Latino-owned businesses in Omaha during COVID-19: vulnerability, support, and structural inequality

This study presents an exploratory analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latino-owned businesses in Omaha, Nebraska. Drawing on survey data from 121 Latino business owners and 11 interviews with Latina heads of households, the study reveals the compounded challenges faced by this community, including limited access to aid, structural vulnerabilities, and a lack of governmental support. Using a mixed-methods approach and informed by social capital theory and structural inequality frameworks, the analysis highlights the gendered and industry-specific disparities in perceived business impacts and recovery trajectories. Findings indicate that women business owners in high-contact sectors were disproportionately affected. Informal community networks, rather than formal institutions, were central in disseminating information and support. By focusing on Omaha, a midsize, underserved Midwestern city, this study contributes to understanding how place-based inequalities shape crisis experiences for minority-owned enterprises.