Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) and State Representative Tram Nguyen (D-18^th Essex) marked Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by touring Asian-owned small businesses in Andover’s Shawsheen Plaza. During the visits, the lawmakers highlighted the hard work of Asian American business owners who have had to overcome economic challenges caused by the pandemic, as well as increased discrimination and decreased patronage because of their race.

“As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we cannot overlook the tremendous challenges that AAPI small business owners have had to overcome to keep their doors open for the past year,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Raagini Indian Bistro, Thai Sweet Basil, and Karma have all gone above and beyond to keep their workers on payroll and customers served, even as budgets tightened and the stress of increased anti-Asian hate has intensified. These small businesses are incredibly valuable to the fabric of our community, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit these restaurants and tout their tremendous success.”

“Our local businesses have all been impacted by the pandemic, but businesses owned by Asian Americans and Asians have been hit especially hard this past year because anti-Asian rhetoric and scapegoating for the pandemic have caused a decline in patronage for many of them,” said State Representative Nguyen. “I was glad to bring together my colleagues at the federal, state, and local levels to visit with incredible business owners and for us to hear from them about how vital local support and federal and state funding have been for them to stay afloat during these difficult times. We need to continue to show these businesses and their incredibly hardworking staff the kindness and generosity that they deserve. These small businesses are what make our communities the great places they are, and I am grateful for their resilience and strength to weather the pandemic.”

Trahan and Nguyen – who recently highlighted the dangerous increase in anti-AAPI hate crimes during a Facebook Live discussion – were accompanied today by State Representatives Frank Moran (D-17th Essex) and Christina Minicucci (D-14th Essex), as well as Andover Assistant Town Manager Patrick Lawlor and Andover Select Board Chair Annie Gilbert for the tour. The tour included stops at Raagini Indian Bistro, Thai Sweet Basil, and Karma, all three of which received federal COVID-19 relief through the Paycheck Protection Program.

While the pandemic has been challenging for small businesses, 59 percent of which report negative effects due to COVID-19, AAPI owners have fared even worse due to an increase in anti-Asian sentiment and decreased patronage. A survey conducted by the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce found that more than 80 percent of AAPI small business owners reported negative effects from the pandemic. The financial impact of COVID-19 has proven disproportionate for small businesses as well, with nearly one third of AAPI-owned businesses having missed at least one loan or debt repayment since the start of the pandemic compared with just 19 percent of all small businesses, and 28 percent of Asian-owned businesses remain behind on their payments compared to 18 percent of small businesses nationwide.

Additionally, data collected by Stop AAPI Hate shows that more than 6,600 anti-Asian hate crimes were reported nationally between March 2020 and March 2021, including verbal harassment, shunning, and physical assault. That includes nearly 1 out of every three AAPI women small business owners who have experienced some form of anti-Asian sentiment due to COVID-19.

Trahan recently voted for the American Rescue Plan, which allocated additional relief funding for small businesses and included priority time periods for traditionally disadvantaged owners. The relief package established the $28 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which offers assistance to restaurants and bars hit hardest by the pandemic and stipulated that during the program’s first 21 days, applications from restaurants owned and operated by women, veterans, or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will receive priority. The long overdue legislation also created the Community Navigator Pilot Program, a new program designed to increase the awareness of and participation in COVID-19 relief programs for business owners currently lacking access by prioritizing businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, women, and veterans.

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