Clubhouse Fundraising Night Featuring Lisa Ling, Margaret Cho Aims to Empower AAPI Voices

Various Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) celebrities, activists, chefs and allies will come together online to empower marginalized voices this week on Clubhouse.

An upcoming Clubhouse fundraiser, “Let’s Eat Together,” will be held by LA Food Gang on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PST.

Inspired by actors Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu — who have invited thousands of participants to join conversations about AAPI issues and awareness on Clubhouse — the event will feature comedian and actress Margaret Cho as well as journalist and television host Lisa Ling.

There will be over 10 featured guest speakers, including two-time Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan, fashion designer Jason Wu and the cast of Netflix reality show “Bling Empire.” Guest appearances by multiple chefs and restaurateurs include Japanese American chef Niki Nakayama, who was featured on the Netflix show “Chef’s Table,” and chef Shirley Chung, who was on “Top Chef.”

The fundraiser will also have a donation website with a virtual silent auction. The proceeds will support Off Their Plate, a non-profit organization that empowers women and people of color to help out their communities by providing jobs and nutritious food through their businesses, according to the organization’s website. Off Their Plate will distribute the funds to AAPI restaurants with kitchens that make meals for the community.

LA Food Gang started as a way to virtually connect LA chefs during the pandemic and to share community triumphs and recommendations through meaningful connections on Clubhouse, according to its website.

Crystal Coser, Andy Wang and Yu Tsai — all established in the food and entertainment industry — started hosting these virtual gatherings at the beginning of the year, and the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes occurring across the country has been a large topic of conversation.

Stop AAPI Hate has recorded more than 2,800 anti-Asian incidents between March and December 2020. In the last two months, an increase in attacks has been widely reported, particularly toward the elderly.

Images via LA Food Gang

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