“We have to fend for ourselves.”
Christina, a second-generation small business owner in San Jose, California, runs a 35-year-old custom clothing store specializing in Vietnamese and Chinese wedding and celebratory attire. Her business, which relies on trade with Vietnam and China, was hit hard by the Trump administration’s tariffs, forcing her to cut staff and even forgo her own pay to keep the shop running. She described the administration’s unpredictable trade policies as divisive and harmful, leaving small business owners like her to fend for themselves amid mounting challenges.