Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the social inclusion and exclusion of a marginalized group, Korean food entrepreneurs in Berlin, Germany. How does the global crisis shape locally the integration and marginality of migrant food entrepreneurs?

Paper long abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost all parts of the society, but even harder marginalized population. This paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 on the social inclusion and exclusion of a marginalised group, Korean food entrepreneurs in Berlin, Germany. How does the global crisis shape locally the integration and marginality of migrant food entrepreneurs? From in-depth interviews with more than ten owners and employees of Korean restaurants in Berlin, this paper seeks to explore the consequences of the pandemic in 2020 to the Asian immigrants in Germany. They experience COVID-19 with uncertainty and economic losses, similar to other restaurant owners. However, anti-Asian discrimination and racism that became more visible and vulnerable with the pandemic set distinct conditions for them. To overcome the drawback of customers and income, some restaurants provide their food with limited options, such as take-out and delivery service. In some cases, the pandemic accelerates trust and solidarity among the restaurants and local customers. With the second wave of COVID-19 and general lockdown in November 2020, the situation is developing in a more critical stand than in the first wave. The unequal access to information and communication with the local authority, discrimination, interaction with the locals all shape various experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic.