Hanna Lee explores complexities of life as a Korean adoptee through writing

July 25, 2023July 22, 2023Leave a comment

By Sophia-Joelle McDowell

As a transracial Korean adoptee living in the midwest, Hanna Lee started writing during the rise of the pandemic when AAPI hate was high and they had a lot to process.

Lee believes writing can help people process what they’re going through, and it offers a healthy and structured way of going about this.

The books they have written to process their own experiences have resonated with many readers. Lee spoke with us about their past and the pages they earned in the process.

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Cafe Cà Phê Invites You to Celebrate AAPI Heritage at AAPICONIC 2023

May 6, 2023June 19, 20231 Comment

By: Nicole Mitchell

Kansas City’s first Vietnamese coffee shop Cafe Cà Phê is hosting another iconic festival this spring at Columbus Square Park, and you’re invited. Join the party on May 20 for the second annual Kansas City AAPI Festival, presented by Fresh Karma Dispensaries.

The theme is ICONIC: A Throwback To 1999—a time where music, fashion, and pop-culture were at their finest. Fresh Prince was on the TV and Britney Spears ruled the world. The aesthetic for the event is “1990s Magazine Cover,” so dig out your favorite tube tops and acid-wash jeans and join for a day of live entertainment, booths by local makers and artisans, and nostalgic vignettes designed specifically for photo ops.

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AAPI Heritage Month with Cafe Cà Phê: Travis Young

May 31, 2022October 21, 2023Leave a comment

By Kelcie McKenney
Photos by Travis Young and Travis Carroll

For Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we teamed up with Catcall magazine to highlight the AAPI team members who make Kansas City’s first Vietnamese coffee shop Cafe Cà Phê possible. Read the intro here, and stick around this week to hear their stories.

What’s your title at Cafe Cà Phê?

Photographer

Where is your family’s country of origin?

My parents are from Vietnam!

What brought you and/or your family to Kansas City?

My parents ended up in Garden City, KS, because there was work at a meatpacking plant. That’s where I was born. Then as I graduated high school I got a substantial scholarship from any in-state college so I used it to get me to KU in Lawrence, KS. After graduating there I moved to KC because it was the closest and biggest city population-wise that I had experienced at that point.

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AAPI Heritage Month with Cafe Cà Phê: Maddy Best

May 30, 2022October 21, 2023Leave a comment

By Kelcie McKenney
Photos by Travis Young

What’s your title at Cafe Cà Phê?

Graphic Designer

Where is your family’s country of origin?

My mom was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, and my dad’s family is all rooted in Missouri!

What brought you and/or your family to Kansas City?

We originally came back to Missouri once my parents left the service. Mom worked in healthcare and dad joined the family woodworking business. After I graduated from UCM with my bachelor’s degree, I came to KC to work!

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