The recent surge of attacks perpetrated against Asian people and particularly women are currently dominating the airwaves. This has sparked a national reckoning and has upended the “model minority” myth.

While it is absolutely necessary to honor the victims and fight for justice, I also want to balance this with positive narratives for and about Asian women and businesses.

This blog is our opportunity to promote and celebrate Asian women and their achievements as business owners/entrepreneurs. It’s a place for us to stand together and to welcome those who stand with us.

As someone who has actually experienced racism here at the most unexpected place, my own Village of New Paltz, I would hate for anyone to feel as shocked, confused, and diminished as I felt after that incident which to this day still makes me shudder at the memory.

Today was the first time I went out since the tragedy in Georgia.

I don’t want anyone to feel afraid (as I actually have over the past week). I want them to feel welcome and celebrated. Let’s make this a space where we all do exactly that.

Here’s 3 ways you can help without spending a penny:

Engage positively on their social media. Share a photo or tag a friend. Liking and commenting on posts by Asian-owned businesses help drive traffic to their pages and increase brand awareness.
Write a review. It takes a few minutes to say something about a product or service you enjoyed or benefited from. Seriously, do this. Don’t wait for them to ask you several times.
Educate yourself about the history of Anti-Asian violence. Google it. Find a 3-minute video on YouTube explaining it. Getting information is easier now than ever before.

If you’re able to spend a few bucks, here are a few local businesses you can buy from or visit:

Pepper Concierge

New Paltz, New York