The immigrant entrepreneur in the time of COVID-19

This week, almost all of America is opening up their economies again, albeit in a more careful and cautious approach so as not to trigger a possible spike of COVID-19 cases. It’s still infecting people but somehow, this lockdown is doing more economic harm on individuals, business owners, and even state governments. If left extended for a longer period, it could bankrupt the country. In New York, economic regions are allowed to reopen only if they pass the seven metrics mandated by the state. Even if they pass, they can do so only in phases depending on the type of industries or businesses.

As factories and plants reopen, the question remains: How confident are the employees in going back to work? How assured is the public that stores and the people they mingle with don’t carry COVID-19? Consumer confidence is key in getting the economic engine roaring again, because even if stores reopen but no one is buying, economic recovery will be a long and slow process.

I spoke to a client I helped secure an investor visa when he bought an Indian restaurant here in NY. Before this pandemic, his business was doing very well and he even entertained expanding to other locations. Presently, his business has nosedived as he relies only on delivery and take-out orders. He can barely pay his rent and the salary of his employees and has since taken up the loan assistance from the government. He told me that, according to the state rules, he can possibly offer dine-in service area sometime in the last week of June or during the phase 3 of reopening with some restrictions. He can no longer offer the usual buffet which drew a lot of customers pre-COVID-19. Among others, such as frequent cleanliness measures and ensuring that his employees aren’t sick, he also has to limit the amount of tables open for dining only up to 50% capacity. He understands the restrictions and accepts it but he feels this new reality is unsustainable and will only lead him to closing his business for good.

Think of how many business owners --immigrants or not-- are in a similar situation. Immigrant entrepreneurs make up a large segment of small businesses owners in America. They run restaurants, groceries, salons, convenience stores, gas stations, and other service-oriented industries. More often than not, they also employ immigrant compatriots. Like most other Americans, they pay taxes and are active and productive members of their community.

Employee immigrants also have their own share of anxieties. I’m especially concerned with the immigrant entrepreneurs whose life and livelihood depend on the very business they started and spent all their years building to what it is now. I hope the traits of a successful small business owner --resiliency, hard work and risk-taking-- would help them rebuild, refocus, and reimagine their businesses in the aftermath of this crisis. For now, they need all the help they can get from the government as well as the public.