Lucky Liu’s Temporarily Closes, Cites Racial Tension
Chinese-Japanese restaurant says employees have been verbally attacked.
Sushi at Lucky Liu’s. Photo from the restaurant.
Lucky Liu’s, a Japanese and Chinese restaurant on the city’s Lower East Side, has joined the growing list of restaurants suspending operations indefinitely.
But restaurant management cited something other than declining sales and a desire to “flatten the curve” in announcing the closure.
“Since the COVID-19 crisis is spreading intensively around Milwaukee along with the racial tensions we are experiencing ever since then, we have encountered more xenophobic and verbal attacks toward our committed staff members. For the safety and well-being of our staffs [sic], our team has come to a difficult decision in closing the business temporarily until further notice,” reads a notice posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page at 12:23 a.m.
President Donald Trump, in both press conferences and on Twitter, has repeatedly referred to coronavirus as the “Chinese virus.”
“It’s not racist at all,” said Trump in defending his choice to not call the virus by its name. “It comes from China, that’s why.”
But Trump’s decision to use the “Chinese virus” label has been criticized, but other conservative leaders, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Republican members of Congress, have followed the President’s lead and called the it “Wuhan virus” or “Chinese coronavirus.”
Lucky Liu’s post was met with over 50 comments from individuals offering support, asking how they could support the business and condemning the behavior.
The restaurant, located at 1664 N. Van Buren St., opened in 2009. It is owned by Henry Liu.
Lucky Liu’s did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
🚨 Dear customers,Since the COVID-19 crisis is spreading intensively around Milwaukee along with the racial tensions we…
Posted by Lucky Liu's on Friday, March 20, 2020
I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the “borders” from China – against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
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Shame on those who attack our Asian neighbors!!!!!!!
You are not protecting yourself from the virus. To blame Asian Americans for covid-19 is to ignore how the lack of leadership and foresight of the current occupant of the WH has led to the crisis. Your behavior is beyond stupid. It is hateful and evil.
We are better than this! We see how leadership can bring us together to act in each other’s best interest. But here we see a counter to that in the message we get from the leadership of our country. We must remain standing with each other . This time is a wonderful summons to seek a remedy: “Gu” in the iChing. Racism is one of many individual and systemic evils that requires our working together for a remedy. Something has sat too long ion the pot and has turned foul. It is time to seek a remedy.