A picture of Seva Cafe @ Royal Cup Coffee House in Long Beach (pix courtesy of Be The Cause)
Last year, while I was at the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in India on behalf of Project Ahimsa, I was introduced to an incredible concept of serving and giving that elevated the way I perceive food and my relationship to food.
The SEVA Cafe, operated by Manav Sadhna, a multi dimensional NGO in Ahmedabad, India, was created to provide guests and volunteers to encourage giving and serving through the process of making and serving food. The concept is simple but has profound implications for engendering compassion: volunteers make and serve meals to guests who choose to give whatever they wish in return. That giving can be financial or it can be in the form of volunteerism. There are no prices for any items, and the entire financial process and operation is completely transparent and run by the energy of giving. What started as a simple idea has turned into a full operation running 7 days a week and serving hundreds of guests weekly. For me, performing a musical concert with J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science at the Seva Cafe, was a powerful experience...the creative energy of a place full of people who are giving without any expectation or judgement, without any alignment to politics, finances, or religion, was super empowering. The idea is actually not revolutionary...it is simply another interpretation of the pure love of giving food that a mother might give to her beloved child, or the meal a family may unconditionally share with each other at home...but to see this energy in a restaurant setting, a setting we normally associate with paying for food and service with money, that is revolutionary. On an even deeper, internal level, the idea of service itself unravels for anyone who participates in the circle of giving at Seva Cafe. Over time, we begin to experience an important universal truth: we are not serving one another; rather we are being given an opportunity to understand love by each person that we do serve. From this realization comes gratitude. Gratitude towards anyone we give our energy to, and gratitude for being given an opportunity to be a better human being. From this comes the epiphany that Seva Cafe is not about serving food and nourishing just the stomach. It is about nourishing something far deeper and far more important, the soul and the soul's capacity to love unconditionally.
People of all socio-economic levels come to Seva Cafe Ahmedabad to be nourished by the environment of love and giving that emanates from the cafe. Last year, a Seva Cafe was born at the Royal Cup Coffee House in LA, initiated by volunteers from Be The Cause. Here is their story...
I met with Sukh Chugh in downtown LA last week to talk about Seva Cafe LA. Sukh is a spiritual brother of mine, I am convinced we are karmically connected through our passions for service, creativity, and our shared love for being human beings on this planet. A volunteer with Be The Cause, Sukh shared his experiences of serving at the Cafe, which is located at the Royal Cup Coffee House in Long Beach. Seva Cafe is currently seeking to expand its reach and is looking for new venues that would be interested in helping to elevate the Seva Cafe concept. If you are interested, please visit www.bethecause.org.
Tell me about the Seva Café.
The word Seva is a Sanskrit word that means selfless service. People automatically attach the Seva Café concept to a South Asian theme. But the Seva Café is really a place of genuine giving. That to me crosses all kinds of boundaries, all kinds of religion, and places of living. For me the Seva Café, even though the word has its roots in the Indian language, is definitely not an Indian concept. This genuine place of giving exists within each and every human being that is alive. There is no one country that can claim ownership to what that space is.
The Seva Café is a restaurant that is very different from any dining experience you have ever had. The reason why is because when you walk inside a restaurant there is no price on any of the menus. The reason why is because the food that you eat is actually paid for by a previous guest before you arrive. This previous guest is someone whom you have never met or meet in your entire life. This allows the volunteers to focus on one thing: Can we create this meal with as much love as possible. At the end of the meal, instead of getting a bill saying this is how much money you owe, you receive an empty envelope and inside that envelope you leave whatever you wish as a genuine gift for a future guest, someone you will never meet in your entire life. The really powerful thing about the Seva Café is that every single person in the room is in a place of giving. The guests have an opportunity to be in that place of giving because of the envelopes they receive. Each and every volunteer is also in that place, because they are cooking food, washing the dishes, wiping the tables down. All through the sense of serving others and giving to others.
It can be an explosive environment. You step into a room where you have 50 people and each person in that room is going through the process of giving to another person.
Where is the Seva Café, where are you located?
The Seva Café is currently operating in Southern California at the World Cup Coffee house in Long Beach. Be the Cause rents out the coffee shop every Saturday night, and we transform it into the Seva Café every Saturday from 5 to 10pm
We have never promoted, we have no advertisement, and everything is created by word of mouth. Some Saturdays we feed 130 people, and some Saturdays none at all.
Each volunteer has to be in a place of no expectations. This is when you are a volunteer, so we go as deep as we can into a service mentality. Part of what keeps you from being able to serve another human being with genuine compassion are your own expectations. So if you walk into the Café as a volunteer expecting to see 130 people and only 50 people show up, That is going to stop you from actually reaching out and being loving to another human being because in your mind you are thinking how many people are here, why is this not a successful night? What defines a successful night isn’t how many people came or how much money got left, but how much you serve with a genuine heart. How much change did you go through in your own self in those 5 hours that you were there?
How have these experiences changed you? What has happened to you going through this process of service?
It is a powerful thing, I am 32 years old. Been through numerous corporate environments, been to school, watched a lot of TV, watched a lot of movies, hung out with friends. Unfortunately, learning how to serve with love isn’t something that I have known. It is not something that is taught to us from our school and from our jobs. All of the sudden, you venture out into the Seva Café, and the whole tag line is “Serve is Love.” So you assume that you know how to do that. I know Love, I have seen it in movies, and everywhere, people talk of it…but at the end of the day, do I really know what Love means? Do I know how to serve with Love? Now, I’m face to face with this volunteer opportunity. I show up as a server, I take people’s food order, I turn that food over, I bring that food to the guest, and at the end of the meal, I am responsible for bringing the empty envelope, I take this envelope and I present it to my guests, these are the people I am trying to serve with Love.
As I walk up to the table, I put the envelope on the table, and as soon as the envelope hits the table, a thought goes through my mind; this curiosity: how much are they going to give. That is what I begin to wonder to myself. So all day long, I have been telling myself that I am going to serve with love, but in that moment what I am hit with, is my greed. I begin to judge these people: Are these people rich people, are they going to leave a lot of money? Did these people understand what I was talking about? In that space, there is no room to be loving…if I am busy judging these people, I can’t be loving these people at the same time. Greed and love cannot coexist together in the same place at the same time. That is what is powerful about the Seva Café: You think you are there to serve the guests, but the guests are actually serving you. They are giving you that opportunity to see yourself for what you are. Want to serve with love? Your greed becomes visible in that moment. And that is one experience of just bringing an envelope.
Stuff happens when you are wshing dishes. Stuff happens when there isn’t a busy night…your mind starts unraveling all these expectations, and you get to see yourself for what you are. Life is a beautiful thing, you and I exist as a process of nature. But on top of a very pure way of looking at the life. We are layered with greed, we have ego, we have hatred, we have anger, and services is a tool and a path to happiness. When I am greedy, and overcome with hatred, I notice that I am creating harm with myself. I am moving away from happiness, and so I go to the Seva Café, and I am genuinely serving another human being. I can’t do it with anger, I can’t do it with hatred, and anger if I am going to serve. Just walking around with a sandwich is such a powerful experience, because I am bringing this sandwich to a guest, and what I am doing, is I am putting myself in a place of love. That is working through my ego, my hatred, my anger, and allowing me to experience what many of us are lacking in this world: true happiness and true peace.
Any restaurant you go to you sit down to get a meal, the establishment is thinking: How much money are we going to make with this person? That is our relationship with food. This place, the Seva Café, allows us to let go of all of that, the greed, and get to a place of genuine love and service. Being in that space can be very transformational.
People cry, the guests cry, I have served a sandwich to a guest, explained to her what is going on, and she has broken down and started crying. All I have done is brought her a sandwich.
Why is Seva Cafe important for LA? For the USA?
There are a lot of ways to look at the western world. There is a doctor in India who performs eye surgery and he says that people are struggling with a poverty of wealth. People here in America are dealing with a poverty of service. It is important everywhere.
Be the Cause has been to India to the original Seva Cafe, and has seen first hadn the impact it has had on a lot of people there…people volunteer there, eat there, and it is really impacting a lot of people.
We walked into that environment, and thought that this is great…it is great for India, but it is needed everywhere. People are searching for these kinds of things, and so we thought why not bring to where we live, right here in Long Beach? People ask us, where did the original idea come from…yes, there is a Seva café in Ahmedabad, India…that is where we saw it, that is where we got the idea, and we brought it here…but when we ask the people at the Seva Café in India, where the concept came from, what they say is that the first Seva Café existed when someone invited someone into their home and said: Let me feed you, let me serve you with Love. That is the original thing that we are trying to get back to.
