'We've been hit so hard:' Chinatown businesses struggling to stay afloat during outbreak

SEATTLE — Eric Chan’s family owns Jade Garden in Chinatown, one of the few businesses still open at the corner of 7th Avenue South and King St. They’ve been dealing with a lot more than lost profits after COVID-19.

“Sometimes some people walk by and open up the doors they shout mean things at us like, 'hey you brought the virus here and you guys are selling cats and bats here,'" Chan said.

To add insult to injury, Chan said their restaurant’s window got smashed last month. Investigators said it is unclear if it was racially motivated.

“Let’s just say before COVID this never happened,” Chan said.

Right now, nearly 90 percent of the restaurants and stores in the International District, which includes Chinatown, Japan Town and Little Saigon, are closed. Even if most re- open after Governor Jay Inslee’s “Stay At Home, Stay Safe,” order, Chan does not believe it will ever be business as usual.

“Because we’ve been hit so hard,” Chan said.

Assunta Ng is the publisher of two weekly newspapers serving Washington’s Asian community. She said the recovery could take longer here because of all the challenges immigrant owners are facing.

“ Language is a challenge because they might not be able to file unemployment forms. And they don’t know how to get resources,” Ng said.

And there are already concerns if businesses close for good, the area’s identity could change forever. Keoke Silvano is a concerned Chinatown resident.

“Gentrification is a concern. Someone with deeper pockets could come in and take over these businesses,” Silvano said.

Silvano is trying to be part of the solution. A few days after the vandalism at Jade Garden, he grabbed some artists and turned the wooden boards covering the broken window into signs of hope. And he’s also trying to help business owners access more loans and resources, so they can make a comeback.

“I’m just trying to get the word out,” Silvano said.

The Chinatown-ID Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA), Seattle Chinatown-International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda), and Friends of Little Saigon (FLS) are managing the C-ID Restaurants and Other Small Business Relief Fund.

The business coalition raised a total of $157,000, which includes a $100,000 donation from Vulcan.

This week, members are working with 90 restaurants to give them $1,500 checks, for temporary relief during this COVID-19 pandemic.