AAPI HERITAGE MONTH - FEATURING Kat Lieu of Subtle Asian Baking
It’s MAY 1st! We are celebrating amazing AAPI folks all month long, so GET READY to be wow’d, inspired, and motivated to take action on your dreams.
I first discovered Kat Lieu as I follow the #veryasian hashtag as I was watching everything unfold with Michelle Li’s incident with racism when she mentioned that she ate dumplings on New Year’s Day. Here’ my podcast interview with Michelle if you haven’t heard it yet!
I discovered Subtle Asian Baking along the way and became a fan of what Kat was doing. Kat even raised an incredible amount of money $11,692 #veryasianfundraiser !
Kat was kind enough to take the time to answer these questions. I hope you feel inspired to go after you dreams.
Q: What part of Asia does your family descend from and let us know your lineage (ex: immigrant, 1st generation, 2nd generation etc..)
A: I was born in Montreal and I came to the US when I was around 2 years old. My dad was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, my Mom in the Canton region of China. Both met in Canada and came to the US with me. We are first generation in America.
Q: Tell us about your upbringing, where your parents very strict for instance? Were you pressured to study what they wanted or did you feel you had freedom to do what you wanted?
A: My parents were strict, to me. When I was 13, we got into a huge fight and they pressured me to apply for the bio-medical major at Brooklyn Tech High School; I was more interested in a writing/journalism or architecture major, both of which are more romantic and creative and well-suited to me, someone who can faint at the sight of blood. They saw I was academically gifted and wanted me to be a medical doctor or someone in the health field. I conceded and became a doctor of physical therapy for 13 years, and always felt a bit lost and empty, like there was something more I could do and achieve. I was always happiest when I can build something from scratch, like a program or network, or lead a project. My mother also wanted me to have a full Chinese banquet wedding and all of my friends had more fairy-type ones, so I settled for one in a hotel in Flushing NYC with a chinese banquet but the setting was more Westernized. After giving birth, my mother controlled what I ate and drank (I couldn't have yogurt or cold food) and that was when I drew the last straw. I was a mother who couldn't do what I wanted even after doing something so hard already, giving birth, so we got into a huge fight and I stormed out of her condo with all my belongings and after that, I would not let her control my life anymore. Now she lives under my roof, and sometimes, she forgets boundaries, but I make sure now there is mutual respect, and I can make all the decisions for myself. The experience has taught me to respect my own child, and our relationship is super friendly. We're like two cool pals who play video games together, and we chat and always have deep conversations. He's so deep and serious for an eight year old, and I really have learned to listen to him. He has so many insights and I promise that I will not force him down any career, but I will gently steer him down the right paths. My father, I missed a lot. Although he was strict as well, he really saw me for who I was and gave me a lot of respect. It didn't mean we didn't fight. We did. But we had those deep conversations whenever he was chatty, which wasn't very often.
Q:What advice do you have today for your peers who are looking to do what you are doing now?
A: Just do it, go for it if you can, and try to help others as much as you can. Finally, take advice with grace and always seek help. We can't achieve everything alone.
Q: How can we support you?
A: My book is available for worldwide preordering right now up until June 28, 2022 www.modernasianbaking.com/preorder
Q: If you're like me, you were taught to be very humble. This is NOT the time to be humble, please share sis!! Tell us all the things that make you feel really proud!
I am very proud to have authored a cookbook, Modern Asian Baking at Home, a book that my community Subtle Asian Baking inspired. I am very proud of potentially signing my second book deal, even before the release of my first book. I am proud of my social media reach: 350,000+ followers and members collectively with a reach of over 13 million a month. I have a secret project that I'm very proud of but can't talk about yet. I am very proud of my 8-year-old son who plays chess and video games, is a foodie, and can reach Chinese better than me. I am proud of making a big move from healthcare to the food writing and social media business. I am also very proud of having fundraised and continue to mobilize my community to fundraise. Also I love having been invited on podcasts, that was so much fun!
Thank you Kat!!!
Please support Kat and Subtle Asian Baking by….
pre-ordering her book:
You can submit a reipe here !
Giver her a follow on :
Instagram. Subtle Asian Baking, Personal account Kat Lieu
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