Race in America: Giving Voice with Joanne Lee Molinaro

Joanne Lee Molinaro’s plant-based recipes have become a TikTok phenomenon and are featured in her debut cookbook, “The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen.” Join The Washington Post’s Michelle Ye Hee Lee for a conversation with the lawyer turned social media star about how she is using food to explore family, history and race.

Highlights

“The first gate I’m trying to unlock for people is, ‘Look, look at my food, it’s so delicious, right.’ And then when we start talking about some of these harder topics… I share personal stories because I want people to feel like I’m not judging them, I’m not telling you what to do, I’m simply sharing my own experience.” – Joanne Lee Molinaro (Video: Washington Post Live)

“One of the most empowering things is to take something that is used to other us as Korean Americans, Asian Americans, AANHPI members, and turn that around and celebrate that … That is what I’m trying to do is while highlighting the unique beauty of the diaspora, of the immigrant story, also showing non-immigrants, ‘Hey, there’s so much we have in common.” – Joanne Lee Molinaro (Video: Washington Post Live)

“My mom and my dad will never take democracy for granted because they have seen what it’s like when it truly is just an experiment where really nobody knows what they’re doing. And I think that also informs my own American-ness.” – Joanne Lee Molinaro (Video: Washington Post Live)

Joanne Lee Molinaro

Author, “The Korean Vegan Cookbook”