The fact that for me personally, we see so many people come into the Seva Café, and I see it be so successful, so packed…it is a double edged sword. Part of this is great, people are getting this kinds of inspiration in their lives, which is a great thing, but the other side of that is that this is really missing from their lives, that is why they need to be here…why are we not giving and receiving love like that with our neighbors? Why are we not like that with our families? Why is that genuine place of service not with us all the time? Why do we need a place like the Seva café, which runs 5 – 10 on Saturdays, where we go to find love?
To me it is great that people are getting this kind of inspiration but on some level it is somewhat disturbing…ideally, the Seva café shouldn’t need to be in existence, because hopefully people are getting that nourishment spiritually through free giving, or not in this environment…that is exactly what we are trying to teach people, that is what we tell the guests, the volunteers: How do you change the world? How is the Seva Café really helping the world? It is not a soup kitchen. It is through each and every person that walks through the door. We want to plant that seed of service, that seed of giving in them, let them know that this gift has been offered to them and as they walk outside the Seva Café doors there is an opportunity waiting for them. Then the Seva Café doesn’t need to exist in those four walls, it needs to exist in the hearts of each and every single volunteer and guest that arrives. That is what it is really it is designed to do. To invert the Seva Café into itself, take these 4 walls and have it implode where it is everywhere outside, not just inside.
Tell me more about Seva Café in India. What is the original concept? How did you get the idea to translate it, how long did it take to recreate here?
The Seva Café in India has been around for a year and three months and we have been around for the last 6 months, with an organization called Be The Cause. Every year, we go to a different country to serve hands on. We have been to south Africa, we have been to Kenya, This year we were in Peru and Equador. Last year, we went to India, and we had heard about the Seva Café before we left, and already in our mind, we were germinating this idea that this is such an amazing concept and that it can be applied anywhere and everywhere. So when we went to India, we checked it out. And what we see is that it is needed everywhere. It is there for the guests, to challenge their notions of what it is to give and receive and to change our relationship with the food that we eat. But it is there to cultivate that space of service within the volunteers.
The Seva Café in Ahmedabad operates 7 days a week, and it is intense. They have a sign, that is very true to the Indian culture, the sign and saying is “Guest is God” and they have that plastered on the wall there, and this is the mantra running through the volunteers at the Seva Café. As the guests come in through the door, they are to be treated as divinity. And by treating them as they are divinity, as they are God, serving them as God, you are really transforming yourself. The people who are walking through the door, are giving you an opportunity to become pure in that moment.
We here at the Long Beach Seva Café, we don’t have that sign, we are trying to stay away from religious connotations because America is a different world than India, that is fore sure. But one of the things that is apparent, is that there is gratitude for the guests walking in. All the volunteers who are there for a few days get this. We are not serving the guests, they are serving us. They are giving us that opportunity. So there is gratitude. Every time the door opens and someone walks in, there is gratitude. I am not giving them anything, they are giving me the opportunity to become a better human being in this moment.
What do you serve at the Café? Who decides what kind of food to serve?
We try to keep it to a healthy diet, and we serve a vegetarian meal. We have sandwiches, soups, desserts, coffee drinks. It is the same recipe every time. The volunteers and the core team of 7 or 8 people talk as a group and decide what we want on the menu. The Seva Café is not just about food, and just nourishing a person’s stomach. We are trying to nourish something far more important than just a stomach. We don’t want people to be there only for the food…even though it is amazing, all gourmet, high quality ingredients….the food brings people back, but the love is what keeps them there.
It is not about finances, right? So it is sustained by the donations? What have you found in relying on the goodness of others in terms of the survival of this?
We are only relying on the goodness of others. We have been around for 6.5 months, and in the beginning a few of our friends got together, we said whatever it takes, we are doing this for 3 months, if we have to put out of our pockets, we will. Despite that, 1 week before we started, a random person comes by my place and leaves $1000 anonymously, with a note: “This is for the experiment…” To this day, we don’t know who that person is, and we haven’t dipped into our pockets, and we haven’t touched the $1000 dollars. We have paid for electricity, rent, food expenses, everything and all costs, have been self-sustaining through donations by guests. We have even made a $3,000 donation to a charity in India.
I have to be honest: in the beginning, we were doubtful, and many told us we were out of our minds. Maybe in India it could work, but not here… Now, it is not even theoretical anymore. People ask us, your theory on serving with love is great, your theory on believing there is good in everyone is great…but are these theories practical? I see it every Saturday.
We rent the Royal Cup Coffee House for the day. The owner is very generous, we pay $290 for the place, and we pay for all the food. Within that $290 includes a buffer for his benefit. It is not a losing venture from his angle. It is good for everyone.
We are in the process of changing venues and are looking for a new venue to expand into. We definitely want to make the spot sustainable. Someone giving us a home for a week or two isn’t sustainable. We are willing to pay for the rental of the facility, of course. We are looking for a place that has a relaxed atmosphere, wher we can conduct and refine this experiment, and to bring in the types of food that we want to serve, which is gourmet vegetaria. Currently we operate only on Saturday, but we would like to find a place where they are willing to do Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday brunch. Because it is needed, people are missing it in their lives.
You have mentioned a few profound stories that came out of Seva Cafe. You mentioned that it is not a soup kitchen. Have you had many homeless people come? Or have you seen the other side of the spectrum in terms of wealthy people come?
Our mentality is that we are not there to judge people. That keeps us from being in a place where we need to be. So we don’t look at a who is wealthy or poor. When an envelope is left for a guest, we have no way of tracing who left it. I have opened envelopes, for someone who had a soup and salad, and who left a couple of hundred dollars. You do have that happening. There is one incident where a homeless guy came in and ate for a week, and didn’t wait for an envelope, he took off and left.
This is not a free meal, this is not a soup kitchen, you are part of a circle of giving that exists.
So if a guest leaves without an offering, does that violate the idea of Seva Cafe?
It is totally fine. There is no violation. We are asking for an individual to think about what is going on. And by walking away and reflecting on your actions is payment more than what could be left in an envelope. It is not free in an experiential sense. There is some transaction of energy, and that is what we focus on. This envelope is there as an opportunity to give, and if you don’t leave anything in there, we are still here to serve. This envelope has to serve as a reminder of the gifts we are always receiving. As you walk outside Seva Café, the envelope is still with you. For you to give back, for you to complete that circle of giving, that opportunity is arising in every moment. People come in off the streets, I have serious converstations with them, about things they can do to make the world a better place, to make their lives healthier,and that that to me is great. The homeless guy who left without giving, came back a few weeks later. I saw him outside, he is old enough to be my father. He is at a table. I walk up to him, and I hold his hand, and I try to explain simply what the Seva Café. I say to him “We live in a place where there is so much pain and suffering, and all we are trying to do is put some love in the world.” The man starts crying. He says you dont have to tell me about pain and suffering, I see it everyday on the streets. I think to myself, what can I do for this person. Let me get him some food. Before I got up to leave, I explained to him…the food you are receiving is a genuine gift from someone you have never met. And at the end of the meal you are going to have the opportunity to leave a gift fro someone else.
I wanted him to understand, that we are equals. He is not underneath me, He is not getting a handout, I'm not better than him. We are all in this together.Iif there is any say so, he has the same say so as I do. The waiter brings him sandwich, soupe, and water. He eats and leaves. I go up to clear the table, to clean up the plate, glasses, bowl. I look on the table, and the man has left 93 cents on the table. When I talked to him earlier he told me that is all the money that he had on him. Everything he had, he left on the table to pay for some one eles’s meal. He is a homeless guy who we judge all the time. Something happened to him in that moment, he is taking what he has, whatever he has, and he left it for another human being. So this is powerful stuff.
If you would like to help the Seva Cafe in finding a new venue or would like to volunteer or visit, contact www.bethecause.org
Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007
Posted by robin at 2:13 PM | Comments (3)
A picture of Seva Cafe @ Royal Cup Coffee House in Long Beach (pix courtesy of Be The Cause)
Last year, while I was at the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in India on behalf of Project Ahimsa, I was introduced to an incredible concept of serving and giving that elevated the way I perceive food and my relationship to food.
