After getting vandalized in March from apparent anti-Chinese racism due to the COVID-19 outbreak and later attacked by online trolls, a Chinese restaurant in Seattle was targeted for the second time by looters Saturday evening.
Jade Garden, a family dim sum restaurant that has been operating for 17 years, was vandalized and burglarized amid the George Floyd demonstrations.
According to owner Eric Chan, he is overwhelmed after being victimized again in just a couple of months, King5 reports.
Chan noted that the intruders who robbed his restaurant may have taken advantage of the way local authorities and members of the National Guard focused on the downtown businesses.
“Please just leave us alone! I just want to work in peace,” Chan pleaded, adding that it’s family-owned.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter
A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.
Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.
Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.
Back in March, vandals destroyed a window at his restaurant in what Chan believes was a racist attack.
In an interview with Q13, Chan said they would often receive hate calls and inquiries for “exotic cuisine.”
During the most recent attack on Jade Garden, burglars broke through the door, ransacked the place and took the cash register with them, reported KUOW.
The rest of Seattle’s Chinatown is still reeling from the damage caused by his weekend’s unrest. Similar to what happened to Jade Garden, dozens of businesses were on the receiving end of looting and vandalism.
“Right now I just want to curl up in a ball and cry,” Chan said. “But you can’t because you got to clean up all the glass shards before you do that.”
Chan has since made repairs to the front door and re-opened his business by Sunday morning. He also recognizes the importance of why people are protesting.
Chan expressed how thankful he is for the customers who started lining up for takeout orders.
“It means everything to us right now,” he said.
Jade Garden’s supporters have since taken to Instagram to offer their condolences, with one asking if they would set up a GoFundMe in the future.
“We are covered by insurance and at this time we’re not looking to have any GoFundMes,” Chan told NextShark. “Thoughts and prayers and unwavering support is what we really need right now. We love serving the community and just want to continue to do that peacefully. That’s all.”
Feature Image via King5
