Video of Utica Restaurant Owner Who Was Called Racial Slur is Sad

Jonann Velardi, the owner of A Taste of Laos used Facebook Live to tell her story of a recent incident that occurred at her restaurant on Bank Place in Utica. Velardi, a Laotian-American born in Utica, said a person walking by as she was preparing her restaurant before opening, called her lazy and used a racial slur to describe her.

"Pay no attention to her, she's just a lazy Chink," the person yelled about Velardi. Velardi took her story to Facebook Live where dozens of people commented in support of her.

One Facebook user said, "I understand you are upset… I understand you are hurt and RIGHTFULLY SO!!! But listen to me… use allllll that anger…" to become ever stronger.

Velardi said on that day, she and her son were the only ones working at the restaurant and they were preparing food for a fundraiser in which proceeds would be donated to the Proctor High School Drama Club.

Velardi said the comments made her incredibly sad, and she wasn't sure if it was the slur that bothered her most, or if it was the fact that she was called lazy. "I am not lazy," Velardi said.

A Taste of Laos is located at 12 Bank Place in Utica and is currently offering takeout and in dining service. Velardi says, they're unable to hire enough staff to open their dining room. Their phone number is (315) 404-5065.

Watch the complete video post below.

36 Ideas to Inexpensively Make Your Backyard Feel Like a Resort

Here are some fairly easy and inexpensive ways to make your back yard feel like you're on vacation and a beautiful summer resort. If these 5 families can do this in Upstate New York, it can be done anywhere!

Gallery Credit: Bill Keeler

25 True Crime Locations: What Do They Look Like Today?

Below, find out where 25 of the most infamous crimes in history took place — and what the locations are used for today. (If they've been left standing.)

50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.

Gallery Credit: Paul Feinstein

LOOK: What major laws were passed the year you were born?

Data for this list was acquired from trusted online sources and news outlets. Read on to discover what major law was passed the year you were born and learn its name, the vote count (where relevant), and its impact and significance.

Gallery Credit: Katelyn Leboff

LOOK: Here is the richest town in each state

Just saying the names of these towns immediately conjures up images of grand mansions, luxury cars, and ritzy restaurants. Read on to see which town in your home state took the title of the richest location and which place had the highest median income in the country. Who knows—your hometown might even be on this list.

Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Gallery Credit: Keri Wiginton

Source: Video of Utica Restaurant Owner Who Was Called Racial Slur is Heartbreaking

Categories: New York News