ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WILL BENEFIT FROM EXPANSION OF MINORITY BUSINESS PROGRAM
This week the Chicago City Council passed an expansion of the affirmative action program for minority and female owned construction firms. The percentage will be increased to 26 percent for minority owned firms, and 6 percent for female owned firms, per the Chicago Sun-Times. Asian Americans are among those eligible for contracts set aside for minority owned businesses.
“Asian Americans fought long and hard since 2003 to be covered by the minority business program, a successful effort that yields benefits for our community to this day,” said Tuyet Le, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. “While we would have preferred proposals that secured 30 percent of contracts for minority owned businesses, the 26 percent approved by the City Council will go a long way towards securing economic opportunity for communities of color across Chicago, including Asian Americans.”
Asian Americans were originally excluded from the set-aside for minority-owned businesses passed in 2003. Advancing Justice | Chicago organized community business leaders, and re-established Asian Americans as part of the program in 2007. According to the US Census, as of 2012 there were 23,333 Asian American owned businesses in Chicago, including 370 construction firms.
More:
Report from the Chicago Sun-Times
Press release from Mayor Rahm Emanuel