The SEVA Cafe, operated by Manav Sadhna, a multi dimensional NGO in Ahmedabad, India, was created to provide guests and volunteers to encourage giving and serving through the process of making and serving food. The concept is simple but has profound implications for engendering compassion: volunteers make and serve meals to guests who choose to give whatever they wish in return. That giving can be financial or it can be in the form of volunteerism. There are no prices for any items, and the entire financial process and operation is completely transparent and run by the energy of giving. What started as a simple idea has turned into a full operation running 7 days a week and serving hundreds of guests weekly. For me, performing a musical concert with J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science at the Seva Cafe, was a powerful experience...the creative energy of a place full of people who are giving without any expectation or judgement, without any alignment to politics, finances, or religion, was super empowering. The idea is actually not revolutionary...it is simply another interpretation of the pure love of giving food that a mother might give to her beloved child, or the meal a family may unconditionally share with each other at home...but to see this energy in a restaurant setting, a setting we normally associate with paying for food and service with money, that is revolutionary. On an even deeper, internal level, the idea of service itself unravels for anyone who participates in the circle of giving at Seva Cafe. Over time, we begin to experience an important universal truth: we are not serving one another; rather we are being given an opportunity to understand love by each person that we do serve. From this realization comes gratitude. Gratitude towards anyone we give our energy to, and gratitude for being given an opportunity to be a better human being. From this comes the epiphany that Seva Cafe is not about serving food and nourishing just the stomach. It is about nourishing something far deeper and far more important, the soul and the soul's capacity to love unconditionally.
People of all socio-economic levels come to Seva Cafe Ahmedabad to be nourished by the environment of love and giving that emanates from the cafe. Last year, a Seva Cafe was born at the Royal Cup Coffee House in LA, initiated by volunteers from Be The Cause. Here is their story...
I met with Sukh Chugh in downtown LA last week to talk about Seva Cafe LA. Sukh is a spiritual brother of mine, I am convinced we are karmically connected through our passions for service, creativity, and our shared love for being human beings on this planet. A volunteer with Be The Cause, Sukh shared his experiences of serving at the Cafe, which is located at the Royal Cup Coffee House in Long Beach. Seva Cafe is currently seeking to expand its reach and is looking for new venues that would be interested in helping to elevate the Seva Cafe concept. If you are interested, please visit www.bethecause.org.
Tell me about the Seva Café.
The word Seva is a Sanskrit word that means selfless service. People automatically attach the Seva Café concept to a South Asian theme. But the Seva Café is really a place of genuine giving. That to me crosses all kinds of boundaries, all kinds of religion, and places of living. For me the Seva Café, even though the word has its roots in the Indian language, is definitely not an Indian concept. This genuine place of giving exists within each and every human being that is alive. There is no one country that can claim ownership to what that space is.
The Seva Café is a restaurant that is very different from any dining experience you have ever had. The reason why is because when you walk inside a restaurant there is no price on any of the menus. The reason why is because the food that you eat is actually paid for by a previous guest before you arrive. This previous guest is someone whom you have never met or meet in your entire life. This allows the volunteers to focus on one thing: Can we create this meal with as much love as possible. At the end of the meal, instead of getting a bill saying this is how much money you owe, you receive an empty envelope and inside that envelope you leave whatever you wish as a genuine gift for a future guest, someone you will never meet in your entire life. The really powerful thing about the Seva Café is that every single person in the room is in a place of giving. The guests have an opportunity to be in that place of giving because of the envelopes they receive. Each and every volunteer is also in that place, because they are cooking food, washing the dishes, wiping the tables down. All through the sense of serving others and giving to others.
It can be an explosive environment. You step into a room where you have 50 people and each person in that room is going through the process of giving to another person.
Where is the Seva Café, where are you located?
The Seva Café is currently operating in Southern California at the World Cup Coffee house in Long Beach. Be the Cause rents out the coffee shop every Saturday night, and we transform it into the Seva Café every Saturday from 5 to 10pm
We have never promoted, we have no advertisement, and everything is created by word of mouth. Some Saturdays we feed 130 people, and some Saturdays none at all.
Each volunteer has to be in a place of no expectations. This is when you are a volunteer, so we go as deep as we can into a service mentality. Part of what keeps you from being able to serve another human being with genuine compassion are your own expectations. So if you walk into the Café as a volunteer expecting to see 130 people and only 50 people show up, That is going to stop you from actually reaching out and being loving to another human being because in your mind you are thinking how many people are here, why is this not a successful night? What defines a successful night isn’t how many people came or how much money got left, but how much you serve with a genuine heart. How much change did you go through in your own self in those 5 hours that you were there?
How have these experiences changed you? What has happened to you going through this process of service?
It is a powerful thing, I am 32 years old. Been through numerous corporate environments, been to school, watched a lot of TV, watched a lot of movies, hung out with friends. Unfortunately, learning how to serve with love isn’t something that I have known. It is not something that is taught to us from our school and from our jobs. All of the sudden, you venture out into the Seva Café, and the whole tag line is “Serve is Love.” So you assume that you know how to do that. I know Love, I have seen it in movies, and everywhere, people talk of it…but at the end of the day, do I really know what Love means? Do I know how to serve with Love? Now, I’m face to face with this volunteer opportunity. I show up as a server, I take people’s food order, I turn that food over, I bring that food to the guest, and at the end of the meal, I am responsible for bringing the empty envelope, I take this envelope and I present it to my guests, these are the people I am trying to serve with Love.
As I walk up to the table, I put the envelope on the table, and as soon as the envelope hits the table, a thought goes through my mind; this curiosity: how much are they going to give. That is what I begin to wonder to myself. So all day long, I have been telling myself that I am going to serve with love, but in that moment what I am hit with, is my greed. I begin to judge these people: Are these people rich people, are they going to leave a lot of money? Did these people understand what I was talking about? In that space, there is no room to be loving…if I am busy judging these people, I can’t be loving these people at the same time. Greed and love cannot coexist together in the same place at the same time. That is what is powerful about the Seva Café: You think you are there to serve the guests, but the guests are actually serving you. They are giving you that opportunity to see yourself for what you are. Want to serve with love? Your greed becomes visible in that moment. And that is one experience of just bringing an envelope.
Stuff happens when you are wshing dishes. Stuff happens when there isn’t a busy night…your mind starts unraveling all these expectations, and you get to see yourself for what you are. Life is a beautiful thing, you and I exist as a process of nature. But on top of a very pure way of looking at the life. We are layered with greed, we have ego, we have hatred, we have anger, and services is a tool and a path to happiness. When I am greedy, and overcome with hatred, I notice that I am creating harm with myself. I am moving away from happiness, and so I go to the Seva Café, and I am genuinely serving another human being. I can’t do it with anger, I can’t do it with hatred, and anger if I am going to serve. Just walking around with a sandwich is such a powerful experience, because I am bringing this sandwich to a guest, and what I am doing, is I am putting myself in a place of love. That is working through my ego, my hatred, my anger, and allowing me to experience what many of us are lacking in this world: true happiness and true peace.
Any restaurant you go to you sit down to get a meal, the establishment is thinking: How much money are we going to make with this person? That is our relationship with food. This place, the Seva Café, allows us to let go of all of that, the greed, and get to a place of genuine love and service. Being in that space can be very transformational.
People cry, the guests cry, I have served a sandwich to a guest, explained to her what is going on, and she has broken down and started crying. All I have done is brought her a sandwich.
Why is Seva Cafe important for LA? For the USA?
There are a lot of ways to look at the western world. There is a doctor in India who performs eye surgery and he says that people are struggling with a poverty of wealth. People here in America are dealing with a poverty of service. It is important everywhere.
Be the Cause has been to India to the original Seva Cafe, and has seen first hadn the impact it has had on a lot of people there…people volunteer there, eat there, and it is really impacting a lot of people.
We walked into that environment, and thought that this is great…it is great for India, but it is needed everywhere. People are searching for these kinds of things, and so we thought why not bring to where we live, right here in Long Beach? People ask us, where did the original idea come from…yes, there is a Seva café in Ahmedabad, India…that is where we saw it, that is where we got the idea, and we brought it here…but when we ask the people at the Seva Café in India, where the concept came from, what they say is that the first Seva Café existed when someone invited someone into their home and said: Let me feed you, let me serve you with Love. That is the original thing that we are trying to get back to.
The fact that for me personally, we see so many people come into the Seva Café, and I see it be so successful, so packed…it is a double edged sword. Part of this is great, people are getting this kinds of inspiration in their lives, which is a great thing, but the other side of that is that this is really missing from their lives, that is why they need to be here…why are we not giving and receiving love like that with our neighbors? Why are we not like that with our families? Why is that genuine place of service not with us all the time? Why do we need a place like the Seva café, which runs 5 – 10 on Saturdays, where we go to find love?
