>>> AS YOU KNOW, ALL MONTH LONG,
WERE CELEBRATING ASIAN-AMERICAN
PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
WITH OUR SERIES "WE BELONG."
>> WE REPORTED ON THE RISE OF
ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
ITS LEFT A LOT OF FOLKS
WONDERING HOW THEY CAN HELP.
>> THE ANSWER COULD BE AS SIMPLE
AS ORDERING A MEAL.
I SPOKE WITH TWO CHEFS FIGHTING
BACK AGAINST AAPI HATE BY DOING
WHAT THEY DO BEST.
>> FOOD IS TYPICALLY SOMEBODYS
FIRST INTRODUCTION TO SOMEBODY
ELSES CULTURE.
>> Reporter: FOR THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS, CHEFS TIM MA AND
KEVIN HAVE BEEN BRINGING PEOPLE
TO THE TABLE, LITERALLY.
>> ITS NOT JUST GOING AND
GETTING DUMPLINGS.
ITS NOW THAT YOURE AT THE
TABLE, HOW CAN WE EXPAND OUR
CONVERSATION, TO LEARN ABOUT
SOMEONE ELSE?
>> Reporter: THEIR START WAS
DECIDEDLY LESS GLAMOROUS.
WAIT, YOU BOUGHT A RESTAURANT
OFF CRAIGS LIST?
>> YEAH.
LITERALLY, I WAS THAT
INEXPERIENCED.
>> Reporter: I MEAN, I BOUGHT A
COUPLE THINGS ON CRAIGS LIST,
BUT NEVER A RESTAURANT.
NOW, TIM IS A HIGH-PROFILE CHEF
IN WASHINGTON, D.C., GIVING HIS
TAKE ON CHINESE TAKEOUT AT LUCKY
DANGER, WHILE KEVIN FOCUSES ON
CONTEMPORARY VEETIETNAMESE CUISI
AT MOON RABBIT.
AS VIOLENCE AGAINST THE ASIAN
COMMUNITY INCREASED NATIONALLY,
TIM AND KEVIN KNEW THEY NEEDED
TO USE THEIR CULINARY SKILLS TO
COMBAT IT.
WHAT DID YOU COME UP?
>> ONE DINNER HERE IN
WASHINGTON, D.C. WITH
ASIAN-AMERICAN CHEFS RAISING
MONEY WITH ONE TO-GO DINNER
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
OVERNIGHT, KEVIN AND I DECIDED,
LETS SEE HOW BIG WE CAN GET.
WE CALLED OUR FRIENDS AND TEXTED
THEM OVERNIGHT, AND WE WERE AT
45 CHEFS THE NEXT DAY.
>> Reporter: THE DUO LAYING OUT
A SCHEDULE AND LAUNCHING A
WEBSITE OVERNIGHT.
CHEFS STOPPING AAPI HATE WAS
BORN.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU
REALIZED THINGS SOLD OUT AS
QUICKLY AS IT DID?
>> THAT TELLS US THAT PEOPLE ARE
PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ISSUES
AT HAND.
PEOPLE WANT TO HELP.
THEY WANT TO MAKE CHANGE.
>> Reporter: SO FAR, THEYVE
RAISED AT LEAST $122,000,
DONATING TO ORGANIZATIONS
FIGHTING RACISM AND VIOLENCE.
YOU HAVE THIS EVENT, SUPPOSED TO
BE A ONE-TIME THING, BUT YOU
REALIZE YOU NEED TO KEEP IT
GOING.
HOW COME?
>> FOR US, IT IS ALL ABOUT
SPREADING AWARENESS AND
AMPLIFYING THE VOICE FOR AS LONG
AS WE CAN.
>> Reporter: FOR KEVIN AND TIM,
IT IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.
>> I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT ABOUT
MY PARENTS.
IN THOSE VIDEOS OF SECURITY
FOOTAGE, I CANT TELL THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT PERSON
AND MY PARENTS.
SO THATS WHERE IT KIND OF HIT
HOME.
>> Reporter: FOR BOTH CHEFS,
ITS A REMINDER THAT WE HAVENT
LEFT THE PAST BEHIND.
>> IT WASNT SAFE TO BE IN THE
FRONT YARD GROWING UP IN
CALIFORNIA.
PEOPLE WOULD COME BY AND SAY
THINGS LIKE WHAT THEY PERCEIVED
TO BE, LIKE, AN ASIAN LANGUAGE,
OR THEYD THROW THINGS AT US.
>> I WAS BORN IN ARKANSAS IN THE
70s.
ONE NIGHT, MY SISTER AND I WERE
SLEEPING, AND OUR BEDROOM,
SOMETHING CAME THROUGH THE
WINDOW, SHATTERED THE WINDOW.
WE DIDNT FIND OUT IT WAS A
BRICK UNTIL THE MORNING.
>> Reporter: TODAY, A FEW MONTHS
AFTER KEVIN AND TIMS FIRST
DINNER, THE PROGRAM HAS ALREADY
LAUNCHED NATIONALLY, WITH EVENTS
SET FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW
YORK.
RIGHT HERE IN MANHATTAN, THE
CHEFS GAVE ME AN EXCLUSIVE TASTE
OF THEIR FIRST DINNER.
THIS IS AMAZING.
A DELICIOUS MEAL THAT COMES WITH
A SIDE OF HOPE.
>> I HAVE THREE KIDS.
WE NEED TO FIGHT THIS NOW SO
THAT THE NEXT GENERATION CAN
FIGHT FOR WHATS NEXT.
>> WE CAN FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, A
BEAUTIFUL FUTURE THAT WE CAN
PASS ON TO EVERYBODY.
>> GUYS, CHEFS STOPPING AAPI
HATE IS GETTING BIGGER.
SEVERAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS
WILL BE RAISING MONEY BY
FEATURING ONE OF KEVINS DISHES
ON THEIR MENU.
THE CEO OF OPEN TABLE AGREED TO
ACTUALLY BUY UNSOLD MEALS.
>> WOW.
>> THE MEALS ARE SPECTACULAR.
>> WE WERE SAYING HOW DELICIOUS.
>> OUT OF SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE,
SOMETHING REALLY POSITIVE COULD
COME.
YOU WONDER, HOW ARE PEOPLE LIKE
THIS?
BUT IF YOU WANT TO FIND A MEAL