By Robert Holgate and Jennifer Kroot–
Kung Food is a popular, cozy Chinese restaurant on McAllister Street, at Divisadero. Recently, several handwritten, angry signs appeared in the front windows, so we reached out to the restaurant’s young owner, and hip-hop artist, Andy Yang.
Andy’s signs detail recent attacks on his Asian-American friends and family: “My friend’s 64-year-old mom was robbed and assaulted in broad daylight.” “My best friend, Jessie, was robbed and dragged in broad daylight.” “My home girl’s restaurant was broken into.” “This s–t is happening in the Asian American community!”
Andy told us about even more attacks. A friend intervened when three men attempted to steal an elderly Asian-American woman’s purse. Another friend was making a delivery when a homeowner screamed, “Get out of my driveway, chink!” Increasingly concerned about his family’s safety, Andy now drives his wife to and from her job downtown.
In addition, Andy has spent the past year dealing with break-ins and vandalism, costing him thousands of dollars. Right before the pandemic, Kung Food’s windows were smashed and $2000 was stolen. It’s happened four more times since. One sign voiced his growing frustration: “Y’all need to stop vandalizing our restaurant! This is the 5th time already. We ain’t got no cash inside!”
Andy is troubled by the media’s race-focused emphasis that African Americans are committing the attacks on Asian Americans by “playing up the narrative that there’s tension between the two communities.”
“I’m a Chinese man,” he states, “who grew up in the projects and developed a strong bond with my African-American brothers and sisters. Recently, we went to an anti-Asian racism rally. We had 400 people and about 20% were African-American. They stood with us.”
At 13, Andy moved from China to the U.S. to live with his aunt in the Bay View. Andy laughs as he describes his surprise to find himself in an African-American neighborhood. He says, “I had seen two American movies before I moved here, The Titanic and Home Alone, so I thought there were only white people in America!” He adds, “We were the only Asian family in the neighborhood.”
While Andy as a teen found it challenging to be different, and says he was bullied, his devotion to hip-hop helped him through it.
“There was a government-funded after-school program called Keep the Kids Off the Street, using the power of rap,” he explains. “I heard the music one day, so I went over, and from then on, three afternoons a week, I was there. It changed my life completely. I was so timid and indecisive before, but hip-hop is a way of life. It’s making something out of nothing.”
Andy still performs, using the name Chino Yang. Before his son was born over a year and a half ago, Andy toured all over the country, as well as in China, where he was even featured on a popular reality show. “I can be an artist and never starve,” he jokes, “because my day job is owning a restaurant!”
Andy doesn’t like discussing politics, but he appreciates President Biden’s condemnation of hate crimes against Asian Americans. “As an Asian American immigrant,” he reflects, “my family always taught me to keep my head down and not engage in politics or speak up in any way.”
But when he saw the increase in attacks after former president Trump resorted to labels like “kung flu” and “China virus,” Andy decided to speak out. He says, “We were frustrated by Trump’s misleading statements and the mistreatment that we experienced, but there were no outlets for us to be vocal.” Since Kung Food is on a busy corner, near a bus stop, Andy vented his frustrations through window signs.
Locally, he doesn’t feel like Mayor Breed or the city is helping him as a small business owner, or as an Asian American, during this difficult time. However, he was thrilled to receive a call from Supervisor Dean Preston’s office after his signs went up, asking if he needed assistance with anything. Andy says, “I hope I can sit down with Dean one of these days, and talk, but just that they reached out means a lot.” Andy has applied to a program Preston created that reimburses small, District 5 business owners impacted by broken windows.
Andy is grateful for his customers’ support. “They bought twice as much food after I put the signs up! I love this neighborhood. 99% of the people are genuine, caring people, and most importantly, open minded.”
While San Francisco has gentrified, Kung Food’s clientele still reflects the diversity of the historic Western Addition.
“Everyone is welcome here,” Andy declares, and that’s no exaggeration. There is the full spectrum of the neighborhood eating side-by-side, underneath concert posters of Andy’s band. Part of the appeal may be because it’s one of the most affordable restaurants in NoPa, but more than that, Andy, with his youthful, outgoing, and inclusive personality, has created a warm, welcoming environment.
Sadly, a reciprocal welcoming environment is not being experienced by Andy and many other of our Asian-American friends and neighbors. As one of Andy’s signs puts it: “We will unite as one and fight for equality.”
#STOPASIANHATE – Chino Yang featuring Tony Rey: “Stand Up & Speak Up”: https://tinyurl.com/mh93x2fc
Kung Food: https://www.kungfoodsanfrancisco.com/
Jennifer Kroot is a filmmaker, known for her award-winning LGBTQ themed documentaries, including “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” and “To Be Takei.” She studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she has also taught. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A humanitarian, as well as a designer, Robert Holgate is dedicated to critical social issues. With his hands-on approach to philanthropy and social justice, he supports the advancement of local and national social causes. For more information: https://www.rhdsf.com/
Published on April 22, 2021
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