To me it is great that people are getting this kind of inspiration but on some level it is somewhat disturbing…ideally, the Seva café shouldn’t need to be in existence, because hopefully people are getting that nourishment spiritually through free giving, or not in this environment…that is exactly what we are trying to teach people, that is what we tell the guests, the volunteers: How do you change the world? How is the Seva Café really helping the world? It is not a soup kitchen. It is through each and every person that walks through the door. We want to plant that seed of service, that seed of giving in them, let them know that this gift has been offered to them and as they walk outside the Seva Café doors there is an opportunity waiting for them. Then the Seva Café doesn’t need to exist in those four walls, it needs to exist in the hearts of each and every single volunteer and guest that arrives. That is what it is really it is designed to do. To invert the Seva Café into itself, take these 4 walls and have it implode where it is everywhere outside, not just inside.
Tell me more about Seva Café in India. What is the original concept? How did you get the idea to translate it, how long did it take to recreate here?
The Seva Café in India has been around for a year and three months and we have been around for the last 6 months, with an organization called Be The Cause. Every year, we go to a different country to serve hands on. We have been to south Africa, we have been to Kenya, This year we were in Peru and Equador. Last year, we went to India, and we had heard about the Seva Café before we left, and already in our mind, we were germinating this idea that this is such an amazing concept and that it can be applied anywhere and everywhere. So when we went to India, we checked it out. And what we see is that it is needed everywhere. It is there for the guests, to challenge their notions of what it is to give and receive and to change our relationship with the food that we eat. But it is there to cultivate that space of service within the volunteers.
The Seva Café in Ahmedabad operates 7 days a week, and it is intense. They have a sign, that is very true to the Indian culture, the sign and saying is “Guest is God” and they have that plastered on the wall there, and this is the mantra running through the volunteers at the Seva Café. As the guests come in through the door, they are to be treated as divinity. And by treating them as they are divinity, as they are God, serving them as God, you are really transforming yourself. The people who are walking through the door, are giving you an opportunity to become pure in that moment.
We here at the Long Beach Seva Café, we don’t have that sign, we are trying to stay away from religious connotations because America is a different world than India, that is fore sure. But one of the things that is apparent, is that there is gratitude for the guests walking in. All the volunteers who are there for a few days get this. We are not serving the guests, they are serving us. They are giving us that opportunity. So there is gratitude. Every time the door opens and someone walks in, there is gratitude. I am not giving them anything, they are giving me the opportunity to become a better human being in this moment.
What do you serve at the Café? Who decides what kind of food to serve?
We try to keep it to a healthy diet, and we serve a vegetarian meal. We have sandwiches, soups, desserts, coffee drinks. It is the same recipe every time. The volunteers and the core team of 7 or 8 people talk as a group and decide what we want on the menu. The Seva Café is not just about food, and just nourishing a person’s stomach. We are trying to nourish something far more important than just a stomach. We don’t want people to be there only for the food…even though it is amazing, all gourmet, high quality ingredients….the food brings people back, but the love is what keeps them there.
It is not about finances, right? So it is sustained by the donations? What have you found in relying on the goodness of others in terms of the survival of this?
We are only relying on the goodness of others. We have been around for 6.5 months, and in the beginning a few of our friends got together, we said whatever it takes, we are doing this for 3 months, if we have to put out of our pockets, we will. Despite that, 1 week before we started, a random person comes by my place and leaves $1000 anonymously, with a note: “This is for the experiment…” To this day, we don’t know who that person is, and we haven’t dipped into our pockets, and we haven’t touched the $1000 dollars. We have paid for electricity, rent, food expenses, everything and all costs, have been self-sustaining through donations by guests. We have even made a $3,000 donation to a charity in India.
I have to be honest: in the beginning, we were doubtful, and many told us we were out of our minds. Maybe in India it could work, but not here… Now, it is not even theoretical anymore. People ask us, your theory on serving with love is great, your theory on believing there is good in everyone is great…but are these theories practical? I see it every Saturday.
We rent the Royal Cup Coffee House for the day. The owner is very generous, we pay $290 for the place, and we pay for all the food. Within that $290 includes a buffer for his benefit. It is not a losing venture from his angle. It is good for everyone.
We are in the process of changing venues and are looking for a new venue to expand into. We definitely want to make the spot sustainable. Someone giving us a home for a week or two isn’t sustainable. We are willing to pay for the rental of the facility, of course. We are looking for a place that has a relaxed atmosphere, wher we can conduct and refine this experiment, and to bring in the types of food that we want to serve, which is gourmet vegetaria. Currently we operate only on Saturday, but we would like to find a place where they are willing to do Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday brunch. Because it is needed, people are missing it in their lives.
You have mentioned a few profound stories that came out of Seva Cafe. You mentioned that it is not a soup kitchen. Have you had many homeless people come? Or have you seen the other side of the spectrum in terms of wealthy people come?
Our mentality is that we are not there to judge people. That keeps us from being in a place where we need to be. So we don’t look at a who is wealthy or poor. When an envelope is left for a guest, we have no way of tracing who left it. I have opened envelopes, for someone who had a soup and salad, and who left a couple of hundred dollars. You do have that happening. There is one incident where a homeless guy came in and ate for a week, and didn’t wait for an envelope, he took off and left.
This is not a free meal, this is not a soup kitchen, you are part of a circle of giving that exists.
So if a guest leaves without an offering, does that violate the idea of Seva Cafe?
It is totally fine. There is no violation. We are asking for an individual to think about what is going on. And by walking away and reflecting on your actions is payment more than what could be left in an envelope. It is not free in an experiential sense. There is some transaction of energy, and that is what we focus on. This envelope is there as an opportunity to give, and if you don’t leave anything in there, we are still here to serve. This envelope has to serve as a reminder of the gifts we are always receiving. As you walk outside Seva Café, the envelope is still with you. For you to give back, for you to complete that circle of giving, that opportunity is arising in every moment. People come in off the streets, I have serious converstations with them, about things they can do to make the world a better place, to make their lives healthier,and that that to me is great. The homeless guy who left without giving, came back a few weeks later. I saw him outside, he is old enough to be my father. He is at a table. I walk up to him, and I hold his hand, and I try to explain simply what the Seva Café. I say to him “We live in a place where there is so much pain and suffering, and all we are trying to do is put some love in the world.” The man starts crying. He says you dont have to tell me about pain and suffering, I see it everyday on the streets. I think to myself, what can I do for this person. Let me get him some food. Before I got up to leave, I explained to him…the food you are receiving is a genuine gift from someone you have never met. And at the end of the meal you are going to have the opportunity to leave a gift fro someone else.
I wanted him to understand, that we are equals. He is not underneath me, He is not getting a handout, I'm not better than him. We are all in this together.Iif there is any say so, he has the same say so as I do. The waiter brings him sandwich, soupe, and water. He eats and leaves. I go up to clear the table, to clean up the plate, glasses, bowl. I look on the table, and the man has left 93 cents on the table. When I talked to him earlier he told me that is all the money that he had on him. Everything he had, he left on the table to pay for some one eles’s meal. He is a homeless guy who we judge all the time. Something happened to him in that moment, he is taking what he has, whatever he has, and he left it for another human being. So this is powerful stuff.
If you would like to help the Seva Cafe in finding a new venue or would like to volunteer or visit, contact www.bethecause.org
Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007
Posted by robin at 2:13 PM | Comments (3)
A picture of Seva Cafe @ Royal Cup Coffee House in Long Beach (pix courtesy of Be The Cause)
Last year, while I was at the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in India on behalf of Project Ahimsa, I was introduced to an incredible concept of serving and giving that elevated the way I perceive food and my relationship to food.
The SEVA Cafe, operated by Manav Sadhna, a multi dimensional NGO in Ahmedabad, India, was created to provide guests and volunteers to encourage giving and serving through the process of making and serving food. The concept is simple but has profound implications for engendering compassion: volunteers make and serve meals to guests who choose to give whatever they wish in return. That giving can be financial or it can be in the form of volunteerism. There are no prices for any items, and the entire financial process and operation is completely transparent and run by the energy of giving. What started as a simple idea has turned into a full operation running 7 days a week and serving hundreds of guests weekly. For me, performing a musical concert with J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science at the Seva Cafe, was a powerful experience...the creative energy of a place full of people who are giving without any expectation or judgement, without any alignment to politics, finances, or religion, was super empowering. The idea is actually not revolutionary...it is simply another interpretation of the pure love of giving food that a mother might give to her beloved child, or the meal a family may unconditionally share with each other at home...but to see this energy in a restaurant setting, a setting we normally associate with paying for food and service with money, that is revolutionary. On an even deeper, internal level, the idea of service itself unravels for anyone who participates in the circle of giving at Seva Cafe. Over time, we begin to experience an important universal truth: we are not serving one another; rather we are being given an opportunity to understand love by each person that we do serve. From this realization comes gratitude. Gratitude towards anyone we give our energy to, and gratitude for being given an opportunity to be a better human being. From this comes the epiphany that Seva Cafe is not about serving food and nourishing just the stomach. It is about nourishing something far deeper and far more important, the soul and the soul's capacity to love unconditionally.
