CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kevin Liu’s doors are open.
"Boba and tea has been like a special occasion for everyone," he said.
He cofounded Boba Baba in Charlotte's South End neighborhood. But behind the careful crafting of the tasty teas are the well-thought recipes paying homage to his heritage.
"Back then when I was growing up here in North Carolina, we would drive out of our ways to get boba so we could sit down, socialize, have a good time with our friends and family," Liu remembered.
With May being Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, lawmakers are joining the celebration as well.
"I want to recognize the significant contributions that the AAPI community has made to our city," Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera said.
Ajmera said the Queen City is home to more than 60,000 AANHPI residents. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles signed a declaration kicking off the month, proclaiming May 2024 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The South End neighborhood has compiled a list online of AANHPI-owned restaurants, retail shops, and artists in the area. Liu said as many take the month of May as an opportunity to learn about a culture outside of their own, he believes it's important to keep one thing in mind.
"We have so many different cultures mixed into our craft," he said. "We get our teas from China, Japan and Taiwan. We look at different processes in how they make their tea in different regions, and then we take all of the goods and then we put them into our craft."
Contact Kia Murray at kmurray@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.