Coming to New York from Korea in 1980 meant chasing one simple dream – to build something of my own. Like so many immigrants, our belief was that with hard work, fairness, and a commitment to community, a better life could be achievable in America.

More than four decades later, that dream still lives on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. My shop, Four Seasons Uniform, has outfitted thousands of New Yorkers – nurses from Elmhurst Hospital, restaurant workers, custodians, and home health aides. Jackson Heights has always been a place where newcomers take their first steps toward the American Dream. But lately, it feels like the city that once made those dreams possible is slowly pushing small business owners out.

The latest blow is car insurance.

Every small business in New York depends

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