People of all socio-economic levels come to Seva Cafe Ahmedabad to be nourished by the environment of love and giving that emanates from the cafe. Last year, a Seva Cafe was born at the Royal Cup Coffee House in LA, initiated by volunteers from Be The Cause. Here is their story...
I met with Sukh Chugh in downtown LA last week to talk about Seva Cafe LA. Sukh is a spiritual brother of mine, I am convinced we are karmically connected through our passions for service, creativity, and our shared love for being human beings on this planet. A volunteer with Be The Cause, Sukh shared his experiences of serving at the Cafe, which is located at the Royal Cup Coffee House in Long Beach. Seva Cafe is currently seeking to expand its reach and is looking for new venues that would be interested in helping to elevate the Seva Cafe concept. If you are interested, please visit www.bethecause.org.
Tell me about the Seva Caf.
The word Seva is a Sanskrit word that means selfless service. People automatically attach the Seva Caf concept to a South Asian theme. But the Seva Caf is really a place of genuine giving. That to me crosses all kinds of boundaries, all kinds of religion, and places of living. For me the Seva Caf, even though the word has its roots in the Indian language, is definitely not an Indian concept. This genuine place of giving exists within each and every human being that is alive. There is no one country that can claim ownership to what that space is.
The Seva Caf is a restaurant that is very different from any dining experience you have ever had. The reason why is because when you walk inside a restaurant there is no price on any of the menus. The reason why is because the food that you eat is actually paid for by a previous guest before you arrive. This previous guest is someone whom you have never met or meet in your entire life. This allows the volunteers to focus on one thing: Can we create this meal with as much love as possible. At the end of the meal, instead of getting a bill saying this is how much money you owe, you receive an empty envelope and inside that envelope you leave whatever you wish as a genuine gift for a future guest, someone you will never meet in your entire life. The really powerful thing about the Seva Caf is that every single person in the room is in a place of giving. The guests have an opportunity to be in that place of giving because of the envelopes they receive. Each and every volunteer is also in that place, because they are cooking food, washing the dishes, wiping the tables down. All through the sense of serving others and giving to others.
It can be an explosive environment. You step into a room where you have 50 people and each person in that room is going through the process of giving to another person.
Where is the Seva Caf, where are you located?
The Seva Caf is currently operating in Southern California at the World Cup Coffee house in Long Beach. Be the Cause rents out the coffee shop every Saturday night, and we transform it into the Seva Caf every Saturday from 5 to 10pm
We have never promoted, we have no advertisement, and everything is created by word of mouth. Some Saturdays we feed 130 people, and some Saturdays none at all.
Each volunteer has to be in a place of no expectations. This is when you are a volunteer, so we go as deep as we can into a service mentality. Part of what keeps you from being able to serve another human being with genuine compassion are your own expectations. So if you walk into the Caf as a volunteer expecting to see 130 people and only 50 people show up, That is going to stop you from actually reaching out and being loving to another human being because in your mind you are thinking how many people are here, why is this not a successful night? What defines a successful night isnt how many people came or how much money got left, but how much you serve with a genuine heart. How much change did you go through in your own self in those 5 hours that you were there?
How have these experiences changed you? What has happened to you going through this process of service?
It is a powerful thing, I am 32 years old. Been through numerous corporate environments, been to school, watched a lot of TV, watched a lot of movies, hung out with friends. Unfortunately, learning how to serve with love isnt something that I have known. It is not something that is taught to us from our school and from our jobs. All of the sudden, you venture out into the Seva Caf, and the whole tag line is Serve is Love. So you assume that you know how to do that. I know Love, I have seen it in movies, and everywhere, people talk of itbut at the end of the day, do I really know what Love means? Do I know how to serve with Love? Now, Im face to face with this volunteer opportunity. I show up as a server, I take peoples food order, I turn that food over, I bring that food to the guest, and at the end of the meal, I am responsible for bringing the empty envelope, I take this envelope and I present it to my guests, these are the people I am trying to serve with Love.
As I walk up to the table, I put the envelope on the table, and as soon as the envelope hits the table, a thought goes through my mind; this curiosity: how much are they going to give. That is what I begin to wonder to myself. So all day long, I have been telling myself that I am going to serve with love, but in that moment what I am hit with, is my greed. I begin to judge these people: Are these people rich people, are they going to leave a lot of money? Did these people understand what I was talking about? In that space, there is no room to be lovingif I am busy judging these people, I cant be loving these people at the same time. Greed and love cannot coexist together in the same place at the same time. That is what is powerful about the Seva Caf: You think you are there to serve the guests, but the guests are actually serving you. They are giving you that opportunity to see yourself for what you are. Want to serve with love? Your greed becomes visible in that moment. And that is one experience of just bringing an envelope.
Stuff happens when you are wshing dishes. Stuff happens when there isnt a busy nightyour mind starts unraveling all these expectations, and you get to see yourself for what you are. Life is a beautiful thing, you and I exist as a process of nature. But on top of a very pure way of looking at the life. We are layered with greed, we have ego, we have hatred, we have anger, and services is a tool and a path to happiness. When I am greedy, and overcome with hatred, I notice that I am creating harm with myself. I am moving away from happiness, and so I go to the Seva Caf, and I am genuinely serving another human being. I cant do it with anger, I cant do it with hatred, and anger if I am going to serve. Just walking around with a sandwich is such a powerful experience, because I am bringing this sandwich to a guest, and what I am doing, is I am putting myself in a place of love. That is working through my ego, my hatred, my anger, and allowing me to experience what many of us are lacking in this world: true happiness and true peace.
Any restaurant you go to you sit down to get a meal, the establishment is thinking: How much money are we going to make with this person? That is our relationship with food. This place, the Seva Caf, allows us to let go of all of that, the greed, and get to a place of genuine love and service. Being in that space can be very transformational.
People cry, the guests cry, I have served a sandwich to a guest, explained to her what is going on, and she has broken down and started crying. All I have done is brought her a sandwich.
Why is Seva Cafe important for LA? For the USA?
There are a lot of ways to look at the western world. There is a doctor in India who performs eye surgery and he says that people are struggling with a poverty of wealth. People here in America are dealing with a poverty of service. It is important everywhere.
Be the Cause has been to India to the original Seva Cafe, and has seen first hadn the impact it has had on a lot of people therepeople volunteer there, eat there, and it is really impacting a lot of people.
We walked into that environment, and thought that this is greatit is great for India, but it is needed everywhere. People are searching for these kinds of things, and so we thought why not bring to where we live, right here in Long Beach? People ask us, where did the original idea come fromyes, there is a Seva caf in Ahmedabad, Indiathat is where we saw it, that is where we got the idea, and we brought it herebut when we ask the people at the Seva Caf in India, where the concept came from, what they say is that the first Seva Caf existed when someone invited someone into their home and said: Let me feed you, let me serve you with Love. That is the original thing that we are trying to get back to.
The fact that for me personally, we see so many people come into the Seva Caf, and I see it be so successful, so packedit is a double edged sword. Part of this is great, people are getting this kinds of inspiration in their lives, which is a great thing, but the other side of that is that this is really missing from their lives, that is why they need to be herewhy are we not giving and receiving love like that with our neighbors? Why are we not like that with our families? Why is that genuine place of service not with us all the time? Why do we need a place like the Seva caf, which runs 5 10 on Saturdays, where we go to find love?
To me it is great that people are getting this kind of inspiration but on some level it is somewhat disturbingideally, the Seva caf shouldnt need to be in existence, because hopefully people are getting that nourishment spiritually through free giving, or not in this environmentthat is exactly what we are trying to teach people, that is what we tell the guests, the volunteers: How do you change the world? How is the Seva Caf really helping the world? It is not a soup kitchen. It is through each and every person that walks through the door. We want to plant that seed of service, that seed of giving in them, let them know that this gift has been offered to them and as they walk outside the Seva Caf doors there is an opportunity waiting for them. Then the Seva Caf doesnt need to exist in those four walls, it needs to exist in the hearts of each and every single volunteer and guest that arrives. That is what it is really it is designed to do. To invert the Seva Caf into itself, take these 4 walls and have it implode where it is everywhere outside, not just inside.
Tell me more about Seva Caf in India. What is the original concept? How did you get the idea to translate it, how long did it take to recreate here?
