World
California restaurant's comeback shows how outdated, false Asian stereotype of dog-eating persists
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — David Rasavong’s cultural pride is evident all throughout his restaurant.
It’s on the wall of family portraits and where a stunning mural depicts his family’s journey from Laos to California. It’s on the menu filled with Lao and Thai dishes like the crispy coconut rice salad of Nam Khao and the stir-fried rice noodles of Pad See Ew.
And it’s in the fact that Love & Thai in Fresno, California, restaurant is open at all. A baseless accusation grounded in a racist stereotype about Asian food using dog meat brought a six-month barrage of harassment so heated that Rasavong, 41, closed down its previous location over fears for his family’s safety.
His earlier restaurant had itself only been open for seven months when a so-called animal welfare crusader in May implied on social media that a pitbull tied up at an unconnected home next door was going to be served on the menu.
A day after the initial commentary, vitriolic statements, voicemails and calls rained down. Rasavong’s body still tenses up when recounting, in particular, a call from an elderly woman.
“She was so disgusted by me and yelling and screaming, and the only thing I can remember hearing her say at the end was ‘Go back to the country you came from you dog-eating mother-effer,’” Rasavong recently told The Associated Press.
Within days, he closed that restaurant because it no longer felt safe between the harassment and people loitering in the parking lot outside of business hours.
The false accusation tapped into a longstanding slur against Asian cuisines and cultures that has persisted in the U.S. for over 150 years, dating back to the xenophobia that grew in the U.S. after Chinese immigrants started arriving in more visible numbers in the 1800s and other Asian communities followed. It’s also one that Asian American communities are fighting against.
It may be astonishing to some that a claim rooted in a racist stereotype took down a family’s restaurant three years after “Stop Asian Hate” became a rallying cry. But for many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, it’s something they’ve heard before as an insult or under the guise of a “joke,” along with other negative reactions to the actual foods of their cultures. In December, a comedian received some backlash for dressing like a UPS delivery driver and walking into an Asian restaurant with caged puppies for a social media video.
There is hope though that more people will learn to tell truth from trope. Since the pandemic first fueled anti-Asian hostilities, AAPI communities themselves have tried to take control of the narrative that Asian food is “dirty,” “weird” yet “exotic.” Furthermore, the appetite to learn about food from the Asian diaspora has only grown across traditional and new media.
Still, there were moments where Rasavong felt like nobody, even media, was on his side. He said a few reporters approached him assuming the claims were true.
But he soon received tons of community support, and the closure ended up being a new beginning.
A shopping center property manager offered him the chance to take over a suite vacated by another restaurant. Nkundwe P. van Wort-Kasyanju, a graphic designer in the Netherlands, and Los Angeles-based interior designer Danny Gonzales proffered their services for free. Hana Luna Her, a local artist, painted the mural. By the Nov. 3 grand opening of the new space, Love & Thai definitely felt the love. The place was bustling all day, Rasavong said, and the city presented a proclamation.
Rasavong is holding onto the belief that he went through this whole saga for a reason.
“There’s a journey that we’re supposed to go on,” said Rasavong, who declined to say if he’ll pursue legal action. “Don’t get me wrong. People need to realize this business is not easy … But you know, we believe in what we’re doing and so far so good.”
In actuality, consuming dog meat is something that has happened in various parts of the world for centuries, where they weren’t seen as domesticated family pets, said Robert Ku, author of “Dubious Gastronomy: The Cultural Politics of Eating Asian in the USA.” Greeks and Romans referenced it. The French also ate dog meat during World War II.
But when Chinese immigrants came to the U.S., it was linked to them as part of “the myths that the Chinese were these bizarre people who had bizarre diets,” Ku said. “It was one of the attractions of actually going to Chinese restaurants back in the day because it came with ‘danger.’”
As other Asian immigrant groups came, the stereotype spread to include them.
“This is a real just blurring of the Asian identity where it doesn’t matter if you’re Thai or Korean or Vietnamese or Cambodian. You’re all the same,” Ku said.
Along with the false allegation of eating dog meat, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders over the generations have often faced disgust and worse from others when they’ve brought their cultures’ foods from home to public spaces like school or work.
They’re taking steps to fight back, like in 2021, when San Francisco-Bay Area-based writers Diann Leo-Omineto, Anthony Shu and Shirley Huey self-published “Lunchbox Moments,” a compilation of over two dozen personal essays and illustrations that raised $6,000 for charity.
The project became “a powerful thing for all of us,” Leo-Omineto said.
“We tried to show it’s not always about being in relation to being American or being white or assimilated,” she said. “You can have moments of joy, too…I hope that it opened people’s minds a little bit more — or made them want to try new foods.”
It’s actually been a big year in publishing and food media for Asian cuisine. Publishers Weekly dedicated a feature in August entirely to Chinese and Taiwanese food after observing nine new cookbooks on the subjects were coming out this year. Several of the authors grew up outside of Asia. The titles range from “Vegan Chinese Food,” to “Kung Food” and “A Very Chinese Cookbook” from America’s Test Kitchen. Also, children’s book author Grace Lin released “Chinese Menu,” which relays folklore behind favorite Chinese American dishes. They all share personal anecdotes and readers often seem drawn to “personality-driven” cookbooks, said Carolyn Juris, features editor.
