Press Release: 2020-07-13

MIRA virtual roundtable connects immigrant small businesses with Congressmen Kennedy and Moulton to discuss COVID-19 recovery needs

WHO:	Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), in partnership with Amplify Latinx, the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, and the Mass. Business Immigration Coalition; U.S. Rep. Joseph L. Kennedy III and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton; and immigrant small business owners
WHEN:	MONDAY, July 13, 3–4:15 pm
WHAT:	Virtual roundtable on COVID-19 economic recovery and small business needs
WHERE:	Zoom and Facebook Live; please register at bit.ly/mira713

One in five entrepreneurs in Mass. is an immigrant – but many are now struggling to survive. What will it take to recover successfully from the COVID-19 crisis and emerge stronger and more resilient? What do these businesses need from Congress in particular?

MIRA is proud to host this discussion with U.S. Rep. Joseph L. Kennedy III, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, Amplify Latinx, the Black Economic Council of Mass. (BECMA), and the Mass. Business Immigration Coalition, as well as immigrant small business owners from across our Commonwealth, with a special focus on Congressional Districts 4 and 6.

Along with the Congressmen, panelists will include Eva A. Millona, president and CEO of MIRA; Segun Idowu, executive director of BECMA, and Betty Francisco, co-founder of Amplify Latinx – but at least half the program will be devoted to an open conversation with business owners, with special attention to the needs of Black and brown immigrants and the crucial role of government, from the federal to the local level.

“Immigrant-owned businesses employ nearly 169,000 people in Massachusetts, generate $27.6 billion in annual sales, and play a particularly crucial role in Main Street economies,” Millona said. “They are enormous assets to our Commonwealth, yet without strong support to adapt to a drastically changed economy, many will not survive the COVID-19 crisis. Congress in particular has a key role to play – so we see this discussion as timely and urgently needed.”