The Seva Caf in India has been around for a year and three months and we have been around for the last 6 months, with an organization called Be The Cause. Every year, we go to a different country to serve hands on. We have been to south Africa, we have been to Kenya, This year we were in Peru and Equador. Last year, we went to India, and we had heard about the Seva Caf before we left, and already in our mind, we were germinating this idea that this is such an amazing concept and that it can be applied anywhere and everywhere. So when we went to India, we checked it out. And what we see is that it is needed everywhere. It is there for the guests, to challenge their notions of what it is to give and receive and to change our relationship with the food that we eat. But it is there to cultivate that space of service within the volunteers.
The Seva Caf in Ahmedabad operates 7 days a week, and it is intense. They have a sign, that is very true to the Indian culture, the sign and saying is Guest is God and they have that plastered on the wall there, and this is the mantra running through the volunteers at the Seva Caf. As the guests come in through the door, they are to be treated as divinity. And by treating them as they are divinity, as they are God, serving them as God, you are really transforming yourself. The people who are walking through the door, are giving you an opportunity to become pure in that moment.
We here at the Long Beach Seva Caf, we dont have that sign, we are trying to stay away from religious connotations because America is a different world than India, that is fore sure. But one of the things that is apparent, is that there is gratitude for the guests walking in. All the volunteers who are there for a few days get this. We are not serving the guests, they are serving us. They are giving us that opportunity. So there is gratitude. Every time the door opens and someone walks in, there is gratitude. I am not giving them anything, they are giving me the opportunity to become a better human being in this moment.
What do you serve at the Caf? Who decides what kind of food to serve?
We try to keep it to a healthy diet, and we serve a vegetarian meal. We have sandwiches, soups, desserts, coffee drinks. It is the same recipe every time. The volunteers and the core team of 7 or 8 people talk as a group and decide what we want on the menu. The Seva Caf is not just about food, and just nourishing a persons stomach. We are trying to nourish something far more important than just a stomach. We dont want people to be there only for the foodeven though it is amazing, all gourmet, high quality ingredients.the food brings people back, but the love is what keeps them there.
It is not about finances, right? So it is sustained by the donations? What have you found in relying on the goodness of others in terms of the survival of this?
We are only relying on the goodness of others. We have been around for 6.5 months, and in the beginning a few of our friends got together, we said whatever it takes, we are doing this for 3 months, if we have to put out of our pockets, we will. Despite that, 1 week before we started, a random person comes by my place and leaves $1000 anonymously, with a note: This is for the experiment To this day, we dont know who that person is, and we havent dipped into our pockets, and we havent touched the $1000 dollars. We have paid for electricity, rent, food expenses, everything and all costs, have been self-sustaining through donations by guests. We have even made a $3,000 donation to a charity in India.
I have to be honest: in the beginning, we were doubtful, and many told us we were out of our minds. Maybe in India it could work, but not here Now, it is not even theoretical anymore. People ask us, your theory on serving with love is great, your theory on believing there is good in everyone is greatbut are these theories practical? I see it every Saturday.
We rent the Royal Cup Coffee House for the day. The owner is very generous, we pay $290 for the place, and we pay for all the food. Within that $290 includes a buffer for his benefit. It is not a losing venture from his angle. It is good for everyone.
We are in the process of changing venues and are looking for a new venue to expand into. We definitely want to make the spot sustainable. Someone giving us a home for a week or two isnt sustainable. We are willing to pay for the rental of the facility, of course. We are looking for a place that has a relaxed atmosphere, wher we can conduct and refine this experiment, and to bring in the types of food that we want to serve, which is gourmet vegetaria. Currently we operate only on Saturday, but we would like to find a place where they are willing to do Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday brunch. Because it is needed, people are missing it in their lives.
You have mentioned a few profound stories that came out of Seva Cafe. You mentioned that it is not a soup kitchen. Have you had many homeless people come? Or have you seen the other side of the spectrum in terms of wealthy people come?
Our mentality is that we are not there to judge people. That keeps us from being in a place where we need to be. So we dont look at a who is wealthy or poor. When an envelope is left for a guest, we have no way of tracing who left it. I have opened envelopes, for someone who had a soup and salad, and who left a couple of hundred dollars. You do have that happening. There is one incident where a homeless guy came in and ate for a week, and didnt wait for an envelope, he took off and left.
This is not a free meal, this is not a soup kitchen, you are part of a circle of giving that exists.
So if a guest leaves without an offering, does that violate the idea of Seva Cafe?
It is totally fine. There is no violation. We are asking for an individual to think about what is going on. And by walking away and reflecting on your actions is payment more than what could be left in an envelope. It is not free in an experiential sense. There is some transaction of energy, and that is what we focus on. This envelope is there as an opportunity to give, and if you dont leave anything in there, we are still here to serve. This envelope has to serve as a reminder of the gifts we are always receiving. As you walk outside Seva Caf, the envelope is still with you. For you to give back, for you to complete that circle of giving, that opportunity is arising in every moment. People come in off the streets, I have serious converstations with them, about things they can do to make the world a better place, to make their lives healthier,and that that to me is great. The homeless guy who left without giving, came back a few weeks later. I saw him outside, he is old enough to be my father. He is at a table. I walk up to him, and I hold his hand, and I try to explain simply what the Seva Caf. I say to him We live in a place where there is so much pain and suffering, and all we are trying to do is put some love in the world. The man starts crying. He says you dont have to tell me about pain and suffering, I see it everyday on the streets. I think to myself, what can I do for this person. Let me get him some food. Before I got up to leave, I explained to himthe food you are receiving is a genuine gift from someone you have never met. And at the end of the meal you are going to have the opportunity to leave a gift fro someone else.
I wanted him to understand, that we are equals. He is not underneath me, He is not getting a handout, I'm not better than him. We are all in this together.Iif there is any say so, he has the same say so as I do. The waiter brings him sandwich, soupe, and water. He eats and leaves. I go up to clear the table, to clean up the plate, glasses, bowl. I look on the table, and the man has left 93 cents on the table. When I talked to him earlier he told me that is all the money that he had on him. Everything he had, he left on the table to pay for some one eless meal. He is a homeless guy who we judge all the time. Something happened to him in that moment, he is taking what he has, whatever he has, and he left it for another human being. So this is powerful stuff.
If you would like to help the Seva Cafe in finding a new venue or would like to volunteer or visit, contact www.bethecause.org
Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007
Posted by robin at 2:13 PM | Comments (3)
It’s been five days since AsianWeek published Kenneth Eng’s racist screed. (Read about it at our original post here.) And, well, it’s kind of hard to top that news. The controversy has made it into national media. Here’s a story in CBS from the Associated Press. If you believe in the adage that any publicity is good publicity, then a little-known local rag called AsianWeek is doing quite well for itself.
In other ethnic media news, Hilary Clinton’s campaign snubbed reporters from ethnic media. Reporters from Chinese-language papers, a Chinese-language TV station, and a Russian-languge newspaper were denied admission to a San Francisco fundraiser.
Reporter Portia Li of the World Journal - a Chinese-language paper run independently from offices in San Francisco and other North American cities - said she arrived about five minutes late. When Li showed her business card, the staffer asked for two forms of identification, which Li said she found insulting because she never had to do so at similar events."She kept saying this is only open for local media, not foreign press," Li said. "I told her, I'm not foreign press. I'm local media."
"It's not about myself, it's about how the mainstream looks at Chinese (people) as a whole. Why do they call us foreigners, even they we have a local address on our business card?" she added.
I couldn’t agree with Li more.
Oh, but enough about that. Judging from the volume of comments being left on our site, I know you really want to talk about the AsianWeek thing. SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll weighs in today. He wonders what the hell AsianWeek was thinking in printing Eng’s column. Don’t we all? AsianWeek's Ted Fang says Eng’s column doesn’t reflect the views of the paper.
OK, I wouldn’t say that all stories that appear in Hyphen represent the views of all Hyphen staffers either, but the thing is: there are lots of racist idiots spewing hateful, badly-written drivel. But you don’t hand them a column -- especially when you claim to be “the voice of Asian America,” which is AsianWeek’s tagline.
Surely when young Mr. Eng wrote in to AsianWeek to say he was the author of a book and wanted to write a column for them they asked him for some work samples? Or maybe not. It doesn’t seem like they googled him, or else they would have found this.
Carroll refutes Eng’s assertion that blacks hate Asians by bringing up Tiger Woods. Apparently one famous, multiracial child of an African American man and Asian American woman means that race relations between Asian Americans and blacks are A-OK!
For more takes on the story, you can read former Hyphen staffer Claire Light’s opinion at other magazine’s blog.
Or read Philip Arhur Moore’s dissection of Eng’s column.
And best of all, check out these fine songs dedicated to Eng, who it seems was annoying his classmates at NYU long before he subjected his views on the rest of us.
