Thread by @InsideEdition

The #YearOfTheOx begins with the #ChineseNewYear on Friday, but for many Asian Americans, this year’s holiday is marked by anxiety and unease, a stark contrast to the usually hopeful attitudes for luck and prosperity. 🧧🧵 by @johannacli:
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1/ Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began, for business owners in Chinatown, life has been harder than ever.
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2/ “We’re trying to be as hopeful as we can because that’s what the New Year is – having hope that the new year will be better. But realistically, the next three or four months will be very tough for us.” – Patrick Mock, manager of 46 Mott Bakery in NYC
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3/ Despite NY Gov. Cuomo allowing indoor dining to resume Feb. 12 – just in time for #LunarNewYear, as well as #ValentinesDay – many Chinatown shops remain pessimistic that business will return before the summer. ietv.co/3jH3tBV

4/ Mock said business has been incredibly tough for his shop, a small Cantonese bakery specializing in cheap staples in Cantonese cuisine that has seen a drop-in business by nearly 60%.
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5/ Despite his own struggles, Mock started handing out free meals to neighbors in need. Soon, supporters jumped in, including a generous donor who paid for 100 meals per day for 10 days straight. Eventually 100 meals a day became 150 to 200 meals a day.
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6/ This support is vital because life has been tough in Chinatowns across the country ever since the coronavirus began making headlines. NYC’s saw a 75% decrease in revenue in late January 2020, right around the time of last year’s Lunar New Year.
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7/ Businesses in Chinatowns rely on new year revenue; when that didn’t come, nor did the boost in business they normally see over the summer from tourism and foot traffic, winter became harder – especially when projecting another quiet holiday.
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8/ Additionally, nearly 1/4 of Asian Americans are employed in hospitality, which is seeing a 40% unemployment rate in the pandemic; as a result, Asian American unemployment reached 15% last year.
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9/ And, daily life for Asians around the country remains very difficult as the pandemic continues.
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10/ Last month, a 91-year-old man in Oakland’s Chinatown made headlines after being brutally attacked by a hooded suspect who violently shoved him to the ground from behind. 
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11/ In New York in the past year, there were 24 reported incidents in which Asian Americans were targeted, including an 89-year-old woman who was set ablaze in Brooklyn.
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12/ Asian Americans are also some of the hardest hit when it comes to health impacts of COVID-19, accounting for 52% of deaths from coronavirus complications in San Francisco, despite only accounting for 13.7% of cases.
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13/ Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit group that provides mental health support via text message, has also reported a 39% increase in Asian American callers.
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For @johannacli’s full story With Lunar New Year Afoot, Chinatown Businesses' Optimism Wanes After Enduring Year of Racism, Pandemic Stress: ietv.co/3jH3tBV #LunarNewYear #ChineseNewYear #YearOfTheOx