“It’s not just about the recipes. It’s about the stories behind them and I think people respond to that,” Juris said.
Like any other culture, Asian cultures encompass many different regional cuisines and nuances. With the growing Asian diaspora, it’s not strange that so many cookbooks can be mined and “publishers are savvy enough to know that there is a market for these books,” Juris added.
Back at Love & Thai, Rasavong is busy filling online orders for a waiting third-party delivery driver. He is optimistic about keeping up business now that the initial hoopla around his restaurant renaissance has calmed down. Rasavong also hopes his situation will remind others to think before they speak.
“People say these jokes and they think it’s just fun and just light-hearted,” he said. “There are certain things that you shouldn’t say that really do cross a line.”
___
Tang is a Phoenix-based member of AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @ttangAP.
Dave Chappelle is delivering a holiday treat for standup fans by surprise dropping a new Netflix special called “The Unstoppable.”
Before the main event during the Dec. 18 Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight night, Chappelle stopped by the livestream with a short clip to announce the news.
“I wanted to shout out my hometown, Washington, D.C., and thank everybody that came out in October to support me at that show,” Chappelle said in the video. “I just want you to know that show will be streaming on Netflix tonight after the fight. My new special drops, and I hope you love it. Thank you very much.”
Chappelle has had a long professional relationship with Netflix. This upcoming program will be his eighth standup special with the streamer, following “The Age of Spin,” “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” “Equanimity,” “The Bird Revelation,” “Sticks & Stones,” “The Closer” and “The Dreamer.” Netflix also released a recorded speech the comedian gave at his alma mater, the Duke Ellington High School of Arts, titled “What’s in a Name?”
The Paul vs. Joshua fight brought Netflix notables and other celebrities ringside in Miami, including Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria, director Benny Safdie, comedians Bert Kreischer and Matt Rife, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, singer Shaggy and more. In addition to the main event, earlier matches included Alycia Baumgardner defeating Leila Beaudoin, Anderson Silva defeating Tyron Woodley and Jahmal Harvey defeating Kevin Cervantes.
As for the fight itself? Joshua ended up the winner by knockout, with Paul lasting six rounds.
World
Former Hamas hostage warned Australian leaders about dangers of antisemitism months before Bondi Beach attack
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A former Hamas hostage told Fox News Digital that he warned Australian leaders to take antisemitism more seriously months before the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach.
Eli Sharabi, who spent 491 days as a hostage in Gaza, said the attack on Bondi Beach was “crazy,” but far from unpredictable. Sharabi told Fox News Digital that while in Australia in June, he met with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong and warned them that rising antisemitism would lead to something worse.
Sharabi recalled telling the officials that a hate crime would take place in Australia and that he would “see the fears” of Jewish people walking on the streets. He urged them to speak out against antisemitism before it was too late.
RABBI KILLED IN SYDNEY HANUKKAH ATTACK HAD WARNED AUSTRALIAN PM ABOUT RISING ANTISEMITISM
Rabbi Yossi Friedman speaks to people gathering at a flower memorial by the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, following a shooting in Sydney, Australia. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)
He recounted to Fox News Digital the moment he told Marles and Wong, “When it happens, a hate crime here, it will be your responsibility because you have to have a stronger voice against antisemitism.” Though, Sharabi said he did not know why he told them that at the time.
“Unfortunately, it happened. And that’s crazy, it’s crazy. Really, I’m so sorry for that,” he said.
A spokesperson for Wong said that she “deeply appreciated her meeting with Eli Sharabi and thanks him for sharing his insights and experiences.”
“Minister Wong has consistently condemned antisemitism and antisemitic attacks,” the spokesperson said. “In response to the horrific antisemitic terror attack at Bondi, we are further strengthening laws against those who spread antisemitism and online abuse, ensuring our education system properly responds to antisemitism, and lowering the threshold to cancel visas for those who come to Australia to spread antisemitism.”
The spokesperson also conveyed Wong’s sympathies to the loved ones of the Bondi Beach shooting victims.
Sharabi told Fox News Digital that the attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach that left at least 15 dead and dozens wounded, reminded him of the persecution of European Jews in the 1940s.
“Suddenly you feel like it’s the 1940s again, and we are in 2025, 90 years later, all these things are happening again,” Sharabi said.
AUSTRALIA ANTI-TERROR POLICE DETAIN 7 MEN AS COUNTRY LAYS YOUNGEST BONDI BEACH VICTIM TO REST
A member of the Jewish community reacts as he walks with police toward the scene of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec. 14, 2025. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
On Feb. 8, 2025, Sharabi was released from Hamas captivity, 491 days after he was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. He did not know until after he was freed that his wife, Lianne, and their daughters, Noiya and Yahel, had been killed when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.
Since his release, Sharabi has traveled the world speaking to Jewish communities, world leaders and various audiences about his experience as a hostage, something he recounted in his book, “Hostage,” which has been translated into multiple languages.
