BY GREGORY MAHDESIAN
“We’re Armenians!” my three-year-old daughter Arminé informs me as we visit our new neighborhood Armenian market. She is scooping up apricot preserves while I stock up on spices and herbs that remind me of my grandmother’s recipes. These neighborhood shops do more than just sell food and imported goods—they maintain our diaspora’s cultural heartbeat. They help my little girl connect to her heritage. And now, I am deeply worried. As November’s election looms, a second Trump presidency endangers these vital community anchors.
Armenian-Americans face a real and immediate threat: our family businesses’ survival under Trump’s promised tariffs. We Armenian-Americans are an entrepreneurial people. I am a businessman who owns and operates a large, national janitorial and environmental services company. Many of us own companies that trade in things like medical supplies, automotive repair, construction and real estate, restaurants, and import businesses. We represent the backbone of the American economy. Trump’s tariffs would absolutely devastate these industries, including the cherished cultural marketplaces that preserve our heritage.
Despite Trump’s claims, tariffs function as a tax on American businesses and consumers, not foreign countries. My company’s supplies division relies on products from abroad—from cleaning equipment to safety gear. With our fixed-price contracts, we would bear these cost increases entirely, slashing our margins and potentially forcing layoffs.The damage would cascade through our community.
Restaurant owners, already operating on razor-thin margins, would watch their imported ingredient costs soar. Over half our produce is imported; tariffs would drive up both foreign and domestic food prices. Construction firms would face skyrocketing material costs. Auto repair shops would struggle even more to source affordable parts. And those beloved specialty markets? Many would close, unable to absorb the new taxes on imported goods. It would become much harder for my daughter to taste the flavors of her ancestors.
Many of my fellow business friends dismiss Trump’s threats of tariffs, thinking he wouldn’t actually impose them on us, given his background in business.
I say we take him at his word. He made it the centerpiece of his economic argument in 2024. He selected JD Vance to be his vice president, who is ideologically committed to tariffs and protectionism. Furthermore, the president can unilaterally impose tariffs. We have no reason to doubt this will be one of his first acts in his second administration.
By contrast, Vice President Harris offers concrete solutions for businesses like ours. She’s proposing to increase the tax deduction for startup expenses from $5,000 to $50,000—a game-changing boost for new Armenian-American entrepreneurs opening businesses. Her administration would establish a small business expansion fund providing low or no-interest loans through community banks, helping our businesses grow without crushing debt. For established businesses, she’s committed to directing one-third of federal contract dollars to small businesses—an opportunity for Armenian-American companies to expand their operations.
Her plan also addresses common frustrations in our community. The proposed standard tax deduction for small businesses would save time and money on complex filing requirements. The streamlining of occupational licensing across states would help our professionals expand their practices. These aren’t vague promises; they’re specific policies designed to help businesses like ours thrive.
We live in divided, partisan times. Each side presents the other as an existential threat. The Armenian-American community is divided as well. However, if, like me, you’re concerned about your family’s economic future and your children’s ability to uphold their proud Armenian-American identity, we need a President who understands the diaspora experience and how communities like ours strengthen our nation’s economy. We need Kamala Harris.
Gregory Mahdesian is the owner and Director of Corporate Affairs at Servicon, one of the nation’s largest commercial cleaning, environmental services, and facilities maintenance companies, and serves as the co-chair of Armenian-Americans for Harris-Walz.
