The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is preparing to debate a countywide proposal that once again unfairly targets local restaurants and immigrant business owners — piling new, unnecessary burdens on more than 1,600 small businesses already struggling to survive.
I know how damaging it can be when new regulations target one industry while leaving others untouched. It’s especially disheartening because the majority of owners are immigrants who already live with the daily fear of raids and growing hostility toward our communities. As someone who’s lived the journey from dishwasher to business owner, I’m urging the board to recognize that further targeting local restaurants is unjustified, and to reject this proposal.
My story is not unusual for immigrants in the 1980s, but it is significant. More than 30 years ago, I moved to the United States with nothing more than a dream to build a life. I knew it would be hard work, but I also knew I had the fortitude and discipline to make it happen. I started washing dishes at Taco Bell and worked my way up to general manager. After 16 years of saving, I was finally able to buy a restaurant of my own…