The Capital Region has long been recognized as one of the most racially diverse in the country — Stockton and Sacramento were named No . 1 and No . 3 , respectively , in 2020 by U . S . News & World Report — and that diversity is reflected in the makeup of its small-business owners . More than 20,000 businesses in San Joaquin County and 43,000 businesses in Sacramento County are owned by minorities , playing a significant role in the
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health and vitality of the Capital Region ’ s economy . About $ 68 of every $ 100 spent at a local establishment stays in the community , compared to $ 43 per every $ 100 spent at a national chain .
For many of us , the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our daily lives , but for some minority small-business owners , the impact has been even more significant . Large corporations were the first to apply and receive Paycheck Protection Program loans from the Small
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Business Administration or to secure an Economic Injury Disaster Loan in an expeditious time frame .
Business owners who were able to complete the necessary paperwork were able to access state and local forgivable programs as soon as they came out . But for some small-business owners in the region who speak English as a second language , finding someone to help translate the application and pull together the required information was an obstacle that prevented them from getting financial assistance .
Place yourself in the shoes of some of these thousands of small-business owners , which includes immigrants and people of color who are trying to support their families and achieve the American dream , but are running into systemic inequities . For some , language skills , their ethnicity or lack of connections in the community put them at a disadvantage , and the additional strain of the pandemic has created further hardships in keeping their business doors open .
Some of these entrepreneurs have no financial safety net and worry that their business will become a target for crime solely because of their race : Hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have skyrocketed during the pandemic , with some of these crimes being committed against AAPIowned businesses , leading to additional expenses and heartbreak .
The pandemic has changed the way we do business , the way we view our relationships and how we conduct our
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SHUTTERSTOCK ILLUSTRATION |
16 comstocksmag . com | July 2021 |