To our Asian community of matcha lovers, team members, and generational family farmers; we acknowledge the pain and trauma you are experiencing, we stand with you, and we will continue to do our part to advocate alongside you against racism.
In our country, matcha has been growing in popularity over the last several years. It is widely sought out as an incredible superfood and energy source, often rivaled against coffee. While it is easy to get lost in the particulars of matcha (which grade is better, health benefits, recipes, etc.), the fact is, matcha is deeply rooted in Asian culture, history, and lifestyle (and has been for many centuries). As we lean heavily on our tea farmers, we have felt compelled to honor and humanize them by sharing their stories with you through our #knowyourmatcha campaign and with our Limited Edition collection. Acknowledgement of their efforts is inherent to our brand, we will continue to humanize our tea farmers and share their stories.
With these small efforts, we acknowledge there is more to be done — especially here at home, within our country as hate and violence against the Asian community are widespread. In addition to educating ourselves on how we can continue to advocate for Asian people and culture, our team will be making contributions to the following organizations:
- Stop AAPI Hate — a national coalition focused on documenting and sharing resources about anti-Asian discrimination
- AAPI Women Lead — an incredible organization that supports AAPI women and girls by partnering with other communities of color to challenge and end intersections of violence against the Asian community
- Asian Mental Health Collective — an organization focused on normalizing and de-stigmatizing mental health within the Asian community as there are strong cultural underpinnings related to mental health that go unaddressed
To our Asian community, we are carrying you in our hearts. We are here to create space for your voices to be heard and advocate for you. We hope that our continued efforts create positive ripple effects that promote an inclusive and safer environment for the Asian community in our country. We are here for you.
Matcha love always,
The Jade Leaf Team