It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and we’re excited to celebrate! You may be wondering how to observe this month. Should you learn more about Asian-American food history, diversify your social media feed, or support an Asian-owned food business? The answer is yes. Here are a few ways that our employees recommend celebrating AAPI Heritage Month:
Vote With Your Wallet: Support AAPI Producers Through Imperfect
Imperfect is proud to source from several AAPI, women-owned businesses. Keep an eye out for these when you shop with us so you can support them, too!
- Nona Lim: Nona Lim makes delightful bone broths, stir fry kits, and fresh rice noodles. Everything they produce is a loving homage to the founder’s favorite childhood foods in Singapore and is made with wholesome, carefully sourced ingredients.
- Miyoko’s Creamery: Miyoko Schinner changed the game when it came to plant-based dairy and makes some of the best vegan cheeses and butters we’ve tasted.
- Down to Cook: Trishna Saigal started Down to Cook to make hearty plant-based meals easier and more intuitive to make. Her Adda Veggie mix makes it simple to turn whatever veggies you have rolling around in your fridge into delicious patties, meatballs, or crumble- perfect for burgers, rice bowls, or tacos!
Lend Us Your Ears: Podcast Resources
We had the honor of interviewing two AAPI founders that we source from at Imperfect: Miyoko Schinner of Miyoko’s Creamery and Trishna Saigal of Down to Cook Foods. Listen to these conversations to learn more about their journeys in the food world and lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Food for Thought: Reading Recommendations
This month is a great time to remember that there’s always more to learn when it comes to our national history and identity. Food is a wonderful vehicle for sparking curiosity and creating dialogue. Here are some articles that our employees found thought-provoking and topical:
-
Bok Choy Isn’t ‘Exotic’: How Asian-American Farmers Shape What America Eats – Eater
-
Is the Ethnic Food Aisle Racist? – Insider
-
Comfort and Connection: Asian chefs and celebrities share the role food plays in their lives – The Washington Post
-
Reviving Breadfood, the Polynesian Staple, Could Nourish People and Fight Climate Change – Civil Eats
Feeding Change: Organizations to Follow and Support
There are too many amazing nonprofits at work supporting AAPI causes to list here, but we wanted to share a few of our favorites in case you’d like to make a donation or would like to volunteer. We’ve also included links to their Instagram pages so you can follow them and stay up to speed about their great work.
-
Heart of Dinner: Delivering food to Asian elders in NYC (Follow)
-
NQAPIA: A federation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations. (Follow)
-
NAPAWF: Building collective power with AAPI women and girls to gain full agency of their lives, families, and communities (Follow)