Israeli hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross by Hamas under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Israel, in Deir al Balah, Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)
After he was released, he learned that while he was in the hands of terrorists, there were people around the world praying for him and demanding he and the other hostages be freed.
He said that while he was in the hospital in the days following his release, he was slowly exposed to the work that people in Israel and around the world did to advocate for him and the other hostages. It started with revelations about his family and friends, then his realization that people in Israel and around the world also took part in the fight for his release.
He soon joined the fight, advocating for the release of all hostages, including Alon Ohel, someone who Sharabi bonded with during his time in captivity.
“It was an amazing feeling to see him released. He’s like my son,” Sharabi told Fox News Digital.
Sharabi said that he and Ohel have seen each other a few times as free men and that they try to speak every day.
Eli Sharabi, who spent 491 days in Hamas captivity, and whose wife and two daughters were killed by terrorists, speaks at the United Nations. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
OPINION: AUSTRALIA’S HANUKKAH MASSACRE: THE HORROR OF BEING PROVEN RIGHT
Sharabi told Fox News Digital about his life after captivity. Now a free man for nearly a year, he said he appreciates every moment.
“First of all, I’m alive. Second, I’m free, and I’ve learned that freedom is priceless,” he said. “Every morning I wake up, I say thank you very much for what I have and for my freedom, and I can be able to choose whatever I do that day and not to ask permission from anyone to eat or drink or speak,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’m happy with my life. The memory of my wife, my daughters and my brother will be with me until my last day.”
Former Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi and Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon hold a photo of Sharabi’s family that shows his wife and daughters, all three of whom were murdered on Oct. 7, 2023. (Perry Bindelglass/Israeli U.N. Mission)
Sharabi told Fox News Digital that while in captivity, he promised himself that he would move his family to London, where they could live a peaceful life. He said that he made the decision because of the fear he saw in his daughters’ eyes on Oct. 7.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
While his plans on relocating to London have changed, Sharabi envisions himself living a quiet life and focusing on his own healing once the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage in Gaza, is returned to Israel. However, Sharabi said that he cannot go back to Kibbutz Be’eri and that he will likely seek a fresh start a bit further north in central Israel.
“I can’t go back to Be’eri. It’s something I need to solve with myself and with my therapist, of course. How can I get into my house again? For me, living in Be’eri, it’s not an option. In every corner, I can see the tragedy,” Sharabi said. “I need a new place, a new restart for my life, so it cannot be in Be’eri.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Marles’ office for comment.
Khan and his wife have denied accusations that they misrepresented the value of state gifts, including jewellery, and profited from them.
Published On 20 Dec 2025
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to 17 years in prison after a Pakistani court found them guilty of illegally retaining and selling valuable state gifts.
The sentence, handed down on Saturday, capped a years-long saga that saw the duo accused of selling various gifts – including jewellery from the Saudi Arabian government – at far below market value. They have denied all charges.
In order to keep gifts from foreign dignitaries, Pakistani law requires officials to purchase them at market value and to declare profits from any sales.
But prosecutors claimed that the couple profited from the items after purchasing them at an artificially low price of $10,000, compared with their market rate of $285,521.
Khan’s supporters were quick to denounce the ruling, with his spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari saying that “criminal liability was imposed without proof of intent, gain, or loss, relying instead on a retrospective reinterpretation of rules”.
His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, wrote on social media that the proceedings were a “sham” and criticised international media coverage of the case.
The 73-year-old former leader served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 until April 2022, when he was ousted in a no-confidence vote.
He was imprisoned starting in August 2023 on various charges of corruption and revealing state secrets, all of which he has denied and claimed to be politically motivated. He has been acquitted of some charges.
An internationally famous cricket player in the heyday of his sporting career, Khan remains popular in Pakistan, with his imprisonment leading to protests throughout the last two years.
The former leader is now confined to a prison in the city of Rawalpindi and “kept inside all the time”, his sister, Uzma Khanum, told journalists earlier this month.
Khanum, a doctor who was the first family member allowed to visit Khan in weeks, described him as “very angry” about the isolation, saying that he considered the “mental torture” of imprisonment to be “worse than physical abuse”.
Call for Wyoming musicians: 'Tunes on the Trail' returns Summer 2026
Coinbase Security Impersonation Scheme Exposed as Authorities Claim Nearly $16M Was Siphoned
Crunch Fitness, Petland could get a new neighbor at Pensacola Square
‘You only need 2 sessions a week to get stronger’ – expert PT reveals the benefits of the 2-2-2 workout for busy women
Dave Chappelle Announces Surprise Netflix Special Releasing After Jake Paul Fight
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Sen Murphy warns ‘people are going to die’ as Congress punts on expiring Obamacare subsidies
Ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan, wife sentenced to 17 years in corruption case
U.S. launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American deaths
Trump administration touts ‘most secure border in history’ as 2.5 million migrants exit US
How the reparations loan for Ukraine fell apart at the eleventh hour
-
Iowa5 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Iowa7 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine4 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland5 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
South Dakota6 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
New Mexico3 days agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class