After the Department of Homeland Security launched the largest immigration operation in the country in Minneapolis and St. Paul, residents there banded together to protect their communities from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. Their organizing has taken on many forms, with locals working tirelessly to keep their neighbors safe and fed.
One of those people is Tracy Wong, who turned her restaurant, My Huong Kitchen, into a refuge.
Wong can’t help but help people. That’s something she says she’s tried to do all her life. And on the day that Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, Wong didn’t hesitate to immediately help her community.
On the day that Alex Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, Wong didn’t hesitate to immediately help her community.
Moments after Pretti was shot, hundreds of residents rushed to the scene in the city’s Whittier neighborhood, despite the dangerously cold weather. Agents threw tear-gas canisters into the crowds, causing residents to struggle to breathe and see.
Just a block away from Pretti’s shooting sits Wong’s Vietnamese restaurant, a local spot known for bahn mi sandwiches, pho, noodle salad, and more. At the time, Wong was at her home nearby, taking care of her parents, but when she heard about the shooting, she rushed to her business to check on her employees. As events unfolded, others in the restaurant urged Wong to leave. But instead of locking her doors, she opened them up.
“I cannot go anywhere,” Wong recalled saying. “I have to stay in here, inside the restaurant, so I make sure that everybody is okay.” Protestors running from the site of the shooting began filling her restaurant. Wang offered them warmth, hot tea, and safety.
My Huong Kitchen is about a block from where Alex Pretti was killed by Border Patrol agents. Owner Tracy Wong opened her doors that day to welcome those seeking safety. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Wong)
Two of the people seeking refuge at My Huong Kitchen the day of Pretti’s shooting were Samie Solina and Mitchell Yehl, journalists from local news station KARE 11. Solina shared a video to Instagram of Wong, urging people to come into her restaurant. Overnight, Wong became a community hero. The video has over 180,000 likes and nearly 5,000 comments, with many sharing their own experiences of meeting Wong.
“Been eating here for more than 10 years and she has always been the kindest,” one commenter said. Another person wrote, “She sheltered my sister and I. Gave us water, hand warmers, and even some food while the street was full of tear gas. She is so kind and loving!”
Watching the federal immigration operation unfold in Minneapolis has been frightening and difficult for Wong. She told Civil Eats that a former employee of hers named Maria had her husband and her sister taken by ICE, leaving Maria to care for her two children and her sister’s child. She told Wong they were going to leave the country, out of fear for what would happen to the children if ICE took her next.
“I keep begging her,” Wong said. “I say, ‘I find my way to support you with three kids. Hold on tight, hold on tight.’” Weeks later, Maria left, Wong said.
The 60-year-old business owner continues to do her best to help others. “Even though I don’t eat, I don’t sleep,” Wong said, her voice shaking, “I still go help. I still go to work.”
Tracy Wong with journalists from local news station KARE 11, whose video about Wong and her generosity went viral. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Wong)
Cooking is not just Wong’s job; it’s something she loves and has done all her life. As an 11-year-old girl, she cooked for her parents and eight siblings. “We could not afford to go out to eat,” Wong explained. “So, then on the weekend, I cook all this curry, pho—you know, Vietnamese food.”
Wong’s passion for Vietnamese cuisine goes back to her childhood. Born in Vietnam to Chinese parents, she later moved with her family to Minnesota in the 1980s. After several years of living in California with her husband and son, she moved back to Minneapolis in 2012 to open up My Huong Kitchen.
In the days after the shooting, Tracy’s niece set up a GoFundMe for people who wanted to support her aunt. Contributions reached $31,000 within a week and will go toward the restaurant’s needs, like paying wages, replacing appliances, and stocking inventory.
The community is showing up to support Wong in person, too. After word got out that she protected protestors, a seemingly endless stream of people have stopped by to thank her and dine at My Huong Kitchen.
“My body has felt excited day and night because it seems like people all around the world are loving and supporting me. It’s overwhelming in the most beautiful way,” Wong told Civil Eats.
The surge in support required the restaurant to open later in the day on Sunday, and use a limited menu in order to have enough time to prep their inventory.
Wong keeps finding extra ways to give—even if it means never stopping to take a break.
My Huong Kitchen is usually closed on Mondays, but Wong opened her doors on the first Monday in February so people could stop by for free coffee, donuts, and cookies supplied by Shuang Hur Supermarket, an Asian grocery store next to Wong’s restaurant.
As Wong spoke to Civil Eats, a resident stopped by the restaurant, looking to support her business. After Wong welcomed her in and directed her to the food and drinks, the patron asked if there was anything she could do for Wong.
“To eat, to drink, to be happy, to be safe,” Wong simply replied.
“Whatever I do, like right now, I do with love,” Wong told Civil Eats. “I like to tell everyone that. . . . When people need help, please help them.”
The post In the Face of ICE, This Minneapolis Restaurant Owner Shelters and Feeds Her Community appeared first on Civil Eats.
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