23 Jan 2025

6 Immigrant-Owned Businesses Making America Great

6 Immigrant-Owned Businesses Making America Great
Shoutout to these 1st and 2nd generation immigrants that care about more than just themselves.

They’re keeping the door open behind them for others coming up. That’s what’s GREAT!

1. Aleppo Sweets • Providence, RI

Syrian refugee Youssef Akhtarini started making baklava in Aleppo at 15 & he’s still going. Starting life over in America in 2016, his bakery, sweet shop and cafe now hires other refugees to help them get started too!

Youssef Akhtarini, Aleppo Sweets

Youssef Akhtarini, Aleppo Sweets

2. Rooted Fare • Los Angeles, CA

2nd generation Chinese-Americans Ashley Xie and Hedy Yu create new food products with a nostalgic take on traditional Chinese flavors. They also give back to AAPI women causes like the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum and AAPI public arts programs like the Tuesday Night Project!

Ashley Xie & Hedy Yu, Rooted Fare

Ashley Xie & Hedy Yu, Rooted Fare

3. The Migrant Kitchen • New York City, NY

Palestinian-American Nasser Jaber and Mexican-American Dan Dorado’s menu pays homage to their cultural culinary roots in the Middle East and Latin America. Continuing the work they started during COVID feeding frontline workers, every meal purchased now helps to feed NYC’s food insecure community!

Dan Dorado & Nasser Jaber, The Migrant Kitchen

Dan Dorado & Nasser Jaber, The Migrant Kitchen

4. Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen • Troy, NY

Korean-Americans Sun Hwa Choi & Chun Hee Kim started a restaurant and farm business, and found a way to use food to help their community. Their Sunhee’s Community Place non-profit provides English lessons and computer education to local refugee and immigrant adults!

Sun Hwa Choi & Chun Hee Kim, Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen

Sun Hwa Choi & Chun Hee Kim, Sunhee’s Farm and Kitchen

5. Cafe Racer • Minneapolis, MN

Colombian-American Luis Patiño also donated meals to his community during COVID. His tradition of serving others now continues with monthly Free Community Meal days, where he and his wife Christine will serve anyone a free meal no questions asked!

Luis & Christine Patiño, Cafe Racer

Luis & Christine Patiño, Cafe Racer

6. Havenly • New Haven, CT

Refugees resettled to the US are expected to find a job and get off cash assistance in 90 days. 4 out of 5 refugees who accept a survival job are still in them five years later.

Caterina Passoni, from Italy, and Nieda Abbas, from Bagdhad believed there’s a better way. They founded the cafe in 2018 to provide job training, education, and community to refugee and immigrant women. Over 100 women have graduated from their program to new careers in food, childcare, healthcare and even opening their own small businesses!

Caterina Passoni & Nieda Abbas, Havenly

Caterina Passoni & Nieda Abbas, Havenly

Know of any more like these? Suggest them to us to get listed!