Jon Yao, chef of Michelin-starred Kato, won the James Beard award for best chef: California, using the moment to address the plight of immigrant communities in Los Angeles. He described the ongoing fear those communities endure due to aggressive immigration policies under the Trump administration. Yao emphasized the importance of their contributions to the city's cultural fabric while lamenting the impact of recent national guard deployments and curfews on local businesses, including significant revenue losses for Kato. The award's bittersweet nature underscored a deep connection to the city and its immigrant roots.
Our restaurant we tell stories, stories of immigrants, diaspora, endurance and perseverance... right now those same communities are being ripped apart.
As the children of immigrants I'm sure many here can imagine a scenario where we couldn't be here to celebrate this all together...to be treated with equal dignity and respect.
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