UPDATE: A press release/ statement of apology issued at about 3 pm today says that Eng has been terminated as a writer for AsianWeek.
Posted by Melissa at 1:41 PM | Comments (14)
It’s been five days since AsianWeek published Kenneth Eng’s racist screed. (Read about it at our original post here.) And, well, it’s kind of hard to top that news. The controversy has made it into national media. Here’s a story in CBS from the Associated Press. If you believe in the adage that any publicity is good publicity, then a little-known local rag called AsianWeek is doing quite well for itself.
In other ethnic media news, Hilary Clinton’s campaign snubbed reporters from ethnic media. Reporters from Chinese-language papers, a Chinese-language TV station, and a Russian-languge newspaper were denied admission to a San Francisco fundraiser.
Reporter Portia Li of the World Journal - a Chinese-language paper run independently from offices in San Francisco and other North American cities - said she arrived about five minutes late. When Li showed her business card, the staffer asked for two forms of identification, which Li said she found insulting because she never had to do so at similar events."She kept saying this is only open for local media, not foreign press," Li said. "I told her, I'm not foreign press. I'm local media."
"It's not about myself, it's about how the mainstream looks at Chinese (people) as a whole. Why do they call us foreigners, even they we have a local address on our business card?" she added.
I couldn’t agree with Li more.
Oh, but enough about that. Judging from the volume of comments being left on our site, I know you really want to talk about the AsianWeek thing. SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll weighs in today. He wonders what the hell AsianWeek was thinking in printing Eng’s column. Don’t we all? AsianWeek's Ted Fang says Eng’s column doesn’t reflect the views of the paper.
OK, I wouldn’t say that all stories that appear in Hyphen represent the views of all Hyphen staffers either, but the thing is: there are lots of racist idiots spewing hateful, badly-written drivel. But you don’t hand them a column -- especially when you claim to be “the voice of Asian America,” which is AsianWeek’s tagline.
Surely when young Mr. Eng wrote in to AsianWeek to say he was the author of a book and wanted to write a column for them they asked him for some work samples? Or maybe not. It doesn’t seem like they googled him, or else they would have found this.
Carroll refutes Eng’s assertion that blacks hate Asians by bringing up Tiger Woods. Apparently one famous, multiracial child of an African American man and Asian American woman means that race relations between Asian Americans and blacks are A-OK!
For more takes on the story, you can read former Hyphen staffer Claire Light’s opinion at other magazine’s blog.
Or read Philip Arhur Moore’s dissection of Eng’s column.
And best of all, check out these fine songs dedicated to Eng, who it seems was annoying his classmates at NYU long before he subjected his views on the rest of us.
UPDATE: A press release/ statement of apology issued at about 3 pm today says that Eng has been terminated as a writer for AsianWeek.
Posted by Melissa at 1:41 PM | Comments (14)
Its been five days since AsianWeek published Kenneth Engs racist screed. (Read about it at our original post here.) And, well, its kind of hard to top that news. The controversy has made it into national media. Heres a story in CBS from the Associated Press. If you believe in the adage that any publicity is good publicity, then a little-known local rag called AsianWeek is doing quite well for itself.
In other ethnic media news, Hilary Clintons campaign snubbed reporters from ethnic media. Reporters from Chinese-language papers, a Chinese-language TV station, and a Russian-languge newspaper were denied admission to a San Francisco fundraiser.
Reporter Portia Li of the World Journal - a Chinese-language paper run independently from offices in San Francisco and other North American cities - said she arrived about five minutes late. When Li showed her business card, the staffer asked for two forms of identification, which Li said she found insulting because she never had to do so at similar events."She kept saying this is only open for local media, not foreign press," Li said. "I told her, I'm not foreign press. I'm local media."
"It's not about myself, it's about how the mainstream looks at Chinese (people) as a whole. Why do they call us foreigners, even they we have a local address on our business card?" she added.
I couldnt agree with Li more.
Oh, but enough about that. Judging from the volume of comments being left on our site, I know you really want to talk about the AsianWeek thing. SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll weighs in today. He wonders what the hell AsianWeek was thinking in printing Engs column. Dont we all? AsianWeek's Ted Fang says Engs column doesnt reflect the views of the paper.
OK, I wouldnt say that all stories that appear in Hyphen represent the views of all Hyphen staffers either, but the thing is: there are lots of racist idiots spewing hateful, badly-written drivel. But you dont hand them a column -- especially when you claim to be the voice of Asian America, which is AsianWeeks tagline.
Surely when young Mr. Eng wrote in to AsianWeek to say he was the author of a book and wanted to write a column for them they asked him for some work samples? Or maybe not. It doesnt seem like they googled him, or else they would have found this.
Carroll refutes Engs assertion that blacks hate Asians by bringing up Tiger Woods. Apparently one famous, multiracial child of an African American man and Asian American woman means that race relations between Asian Americans and blacks are A-OK!
For more takes on the story, you can read former Hyphen staffer Claire Lights opinion at other magazines blog.
Or read Philip Arhur Moores dissection of Engs column.
And best of all, check out these fine songs dedicated to Eng, who it seems was annoying his classmates at NYU long before he subjected his views on the rest of us.
UPDATE: A press release/ statement of apology issued at about 3 pm today says that Eng has been terminated as a writer for AsianWeek.
Posted by Melissa at 1:41 PM | Comments (13)
I just learned that Eddy Zheng, who has been imprisoned since 1986, was released Tuesday.
Here's are two recent entries from his very active blog about his release:
February 27, 2007:
Eddy found out from his Guardian Angel yesterday that he would be released today. After being picked up by his family, Eddy got a haircut and saw his nephew & a new addition to the family. His parents were adoringly intent on overfeeding him. Though his deportation obstacle is still present, beginning tonight, Eddy will reside in Oakland. As soon as he is set up on a computer, he looks forward keeping in touch with you personally from now on through this blog.
Stay tuned.
+ + +
Friends & supporters of Eddy Zheng:
This afternoon, Eddy Zheng was released from immigration detention! This does NOT mean that he will not be deported. It only means that he is no longer being held in immigration detention, while the government goes through the procedures of carrying out his deportation, which could take a while. He is continuing to challenge his deportation order in federal courts, which will probably take another year. If the government is able to carry out his deportation before the courts overturn the deportation order, he will be sent back to China.
This was a very unexpected and unusual development, and we only found out yesterday that they were planning to release him today.
This is the first time Eddy has been on the outside in 21 years -- since January 1986. He was reunited with his family at around 1pm in San Francisco today. He asked me to let you all know that he is extremely grateful for all of your support over the years. He said that he is very excited and that it feels very natural to be out.
This is an extraordinary victory, although it is not yet complete. We are all extremely excited about focusing on winning the final part -- the overturning of his deportation order.
Stay tuned for info on an event to welcome Eddy back.
It's nice to finally share some good news with you all...
+ + +
Eddy was convicted of kidnapping a San Francisco family in 1986, when he was 16-years-old and served a 7-to-life sentence. When he was finally paroled, he faced deportation because he was not a U.S. citizen. He's fought his deportation, has received lots of support from the API community, and received a fair amount of media attention over the years.
Eddy still faces deportation to China, but while he's been incarcerated, he's been a prolific writer and blogger and recently edited an anthology of API prisoners' writings and artwork, which will be published in the spring.
For more background information about Eddy and to read articles, visit his website.
Posted by momo at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
I just learned that Eddy Zheng, who has been imprisoned since 1986, was released Tuesday.
Here's are two recent entries from his very active blog about his release:
February 27, 2007:
Eddy found out from his Guardian Angel yesterday that he would be released today. After being picked up by his family, Eddy got a haircut and saw his nephew & a new addition to the family. His parents were adoringly intent on overfeeding him. Though his deportation obstacle is still present, beginning tonight, Eddy will reside in Oakland. As soon as he is set up on a computer, he looks forward keeping in touch with you personally from now on through this blog.
Stay tuned.
+ + +
Friends & supporters of Eddy Zheng:
This afternoon, Eddy Zheng was released from immigration detention! This does NOT mean that he will not be deported. It only means that he is no longer being held in immigration detention, while the government goes through the procedures of carrying out his deportation, which could take a while. He is continuing to challenge his deportation order in federal courts, which will probably take another year. If the government is able to carry out his deportation before the courts overturn the deportation order, he will be sent back to China.
This was a very unexpected and unusual development, and we only found out yesterday that they were planning to release him today.
This is the first time Eddy has been on the outside in 21 years -- since January 1986. He was reunited with his family at around 1pm in San Francisco today. He asked me to let you all know that he is extremely grateful for all of your support over the years. He said that he is very excited and that it feels very natural to be out.
