Tapping immigrant roots to side-step traditional food business models

By |

“Hustling is in our blood,” Chef Yia Vang said. “I’m not doing anything different than what my parents and my grandparents were doing in Laos and Thailand.”

Vang operates Union Kitchen, a Hmong American pop-up restaurant, alongside his cousin Chris Her. Like many immigrant food business owners, Vang’s culinary journey had humble beginnings. What started out as cooking phở in garages at church-sponsored backyard parties four years ago evolved into a pop-up restaurant just shy of two years old, now having found temporary residency outside of Sociable Cider Werks in northeast Minneapolis. Similar to Union Kitchen, Donburi is a pop-up Japanese restaurant offering up rice bowls, poke bowls and fresh sashimi. Continue Reading

Best of Neighborhood News 6/13: Indigenous Peoples Task Force launches suicide prevention program for Native youth

By |

The Indigenous Peoples Task Force (IPTF) has launched a new program to help prevent youth suicides. Native youth have the highest rate of suicide in comparison to youth of other racialized groups, and it is the greatest risk of death for Native people in this age group. Unlike other prevention programs in the state, the program is culturally specific and will focus on learning the signs of suicide and encouraging the community to lean on and support each other through honest communication about suicide and mental health. “It’s hard to think of a specific suicide prevention program in Minneapolis for Native youth. There are a variety of long standing programs in Minneapolis improving the health of Native youth, but suicide prevention isn’t talked about directly,” said Brenna Depies of IPTF. Continue Reading

Best of Neighborhood News 2/8: Candidate hopes to change historically white Hennepin County board

By |

LaDonna Redmond, a Twin Cities food justice advocate, is vying to be the first person of color to serve on Hennepin County’s commission. According to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Redmond, running for District Three, wants to empower historically disenfranchised people. “The County is really an unknown governmental layer. It is a very powerful layer. [It] distributes $2 [billion] a year in funding across the system. Continue Reading