Race has shaped our lives throughout history and continues to do so to this day. As many in America and in Chicago seek new awareness about race, it is important now more than ever to be educated on and to shed light on modern racism, particularly amid a spike in anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes.
In the videos below, members of the Asian American Pacific Islander communities in the Chicago area recount personal incidents of racism and microaggressions they've experienced. Several discussed both how these events have impacted them and how we can move forward.
Watch, learn and empower others.
For complete coverage of NBC 5's ongoing Race in Chicago series, click here.
Andrew Lim is the Executive Chef at Perilla: Korean American Fare, a newly anointed Bib Gourmand restaurant in Chicago's Fulton River District. Lim started his culinary career at The Bristol in Bucktown and later opened a pizzeria in Oakland, California.
He returned to Chicago and was part of several restaurant openings before launching his first solo venture in 2018, opening City Rock Korean Kitchen with his brother in the Loop. Lim opened Perilla in July 2019, calling it a "vision long dreamt to share his culture and cuisine" with Chicago.
"My mother would always pack us a lunch and, you know, without fail, the other kids would poke fun," Lim said of the racism he experienced growing up. "Now I happen to be running a restaurant serving that same stinky food and they're paying for it."