This is an extraordinary victory, although it is not yet complete. We are all extremely excited about focusing on winning the final part -- the overturning of his deportation order.
Stay tuned for info on an event to welcome Eddy back.
It's nice to finally share some good news with you all...
+ + +
Eddy was convicted of kidnapping a San Francisco family in 1986, when he was 16-years-old and served a 7-to-life sentence. When he was finally paroled, he faced deportation because he was not a U.S. citizen. He's fought his deportation, has received lots of support from the API community, and received a fair amount of media attention over the years.
Eddy still faces deportation to China, but while he's been incarcerated, he's been a prolific writer and blogger and recently edited an anthology of API prisoners' writings and artwork, which will be published in the spring.
For more background information about Eddy and to read articles, visit his website.
Posted by momo at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
I just learned that Eddy Zheng, who has been imprisoned since 1986, was released Tuesday.
Here's are two recent entries from his very active blog about his release:
February 27, 2007:
Eddy found out from his Guardian Angel yesterday that he would be released today. After being picked up by his family, Eddy got a haircut and saw his nephew & a new addition to the family. His parents were adoringly intent on overfeeding him. Though his deportation obstacle is still present, beginning tonight, Eddy will reside in Oakland. As soon as he is set up on a computer, he looks forward keeping in touch with you personally from now on through this blog.
Stay tuned.
+ + +
Friends & supporters of Eddy Zheng:
This afternoon, Eddy Zheng was released from immigration detention! This does NOT mean that he will not be deported. It only means that he is no longer being held in immigration detention, while the government goes through the procedures of carrying out his deportation, which could take a while. He is continuing to challenge his deportation order in federal courts, which will probably take another year. If the government is able to carry out his deportation before the courts overturn the deportation order, he will be sent back to China.
This was a very unexpected and unusual development, and we only found out yesterday that they were planning to release him today.
This is the first time Eddy has been on the outside in 21 years -- since January 1986. He was reunited with his family at around 1pm in San Francisco today. He asked me to let you all know that he is extremely grateful for all of your support over the years. He said that he is very excited and that it feels very natural to be out.
This is an extraordinary victory, although it is not yet complete. We are all extremely excited about focusing on winning the final part -- the overturning of his deportation order.
Stay tuned for info on an event to welcome Eddy back.
It's nice to finally share some good news with you all...
+ + +
Eddy was convicted of kidnapping a San Francisco family in 1986, when he was 16-years-old and served a 7-to-life sentence. When he was finally paroled, he faced deportation because he was not a U.S. citizen. He's fought his deportation, has received lots of support from the API community, and received a fair amount of media attention over the years.
Eddy still faces deportation to China, but while he's been incarcerated, he's been a prolific writer and blogger and recently edited an anthology of API prisoners' writings and artwork, which will be published in the spring.
For more background information about Eddy and to read articles, visit his website.
Posted by momo at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
I'm speaking at a panel tonight at 826 Valencia. It's called How to Start Your Own Magazine. For those of you know don't know, 826 Valencia is a literary nonprofit that helps students develop writing skills. They have free drop-in tutoring, workshops, and storytelling for youth. They also have seminars for adults, like this one, which are not free, but the money raised from the adult events go to supporting the youth programs. It you've heard about them before, it's probably because they've got literati Dave Eggers on board teaching there.
I'll be joined by folks from other Bay Area mags, including Lisa Jervis, founder of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, Sam Grawe from Dwell, Jen Loy, a co-publisher arts mag Kitchen Sink, and Neil Stevenson, who has edited at Mixmag and The Face.
Anyways, click here for the details. Personally, I don't know if I'd be good at telling you how to start a magazine. However, I can tell you all about how not to start one and tell you tales of woe about all the things we did that you should try to avoid.
Posted by Melissa at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
I'm speaking at a panel tonight at 826 Valencia. It's called How to Start Your Own Magazine. For those of you know don't know, 826 Valencia is a literary nonprofit that helps students develop writing skills. They have free drop-in tutoring, workshops, and storytelling for youth. They also have seminars for adults, like this one, which are not free, but the money raised from the adult events go to supporting the youth programs. It you've heard about them before, it's probably because they've got literati Dave Eggers on board teaching there.
I'll be joined by folks from other Bay Area mags, including Lisa Jervis, founder of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, Sam Grawe from Dwell, Jen Loy, a co-publisher arts mag Kitchen Sink, and Neil Stevenson, who has edited at Mixmag and The Face.
Anyways, click here for the details. Personally, I don't know if I'd be good at telling you how to start a magazine. However, I can tell you all about how not to start one and tell you tales of woe about all the things we did that you should try to avoid.
Posted by Melissa at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
I'm speaking at a panel tonight at 826 Valencia. It's called How to Start Your Own Magazine. For those of you know don't know, 826 Valencia is a literary nonprofit that helps students develop writing skills. They have free drop-in tutoring, workshops, and storytelling for youth. They also have seminars for adults, like this one, which are not free, but the money raised from the adult events go to supporting the youth programs. It you've heard about them before, it's probably because they've got literati Dave Eggers on board teaching there.
I'll be joined by folks from other Bay Area mags, including Lisa Jervis, founder of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, Sam Grawe from Dwell, Jen Loy, a co-publisher arts mag Kitchen Sink, and Neil Stevenson, who has edited at Mixmag and The Face.
Anyways, click here for the details. Personally, I don't know if I'd be good at telling you how to start a magazine. However, I can tell you all about how not to start one and tell you tales of woe about all the things we did that you should try to avoid.
Posted by Melissa at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
Long-running Asian American weekly AsianWeek is facing criticism for publishing a column by writer Kenneth Eng entitled “Why I Hate Blacks.”
I have to say, I’m not a regular reader of AsianWeek. Available as a free weekly throughout the Bay Area, AsianWeek doesn’t really seem to reach the Mission District. But I am very familiar with the newspaper: I worked there as a reporter, managing editor and editor-in-chief from 2000-2003. That said, I have no familiarity with Eng or his column, which has the strange title “God of the Universe.” He does seem to be the author of two books: Dragons: Lexicon Triumvirate and Reincarnations. His Amazon.com bio lists him as the “youngest published science fiction novelist in America.”
Hmmmm. I don’t know about you, but this is certainly the resume of the guy I want to write columns about race relations!!
In an earlier column, entitled “Proof that Whites Inherently Hate Us,” Eng wrote: “Most Asians know that everywhere we go, white/black/Hispanic people hurl racist remarks at us. I have already received about 10 racist remarks in the past three months and I have only been out of my home a handful of times.” Oh AsianWeek! Did you give a column to one of those crazy recluses that never leave their house and talk to themselves on the bus??
Unfortunately, the column in question seems to have been pulled from the Internet, but you can view Eng’s other moving work by searching for his name here. Including, my favorite, “Why I Hate Asians,” which has the line: “I am also sickened when I hear Asian people imitate Negro slang in an endeavor to sound "ghetto."
Now, I can tell you, that working for AsianWeek, run by the Fang Dynasty, was a complicated job. Just like here at Hyphen, working on a pan-Asian American publication means trying to cover a lot of ground. For me that work is essentially about the intersections between communities and my favorite stories were those about multicultural alliances. Yet, I was told that the main aim of the paper was to represent the Chinese American community, the pan-Asian American-ness more of a marketing tool and less of a reality. Obviously, there seems to be very little excuse for running a column by a self-proclaimed “Asian Supremacist,” (AKA: a straight up racist) but to do it in a publication that already has such iffy ties with community. Bad idea.
Here’s the petition that’s been circulating about the column:
ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERS CRITICIZE ASIANWEEK FOR PRINTING 'WHY I HATE BLACKS' COLUMN
(Feb. 23, 2007) Asian American leaders joined together Friday to criticize AsianWeek for printing Kenneth Eng's column "Why I Hate Blacks" in its Feb. 23 edition. The leaders condemn the piece as irresponsible journalism, blatantly racist, replete with stereotypes, and deeply hurtful to African Americans. They called on AsianWeek to take immediate action and issue an unequivocal apology, terminate their relationship with Kenneth Eng, print an editorial refuting the column, review their editorial policy and process, and hold those responsible accountable.
“Eng's article is unacceptable and offensive not only to African Americans, but to all Americans,” said Karen K. Narasaki, President and Executive Director of the Asian American Justice Center. “AsianWeek has a responsibility to its readers and to the community to take immediate and appropriate action to repair the serious damage it has caused by publishing this piece.”
“Most Asian Americans would not be here in America today, but for the civil rights movement led by African Americans that resulted in