There’s an economic cost to racism as business owners reduce hours, shell out for security in the wake of the Atlanta shootings
To San Antonio restaurateur Mike Nguyen, the threat was clear. Alongside the racist graffiti covering the windows of his ramen shop — “Kung flu,” “Commie,” “Ramen noodle flu” — were these words, spray-painted in red: “Hope u die.”
Shock and hurt turned to rage, then fear. After Nguyen reported the vandalism to local law enforcement and the FBI, police agreed to step up drive-by patrols. But he and his employees would be left largely on their own.
Since the March 14 incident, the threats to Nguyen’s life and business have escalated. Last week, someone wrote “hope it burns down” on the Instagram account for his restaurant, Noodle Tree. An anonymous man phoned the restaurant, reciting Nguyen’s home address with a warning: “We’re coming for you.”
