring of support from the community right here in Toronto."

That support, according to Tran, has come not just from those in the Vietnamese community in Toronto, but also from Chinese Canadians, Korean Canadians and Filipino Canadians.

"I've lived in my skin all my life. I feel like this is the time to speak up and say, 'I'm proud of who I am. I'm proud of what my parents came from. I'm proud of what my people bring to this country,'" said Tran.

"So that's why it was really important, especially leading up to Lunar New Year, for us to say we are a very Asian bakery. We're not going anywhere."

Supporting Asian small businesses

In recent years, Toronto-based food blogger Phuong Tran has been focused on supporting Asian small businesses. She says it was in response to the rise of anti-Asian sentiment during the pandemic after the novel coronavirus was discovered in Wuhan, China.

"For me, it was a way to just speak up. And I think just to be one part of the conversation — to bring awareness, realizing that I have a platform," said Tran, who runs the Instagram page Foodie Fork. 

Tran herself has now been embracing the #VeryAsian hashtag in her Instagram stories and says she welcomes how something so negative like a racist comment has brought the community together.

"As part of the Asian community, one of the things that so many of us have struggled with is being really proud of who we are," said Tran.

"I think it almost allowed people to say, 'Hey, I am very Asian.  And I'm very proud of it. So I love that it became something that was so positive."

Tran penned an op-ed after the March 2021 Atlanta Spa shooting calling for more action to address anti-Asian racism. She said she's been encouraged by diversity initiatives launched by many corporations, but acknowledged there's much more work to do.

"I'd like to say that I've seen change since last year. I am not convinced in saying that, truly."

Racial reckoning 

The #VeryAsian hashtag comes in the midst of a racial reckoning that began after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in May of 2020, touching off a wave of protest around the world — which is why some say it's resonating so deeply.

"This incident could be dismissed as an example of someone being oversensitive or, you know, the caller just being ignorant and not understanding the impact of her words," said Michelle Cho, an assistant professor in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto.

"But I think that we're at a moment now in public conversation where we can really point to the repercussions of this kind of casual racism." 

She welcomes the #VeryAsian movement to publicly embrace Asian identity and culture and says she's happy to see it resonate not just with Asian-Americans, but Asian-Canadians too.

"I think ... these groups kind of operate in solidarity because, you know, they often can confront the same kinds of challenges and forms of discrimination and also battle similar stereotypes."

But Cho also acknowledges that some question the ability of so-called hashtag activism to effect real change and criticize its reliance on profit-driven social media.

"I think that talking about Asian pride as an antidote to Asian hate is helpful, but it cannot be the end point," said Cho.

"I think that's something for us to think about ... Expressing pride in your culture is wonderful but how does that translate into more durable, impactful social change?"