bake - May/June 2021 - 14

Third Culture Bakery coowners
Sam Butarbutar
and Wenter Shyu rely on
each other during challenging
times, especially
the pandemic.
award and continue to use their spotlights for good.
But the Asian American influence goes beyond just the
big names. Many communities throughout the country
have at least one Asian American bakery which provides
great tastes and even greater economic and cultural
impact. One of those is Keefer Court Bakery & Cafe in
Minneapolis.
A city in turmoil
Minneapolis has been uniquely involved in the national
conversation on race following the tragic killings of
George Floyd and Daunte Wright. While these events
have sparked protests across the country, and backlash
from some to those protests, Keefer Court owner Michelle
Kwan believes that many in the city have embraced its
diversity in the wake of those events and in the midst
of the pandemic.
" I feel like the current situation in Minneapolis has
brought our community together and reminded us that
we need to support each other more than ever, " she
says. " We have Black Lives Matter groups supporting
the Stop Asian Hate community and vice versa. "
Sunny and Paulina Kwan started Keefer Court, the first
Chinese bakery in Minnesota, in 1983, serving traditional
Cantonese food, pastries and fortune cookies. After
35 years of hard work, the Kwans passed the torch to
their daughter Michelle, to carry on their legacy. The
bakery continues to serve the Twin Cities with its line
of Chinese and Hong Kong style menu items such as
BBQ Pork Buns.
Michelle Kwan is proud of her identity as an Asian
American and the influence her bakery has on American
14 < MAY-JUN 2021 | bakemag.com
culture. She speaks about how Asian American-owned
bakeries have shown Americans that there is a vast
diverseness in Asian culture and that being " Asian " isn't
one dimensional.
" For example, a Chinese bakery is different from a
Vietnamese bakery which is different from a Taiwanese
bakery, " she says. " And we cannot forget that someone
with an Asian background can own a French bakery that
has a focus on French pastries. We are not limited to
ethnic backgrounds, we are multifaceted. "
As a second generation Asian American, Kwan comes
from a rich, diverse background with a lot of crosscultural
experiences. Growing up, she had to balance
" We are not limited to
ethnic backgrounds,
we are multifaceted. "
Michelle Kwan, owner, Keefer Court Bakery & Cafe
two identities. On the outside many people saw her as
" Asian " and had a certain perception of who she was
and what she should be like. While working in a Chinese
bakery helped her to stay connected to Chinese culture,
it also made her feel a sense of responsibility to educate
others on her background.
" It was in high school that I realized that my experience
and background is unique and instead of being
ashamed of the foods I ate at home I could share them
THIRD CULTURE BAKERY
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