SAN DIEGOSAN DIEGO — The Asian Business Association San Diego recently received $150,000 to continue providing free resources to Asian-owned businesses and advocating for inclusive economic development and a diverse workforce in San Diego County.
The local business group was one of 19 organizations across California to receive a total of more than $750,000 in donations from AT&T and WarnerMedia, part of a $7 million nationwide campaign to combat anti-Asian hate.
The donation will be used to providing no-cost technical assistance to small businesses, said Jason Paguio, president and CEO of the Asian Business Association. Those services include strategic growth and expansion strategies, access to capital, business plan assistance and business formation, he said.
“This work, ed by AT&T, is making a tremendous impact for small business owners navigating not only the challenges of the pandemic, but also managing language, economic and cultural barriers too often overlooked and forgotten within San Diego’s diverse neighborhoods,” Paguio said in an email Monday.
The business association represents more than 30,000 businesses owned by Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders.
Leaders with the group said last year they saw the impact of the pandemic on local businesses long before a stay-at-home order was in place, because people had a fear of patronizing Asian-owned businesses. Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the country and locally also reported a rise in physical and verbal violence during the coronavirus pandemic.
The national online reporting center STOP AAPI HATE recorded 6,603 incidents across the U.S. from March 19, 2020 to March 31, 2021, according to a May 6 report. The center recorded instances of verbal harassment, physical assault, online harassment and workplace discriminations.
More than half the incidents happened in 2020, and some 2,410 hate incidents occurred this year, according to the report. California had the most cases, reporting 40 percent, followed by New York’s 15 percent.
“Hatred and inequality have no place in our State and our company is committed to organizations dedicated to building a future where these injustices are no longer commonplace,” said Rhonda Johnson, president of AT&T California, in a statement.
