Harnessing Social Capital for Post-COVID-19 Resilience: A Study of Asian Businesses in New York City

Prior studies have explored how Asian businesses leverage social capital for success, but little attention has been given to its role in disaster recovery. This study addresses this gap by highlighting social capital’s impact on recovery strategies. Twenty-three business interviews were conducted in Chinatown, Manhattan, NYC, and the research unveils that ethnic social capital, including co-ethnic labor, secured market access, in-kind support, and information sharing, constitutes instrumental resources for their recovery. Moreover, it is linked to the intersecting identities—immigrant, minority, and Asian. These findings underscore the importance of comprehending ethnic social capital to foster both business resilience and local economic recovery.