Immigrant Business Owners in NYC Sue Mayor Over Grocery Store Plans
A group of immigrant business owners in New York City is taking legal action against Mayor Zohran Mamdani. They argue that his plan for government-run grocery stores will severely harm their businesses, particularly the bodega owners who have long been a staple of the community.
The Multicultural Business Coalition (MBC), which represents a significant number of these immigrant-owned enterprises, filed two lawsuits on Monday. This occurred just as the Mamdani administration revealed plans to launch the first government-operated grocery store early next year.
Ken Roldan, president of MBC, criticized the mayor harshly, representing businesses that he claims have faced historical discrimination. He called the initiative “a direct assault on minority business by a mayor who claims to champion disenfranchised poor and working-class New Yorkers,” according to reports.
One of the lawsuits compares the establishment of government-owned grocery stores to a proposal for a Walmart in the city, which critics suggested would threaten local shops.
The MBC’s legal claim states that city officials did not adequately analyze the potential discriminatory impacts on local businesses resulting from government-backed grocery stores. They are asking the courts to require the city to conduct a feasibility study regarding the mayor’s initiative.
The suit points out that there’s no apparent evidence that sufficient studies or serious evaluations have been done before selecting sites for these stores.
Frank Garcia, chairman of MBC, reflected on his family’s history in the business, stating his grandfather opened one of the first bodegas during a challenging time in East Harlem. Garcia mentioned that his grandfather was a founding member of the first Latino Grocery Association, aiming to protect immigrant store owners’ rights. He expressed pride in continuing this legacy and criticized the mayor’s actions as disrespectful to his grandfather’s memory.
Jairo Guzman, president of the New York State Mexican Chamber of Commerce, urged the mayor to retract his plan and collaborate with community members to find better approaches to support the thriving immigrant businesses in New York City.
Guzman emphasized the historical significance of bodegas, noting that Puerto Ricans were the pioneers, followed by waves of immigrants from various backgrounds, including Dominicans, Arabs, Koreans, Chinese, and Mexicans.
