This story was reported for IVNSanDiego.org in August 2020.
Allen Chan is a fixture in the Convoy District. In fact, it would be difficult to tell any story about this Pan-Asian community without talking to Chan, a judicious figure who stands out among the hundreds of business owners in the area.
Chan is the owner of Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, one of the oldest and largest Asian-owned eateries in San Diego. Before the mid-March stay-at-home order, the restaurant was packed with customers eager to enjoy a Hong Kong-style dim sum lunch or hundreds of wedding guests ready for a traditional 10-course Chinese banquet.
Chan and the rest of the Convoy business district were set for a breakout year in 2020, but the world changed.
Chan can no longer hop from table-to-table greeting his dine-in guests or support a crew of 50 employees by his side. Only about 10 employees now pack hot meals for take-out customers at Jasmine Express, a separate fast-food-style eatery next door. Restaurant revenues have plunged by 80 percent.
“It’s been devastating because so many people depend on the restaurant being open,” said Chan, who’s often referred to as Dr. Chan because he’s a chiropractor by trade. “The sooner we all follow health orders, the sooner we’ll see cases go down, and the sooner restaurants can fully reopen. It’s very simple.”
People of Asian descent own roughly 20 percent of the businesses in the Convoy District. Countywide, there are more than 30,000 Asian-owned businesses that generate more than $4 billion in annual gross sales, according to the Asian Business Association.
But, Convoy District businesses aren’t just facing economic challenges. They must also confront a growing stigmatism against Asian Americans, a group making up 12 percent of the San Diego County population.
Read the full story at IVNSanDiego.org.