At Detour Doughnuts in Frisco, a long line of people stretched out the door on Saturday morning. Six stores down in front of Jersey Mike鈥檚, the last person in line patiently stood waiting.
Many of them were there to buy a bright yellow glazed doughnut with the words #StopAsianHate written in jet black frosting. Jinny Cho, the store鈥檚 27-year-old owner and chef, said it鈥檚 the busiest the store鈥檚 ever been. She's sold 561 of the handmade doughnuts so far.
She created the specialty doughnut in response to the Atlanta shooting that left eight people dead, including six women of Asian decent.
鈥淚 am an Asian American business owner and what happened in Atlanta, it's tragic that someone thinks that they can do that just because of the way someone looks,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ate shouldn鈥檛 have a voice.鈥�
Cho started selling her #StopAsianHate doughnuts on Thursday and spoke with on Friday, when her doughnuts sold out before 10 a.m. So on Saturday, she made over 300 doughnuts and decided to stagger their sales throughout the day to make sure more people had a chance to show their support.
The young entrepreneur鈥檚 already raised $1,500 and expects to raise $1,000 more by closing time Sunday.
She said she hopes her doughnuts encourage conversations about the violence and discrimination against Asians. The nonprofit recently released a report that showed 3,795 incidents of hate against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. this past year.
Buying a doughnut is a simple way to show support, she said, and all the sales from the doughnuts will be donated to the .
Cho said she was also compelled to hold the fundraiser because she's a single mother of a 3-year-old.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important for every parent to do this work because we have to raise children that are anti-racist,鈥� she said. Cho said conversations with children could start over something as simple as a doughnut.
Customer Jenny Skinner also saw the doughnuts as an opportunity to teach her children. She and her husband Richard sat outside the doughnut shop, sharing #StopAsianHate doughnuts with their two sons ages 7 and 5.
The Skinners' 5-year-old, Asher, enthusiastically grabbed the doughnut with both hands and took a large bite. Jenny said the doughnuts are an easy entry point to a difficult topic.
鈥淚 feel like as an Asian American this was some sort of small way that I could bring awareness to my family in the form of something everybody loves: doughnuts,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought it was a small way I could educate my own children since they鈥檙e so little and they don鈥檛 have a full scope of what鈥檚 going on in our country right now.鈥�
Jenny said even with all the attacks on Asians across the country, it can be easy to forget what鈥檚 going on.
鈥淚 think in our bubble here in Dallas, we don鈥檛 realize that there are things that are happening in the Asian community," she said. "But a lot of the Asian community doesn鈥檛 talk about it. I think a lot of non-Asians or people who aren鈥檛 around Asian people aren鈥檛 familiar with what鈥檚 happening even within our bubble, especially in this suburban bubble."
Richard said it鈥檚 nice to see the community showing their support.
鈥淵ou can see that a ton of people have shown up,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, certainly people are getting the message and I hope to see more of this.鈥�
Amari Dussett finally made it to the front of the store after waiting for around 30 minutes. He said he was a first-time customer to the store and it was well worth the wait. Dussett, who's Black, saw the #StopAsianHate doughnuts on WFAA. He said the doughnuts "look super good," but more importantly he wanted to show his support as a fellow person of color.
鈥淚 feel like there鈥檚 a certain awareness that needs to be brought to peoples鈥� attention that there are many minorities that are subjected to hate, not just African Americans,鈥� he said.
Twins Maia and Emma Scarborough were waiting in line with their two younger cousins Autumn and Haven. They heard about the specialty doughnuts from Detour鈥檚 Instagram page, which has a following of almost 12,000. It鈥檚 a platform where Cho has been especially vocal, speaking out against the hate and discrimination towards Asians.
Emma said they're loyal customers of Detour, where they often have 鈥渟ister dates.鈥� They said they came to show Cho she has the community behind her.
鈥淚 just think it鈥檚 so unfair what Asian people have been experiencing here in the U.S. over the past year and we just wanted to make it a point to come and support,鈥� Emma said.
While most of the community has been supportive, Cho said she received two hate calls. When she first opened her store on Thursday, she said a woman called complaining about the #StopAsianHate doughnuts.
鈥淪he was like, those [doughnuts] are stupid and they will run you out of business 鈥� something along the lines of you're like the laughing stock of Frisco.鈥�
The same woman called back the next day, Cho said, harassing the store鈥檚 employees. So, Cho blocked the number and reported her to the Frisco police.
She said it鈥檚 not been easy for her staff, even though they鈥檙e committed to the cause.
鈥淢y team is so strong, but it wears them down,鈥� Cho said. 鈥淟ike every cut hurts because they know like they're standing up and they're doing something right. But they鈥檙e all super positive and they never stop smiling.鈥�
While Cho鈥檚 grateful for the wave of support, it's also been exhausting. She woke up at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning to prepare her store. Each #StopAsianHate doughnut must be handwritten: Cho wanted to make the message undeniably clear.
The whirlwind of the past few days, keeping up the high demand for her specialty doughnuts and the weight of hearing about the Atlanta shooting, has taken its toll. Cho said she鈥檚 been doing the best she can to protect her mental health.
鈥淚 have been viciously taking care of myself because otherwise I literally would not be able to wake up the next day,鈥� she said. 鈥淰iciously, viciously taking care of myself 鈥� I need to last through the weekend, at the very least, and the adrenaline is real.鈥�
But, the entrepreneur said, this cause is too important to rest right now. She鈥檒l do her best to make as many #StopAsianHate doughnuts as she can to sell on Sunday. Then, she said she鈥檒l rest on Monday when her shop closes.
When asked what she wants her customers to take away from the experience, Cho sat back and paused before speaking.
鈥淭here is work to be done and everyone's work looks different," she said. "Everyone's anti-racism journey looks different.鈥�
Got a tip? Email Elizabeth Myong at Emyong@四虎影院.org. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter .
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