THE ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE TEA TRIBE We just recently saw this clip on Instagram and every fiber of my being was irked by the ignorant disregard, disrespect & dishonour of the richness & reverence which is lacking in our Western Tea Industry. After almost 20 years in the North American Tea Industry, I have watched these Whitewashed, Soulless, Fast Fashion brands come and go because they have not taken the time to educate themselves in order to honour Tea’s History. This last year we have been in R&D mode, preparing the RE-launch of our website and the Launch of The Shisso Tea & Botanical Academy with Shisso Tea Company 質素 {shis-so} so that we can address these issues of appropriation. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If we are to change our course in history, in the tea industry, in our global community, to create a more ethical and sustainable world, we must be brave enough to stare into the belly of the beast, to be radically honest with ourselves about what our history tells. We must remember, research and understand in order for us to change. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tea, as many industries with a history that dates back over 5000 years, has one of the most atrocious, inhumane and bloodstained path in the wake of its global expansion. It was one of the driving commodities which lead to the creation of the shipping routes from east to west that we know today. In its wake, this foreign invasion covered by the mask of "trade", it left a trail of bloodshed, colonialism, civil war, slavery, poverty and human trafficking, many of which is still seen in our industry today. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It was many of these heart wrenching issues that lead us to hold fast to a standard of ethics, quality and sustainability which would be intolerant to these violations of humanity. This is also the heart and essence of the creation of The Ethical Tea Tribe, who are dedicated to participating in the creation of an ethical and sustainable tea industry. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #shissotea #tea #teatribe #tribe #ethical #ethicaltea #social #dogood #socialgood #justice #socialjustice #socialimpact #socialcause #causes #support #community #communityovercompetition #giveback #givingback #charity #philanthropy #makeadifference #change #bethechange #activism #rights #humanity #humanrights #humantrafficking #womenintea
Managing Partner @ Hyphen Capital | Co-founder and President @ Expo | Co-founder of Stand With Asian Americans | Producer of Emmy-winning 38 at the Garden | Smithsonian APAC Board
Simu Liu is a real life super hero. This video clip of Dragon’s Den (Canada’s Shark Tank) has been going viral this week. In it, a pair of white Canadian founders were pitching Bobba, a boba beverage company. Simu challenged the cultural appropriation of a famously Asian drink and the erasure of anything about it being Asian whatsoever. It is a Taiwanese invention that has existed for decades and is popular around the world. This team is trying to capitalizing on it by whitewashing it to make it “acceptable” to the masses. This isn’t new to Asians, because we’ve heard it all before. A white team will say they’re making something Asian better or healthier, insinuating that our products or creations are inherently cheaper, worse, or unhealthy. These are all racist stereotypes perpetuated by the very people that want to make their own versions and capitalize on it. Did you know that PF Chang’s was started by a white man named Paul Fleming (the PF) in Scottsdale, AZ? He also spun off the fast casual Pei Wei Asian Diner. He sold PF Chang’s for $1.1B in 2012. A white woman in Oregon started Breakfast Cure, an “improved” congee brand. Three white women in Dallas, redesigned a mahjong set saying the game needed a “respectful reset” and charged $425. And many of us remember Lucky Lee’s, a short-lived “Chinese” restaurant in New York opened by Arielle Haspel, a nutritionist that marketed itself as “clean Chinese food.” https://lnkd.in/gunk4ACB https://lnkd.in/gD7fZr5g https://lnkd.in/gDJMEvht It’s not just about stealing and capitalizing on other cultures. It’s disrespecting them by saying they can be made better by a non-Asian. This is reminiscent of arrogant colonialists thinking they could “civilize” and make other countries “better.” It is infuriating that these other judges are so dismissive of Simu’s valid concerns that he articulated so well. But we’re not surprised by this and are very familiar with this type of response. It’s disappointing that the fellow Asian woman on the panel is not an ally, but instead offers to invest as if she wants the approval of the others. Meanwhile, companies like Twrl Milk Tea started by a Taiwanese and Chinese all-female team (Pauline Ang and Olivia Chen) have been selling their boba products at Whole Foods, Sprouts and other stores around the country. Would the judges on Dragon’s Den have been as interested in investing in their authentic company? Probably not, but maybe Simu will. We all just want a fair shot. Here’s a thoughtful response from Olivia Chen: https://lnkd.in/gHhgNtcR
