Chef Jon Yao pays tribute to LA at James Beard awards: ‘This city is built by immigrants’

Kato chef receives award and says immigrant communities in LA are being ripped apart' and urges people to speak up

As Los Angeles chef Jon Yao received a James Beard award, one of the most significant in the culinary industry, he paid tribute to his city and the immigrants that are so central to its culture but are now living in fear amid the Trump administration's brutal immigration crackdown.

Our restaurant - we tell stories, stories of immigrants, diaspora, endurance and perseverance," Yao said on Monday. LA is a city built by the toils of immigrant communities and right now those same communities are being ripped apart."