What Will Be the Impact of New Immigration Policies in New York State?

Almost 80 years ago, working class communities in New York City, particularly Hispanic communities, were displaced and systematically targeted by urban planner Robert Moses for the construction of Lincoln Center, expressways, bridges, and parks.

History experts say many of the impacted communities were Puerto Rican, specifically many businesses that were destroyed, which had a long-term impact.

And so what happens is instead of mothers and fathers being able to pass down intergenerational wealth to their sons or daughters who carry on a small business, say a furniture store, say a pharmacy, you know, say even a bodega.

whatever the case may be, it's very difficult when your neighborhood has been wiped out.

And again, there were many Puerto Rican businesses in East Tremont.

They were mainly small businesses.

They were kind of startups.

But those were destroyed.

I think the displacement of Latino communities in New York City largely mapped onto broader patterns of urban renewal in New York City and across the United States, which affected a variety of minority and ethnic groups, especially people of working class or lower middle class position.

Today, many Hispanic businesses still face discrimination and obstacles while trying to run a successful enterprise facing economic and legal hardships.

Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the state dispersed more than $3 billion in payments to minority women-owned business enterprises, or MWBEs, and achieved a 31% utilization rate for the program.

However, many minority-owned businesses are not exactly seeing that profit.

Fabian Taylor, owner of C&T Distribution LLC, a wholesale food distribution company, has been a certified MBE for roughly 10 years.

The program, he says, however, hasn't been very successful in helping him with funds.

He says he has supported his business through his own savings and other private and public institutions.

I didn't spend a lot of time on the government side.

I'll be honest.

I did at one point and it almost cost me my business because we were going through like kind of a, you know, it was kind of a circular situation.

You know, it was, you know, you do one thing and then, you know, they say, okay, we need more.

Okay, do it.

Or we need more.

And the goalpost was being moved and moved and moved to the point by the time you know it, you kind of ignore your core.

Because again, you know, with limited people, back then I had like three or four people.

Yeah, there were four people, so that was it.

So it kind of almost cost me.

Almost 80 years ago, working class communities in New York City, particularly Hispanic communities, were displaced and systematically targeted by urban planner Robert Moses for the construction of Lincoln Center, expressways, bridges, and parks.

History experts say many of the impacted communities were Puerto Rican, specifically many businesses that were destroyed, which had a long-term impact.

And so what happens is instead of mothers and fathers being able to pass down intergenerational wealth to their sons or daughters who carry on a small business, say a furniture store, say a pharmacy, you know, say even a bodega.

whatever the case may be, it's very difficult when your neighborhood has been wiped out.

And again, there were many Puerto Rican businesses in East Tremont.

They were mainly small businesses.

They were kind of startups.

But those were destroyed.

I think the displacement of Latino communities in New York City largely mapped onto broader patterns of urban renewal in New York City and across the United States, which affected a variety of minority and ethnic groups, especially people of working class or lower middle class position.

Today, many Hispanic businesses still face discrimination and obstacles while trying to run a successful enterprise facing economic and legal hardships.

Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the state dispersed more than $3 billion in payments to minority women-owned business enterprises, or MWBEs, and achieved a 31% utilization rate for the program.

However, many minority-owned businesses are not exactly seeing that profit.

Fabian Taylor, owner of C&T Distribution LLC, a wholesale food distribution company, has been a certified MBE for roughly 10 years.

The program, he says, however, hasn't been very successful in helping him with funds.

He says he has supported his business through his own savings and other private and public institutions.

I didn't spend a lot of time on the government side.

I'll be honest.

I did at one point and it almost cost me my business because we were going through like kind of a, you know, it was kind of a circular situation.

You know, it was, you know, you do one thing and then, you know, they say, okay, we need more.

Okay, do it.

Or we need more.

And the goalpost was being moved and moved and moved to the point by the time you know it, you kind of ignore your core.

Because again, you know, with limited people, back then I had like three or four people.

Yeah, there were four people, so that was it.

So it kind of almost cost me.