A Quebec-based boba tea company has apologized after Chinese Canadian actor Simu Liu raised concerns about cultural appropriation on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. In the show, entrepreneurs pitch their business/product ideas to a panel of Canadian business moguls who then have the option to invest their own cash to kick-start the business. Liu, who is based in Toronto, was the ‘celebrity dragon’ on last Thursday’s episode of the popular CBC show and his response to the boba tea pitch is already generating a ton of buzz across social media.
i truly do not care what you spend your money on. buy boba, or don’t, or buy bottled mass produced boba that feels weirdly appropriated, or don’t. it literally does not matter to me.
all i ask… is that you not empty your life savings into altcoins and NFTs.
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) October 15, 2024
Montreal’s Sebastien Fiset and Jess Frenette presented Bobba — their bottled popping boba and alcoholic bubble tea brand. The duo asked for $1 million in exchange for 18% of the company.
Most Torontonians are likely already familiar with this delicious tea-based drink filled with chewy tapioca balls (or boba) — there are more than 100 bubble tea shops across the city! Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s before Taiwanese immigrants brought the concept to North America in the ‘90s. When Frenette introduced the product, she described bubble tea as a “trendy sugary drink that you queue up for, and you are never quite sure about its content.”
“Hang on, hang on,” Liu interrupted. “I am quite sure about its content, but continue.”
Fiset piped in that the company has transformed the beloved beverage “into a convenient, healthier, ready-to-drink experience,” using three simple ingredients: high-quality tea, fruit juice, and popping boba.
The dragons, including Liu, took a sip of the beverage, when Liu expressed concerns over “disrupting or disturbing bubble tea,” which could lead to “cultural appropriation.”
“There’s an issue of taking something that’s very distinctly Asian in its identity and quote-unquote ‘making it better’” Liu said.
Liu asked the duo if there was any Asian representation in their company. They responded that their “best partner” is based in Taiwan and creates their recipes.
Liu looked keenly at the can and stated, “I am looking for anything that tells me where boba came from, and where boba came from is Taiwan.”
The actor is the first Asian lead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is known for his roles in hits such as “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Barbie”. Liu also got involved in the world of investing, becoming a general partner of the venture capital fund Markham Valley Ventures. He told the entrepreneurs that he started his venture company primarily to uplift minority entrepreneurs.
“And not only do I feel like this is not happening here, but that I would be uplifting a business that is profiting off of something that feels so dear to my cultural heritage,” he said.
“I want to be a part of bringing boba to the masses, but not like this. So for that reason, I’m out.”
Another dragon, Manjit Minhas, agreed to invest in Bobba. Even after hearing Liu’s criticism, she noted that “there can be new takes on things” and “not everything has to be traditional.” But after the episode clip went viral across social media, she changed her mind. In an Instagram post on Sunday, Minhas said she will not be investing in the company.
“After more reflection, due diligence and listening to many of your opinions I will not be investing in Bobba Tea. Having said that I had to turn off commenting on my platforms as it is never OK to send hate and threatening messages to the entrepreneurs,” she said. “I believe wholeheartedly, our cultures are meant to be shared, and this includes food, drink, clothing, dance, languages and weddings.”
The owners of Bobba also apologized in an Instagram Post on Sunday, noting that they will commit to further learning about the impacts of cultural appropriation to ensure they are “equipped with the skills to effectively work cross-culturally.” They concluded by saying that this has been a “valuable learning experience” but that the “hate speech and death threats are absolutely uncalled for and need to stop.”
Although the responses to both posts weren’t entirely enthusiastic, Liu reminded his fans in an Instagram post last week that it’s okay to “…disagree and even feel vehemently angry about something”, and it’s okay to be vocal about that, “but it is NEVER EVER okay to harass or threaten people over the internet or in person.
“The entrepreneurs in question came on the show and pitched a business in good faith. I disagreed with some of their decision making. I stand by my thoughts, but I do not believe they deserve any negative ill will. It is a learning moment and a lesson that they have surely already understood” he added.
