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The Keyword

Supporting Asian-owned businesses in your community

The owner of Asian-owned dance school, Bollypop, is standing, smiling towards the camera. She is extending her right arm and hand outward toward the camera in a dance pose. She is in red, traditional dress from Delhi, India. Her friend is behind her in th
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When I was 5, our family moved from New York City to the countryside outside of the city. My brother and I were the only kids of Asian descent in our elementary school. Our father was born in Yamaguchi, Japan to a Japanese mother and American father, and I always felt proud of that — but in this new environment, I instantly felt different.

These early experiences showed me just how important it is to show up for and with communities. Over the past two years, COVID-related small business closures and targeted acts of violence have reinforced the importance and impact of allyship — and have underscored how critical it is to support historically marginalized communities, including our Asian community. That’s why we’re announcing a new way to help Asian-owned businesses thrive.

Celebrating Asian-owned businesses

Starting today, US businesses can now add the Asian-owned attribute to their Business Profile on Search and Maps. In the coming weeks, ad-supported publishers will be able to identify as Asian-owned in Display & Video 360’s Marketplace, too.

A screenshot of East West Shop on Google Maps, showcasing the business identifies as Asian-owned, LGBTQ+ Friendly, and women-owned.

Businesses can opt in to adopt the attribute on their Business Profile and can easily opt out at any time. Once the attribute appears on a Business Profile, users will also be able to see the attribute. This update builds on the Black-owned, Latino-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned and LGBTQ+ owned business attributes, and is another way people can support a diversity of businesses across Google’s products and platforms.

As we were building this feature, we worked with hundreds of Asian-owned businesses to ensure the attribute celebrates our diverse and unique cultures. During that process, I was particularly struck by what Dennys Han, owner of East West Shop, shared with us about the power of community: “If someone is trying to accomplish something, the entire local Korean community will band together to help it come together. The idea of the community and group as a whole uplifting each other is fundamental to what we do.”

Building up Asian-owned businesses’ digital skills

Over the past few years, Grow with Google has partnered with the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) to help Asian-owned small businesses grow. To date, we’ve helped more than 20,000 Asian-owned businesses expand their digital skills through workshops focusing on topics like e-commerce tools, design thinking for entrepreneurs and making decisions using analytics.

Today, we’re building upon that partnership. Together, USPAACC and Grow with Google will help an additional 10,000 Asian-owned small businesses gain digital skills to help them grow their businesses. And as the internet continues to grow in importance for shopping, nearly one quarter of Asian-owned business owners said their most important channel towards building community and financial support was across social media and online.

It’s our hope the Asian-owned attribute brings people together and provides our communities with much-needed recognition: to help them be seen and thrive. We are excited to spotlight Asian-owned businesses and highlight part of what makes our community unique and important.

A collage of 6 Asian-owned businesses, 3 on the top and 3 on the bottom with the Asian-owned attribute icon in the middle, a circular design with a red and yellow intertwining flower at its’ core. The top row of 3 (from left to right) include: pottery cups and plates on a table with Tortoise General Store owner holding 2 small dishes in the background, Good Hause Marketing Agency Business owner working, holding a marketing design poster board, and 3 t-shirts (black, pink, and white) hanging in East / West Shop. The bottom row of 3 (from left to right) include: the owner of Bollypop in red traditional dress from India twirling, the storefront of Jitlada restaurant, and the owner of Peru Films facing towards the right, looking down, and crossing his arms.

Top left to right:

Tortoise General Store, Owned by Taku and Keiko Shinomoto

Good Hause, Owned by Brittany Tran

East / West Shop, Owned by Dennys Han

Bottom left to right:

Bollypop, Owned by Aakansha Maheshwari

Jitlada, Owned by Sugar Sungkamee

Peru Films, Owned by Tanmay Chowdhary