Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a surge of anti-Asian hate. According to covidracism.ca, 1150 cases of racist attacks and incidents in Canada were reported on their platforms from March 10, 2020, to February 28, 2021.
Canadian food blogger and chef Jannel Lo, who is also the co-owner and food stylist for Byte Sized Co., began the virtual dumpling-making fundraiser to take a stand against anti-Asian prejudice and violence.
Lo told The RepresentASIAN Project that, “As a Chinese-Canadian chef and food blogger, I have been outraged by the spike in anti-Asian racism and violence during COVID-19. I wanted a way to raise awareness and to get more people involved, so I came up with Dump the Hate to support and give back to the Asian community.”
Timothy Chan is one of the many Torontonians participating, and so far, he has raised $2000 for Butterfly CSW and covidracism.ca. Chan said that this initiative is both a form of activism and a way for him to further connect with his Chinese identity.
Another Toronto local named Canice Leung has raised $750 for the Chinese Canadian National Council, Butterfly and Cecil Community Centre. Leung noted that there are a handful of Toronto restaurants that are a part of the Asian community who sell frozen dumplings that you can support, such as Mother's Dumplings, Dumpling House and Daily Dumpling.
Anyone can participate in this fundraiser, and the steps are simple. Make at least 50 dumplings to sell to friends and family, and donate the proceeds to an organization that supports the Asian community. A list of organization recommendations is included on the fundraiser page. Once you have donated, record it through the donation tracker.
So far, over $28,000 has been raised, and more than 9,500 dumplings have been made!
The fundraiser started on March 14 and is running until April 4.
Check out #dumpthehate on Instagram to see everyone who is participating, and more importantly, order your dumplings today!
