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Asian Chambers of Commerce Merge to Serve Growing Population

May 11, 2012 5:03 pm by: Laura Rice

Austin’s Asian population is growing – and now it’s leading to some big changes for two organizations that support Asian businesses. Photo courtesy Greater Austin Chamber of CommerceAustin’s Asian population is growing – and now it’s leading to some big changes for two organizations that support Asian businesses. Photo courtesy Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce

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Austin’s population is more Asian than Texas as a whole – but it has a lower percentage of Asian-owned businesses.  That’s one reason two local chambers of Commerce are merging.

Today the Texas Asian Chamber of Commerce and the Austin Asian American Chamber of Commerce officially joined forces to form one group: the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce.

Board member Ying McGuire says the united chamber will offer help to Asian-Americans, immigrants and refugees.“This is a place for them to come whether it’s to look for a job, a career path or whether to seek advice for creating a company or expanding their corporation … and we hope to support them for years to come,” said McGuire.

The percentage of Austinites who describe themselves as Asian has gone up from 4.7 percent in the 2000 census to 6.3 percent in 2010.

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