Josephine Tan, head of the Asian American Commission for a New Georgia, accepted a proclamation from Gov. Sonny Perdue on May 17 in recognition of Asian American Heritage Month. Photo by Leigh Miller.

Asian American-owned businesses are increasing in Georgia, following a national trend, said Josephine Tan, head of the Asian American Commission for a New Georgia, during a celebration of Asian American Heritage Month May 17 at the capitol.

“There are 317 Asian-based companies in Georgia, but the number of businesses owned by Asian Americans here is in the thousands,” Ms. Tan told GlobalAtlanta during the event in which Gov. Sonny Perdue acknowledged the contributions of Asian Americans to Georgia’s economy.

Korea-Southeast U.S. Chamber of Commerce President John Lee said there are some 6,000 businesses in Georgia owned by Korean-Americans alone.

The growth of Georgia’s Asian American-owned businesses reflects a national trend depicted in two recent reports to President Bush from the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the Interagency Working Group on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The reports showed that there were 1.1 million Asian American-owned businesses in the United States in 2002, an increase of 24 percent from 1997. This rate of increase was twice the national average for all businesses.  

The reports also showed that unemployment for Asian Americans is at 3.3 percent compared to 4.5 percent for the national average.

“Your community demonstrates the power of the American dream for those who work hard,” Mr. Perdue said to representatives of some 30 Asian organizations who attended Asian American Heritage Day at the capitol, representing some 500,000 Asian Americans residing in Georgia.

“I look at all of you as part of our economic development team,” he added, referring to Asian Americans’ efforts to support the activities of the Georgia Department of Economic Development to attract foreign investment to the state.

He credited the Asian community with helping to draw recent Asian investment such as Korean automaker Kia Motors Corp., Japanese manufacturer Toyo Tires, Korean firm LG Chemicals and Chinese manufacturer General Protecht Group.

Mr. Perdue and various Asian leaders from Georgia will make a business mission to Japan, Korea and China in the fall. During the trip, they will visit Georgia’s newest overseas office in Beijing, scheduled to open this year.

Georgia has three offices in Asia, in Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo.