‘We will not stop honoring our heritage’: Vietnamese coffee shop vandalized

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) – Saying “Xin Chao” is a formal way of greeting someone in Vietnamese, and until Wednesday morning, those were the words you were greeted with when you walked into Cà Phê Cafe.

Video posted by KCTV5 shows a gray Chevy SUV pulling up to the store just before 2 a.m. after the general election. The driver was wearing a black mask and got out of the car to throw an object at the windows several times before running back to the SUV and driving away.

The glass has been replaced, but the door is empty—no artwork, no Xin Chao, at least for now.

Bethie Le Shackelford is the Director of Community Engagement for Café Cà Phê and the founder of Hella Good Deeds.

“More than anything, the people who did this didn’t get anything tangible out of it, didn’t get any money… what they got out of it was – I guess a sense of power to destroy what our Message is , what we stand for,” Shackelford said. “It’s a damn safe space for everyone—especially Asians and Asian Americans, and queer, trans, and marginalized BIPOC communities.”

Although the written greeting has temporarily disappeared, relationships between staff and customers may have become stronger.

On Wednesday, the owner of Café Cà Phê posted a video of the damage, and in a short time, the community they served donated enough money to the cafe to fix the glass. They are also considering improving their security to prevent similar behavior in the future.

The Kansas City Police Department told KCTV5 they are investigating the incident, but there is no hate crime element to the investigation at this time.

Regardless of the motive behind the crime, Shackelford decided to formally announce the creation of a nonprofit organization, Hella Good Deeds, to continue spreading the inclusive message the coffee shop started four years ago.

“Our mission is to promote the growing presence of Asian culture in Kansas City while celebrating our heritage,” Shackelford said. “We will not stop, and to those who are against us, I don’t know what to tell you, because we will continue to celebrate.”