wegg® celebrates APIDA Heritage Month

Happy Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month from your friends at wegg®! The month of May as APIDA heritage month has been federally recognized since 1992. May is the chosen month of celebration as it “commemorate[s] the immigration of the first Japanese [people] to the United States on May 7, 1843.” May 10 also marks the anniversary of the transcontinental railroad’s completion in 1869, wherein the majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

wegg is fiercely committed to uplifting women-owned businesses across the country, and it has been widely reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting negative effect on AAPI business in the U.S. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council has collected the following data regarding the state of AAPI businesses in our country…

• “Prior to the pandemic, AAPI purchasing power was estimated to be $1.3 trillion in 2020 and AAPI-owned business generated $744 billion in income in 2019. Source.
• The number of AAPI-owned businesses decreased 20% from February to December 2020. Source.
• Over 80% of AAPI business owners report COVID-19 has negatively impacted their business. Source.
• In the five years prior to the pandemic, Asian American women-owned businesses grew by 37% to make up 9% of the total women-owned businesses in America in 2019. Source.
• Although AAPI women entrepreneurs have grown significantly in the recent past, the negative impacts of the pandemic affect these women at a higher rate than male-owned and non-minority-owned counterparts. Source.”

It is crucial every month of the year to empower and support APIDA women and their businesses. Please join us in exploring the following sites to further honor this important month:

• The Library of Congress has compiled a collection of educational resources and information to help citizens observe the history of APIDA people and celebrate their culture.
• The YMCA has also chronicled “AAPI-Owned Businesses and Organizations to Support,”  and The Today Show created a list of 11 AAPI women-owned food companies you need to know about.