A Japanese restaurant owner in Houston has filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination by the operators of the shopping mall where the business is located. Watanabe NYC, LLC and its owner, Ziming Shen, allege they were subjected to discriminatory treatment based on their Chinese race and ancestry by Main/O.S.T., Ltd. and Kimco Realty Corporation.
The lawsuit centers on claims that the defendants discriminated against Watanabe NYC, LLC, a Japanese restaurant operated by individuals of Chinese descent, and Shen in connection with the operation of the business. The plaintiffs allege they experienced repeated adverse actions by the defendants over an extended period. According to the complaint, these actions included towing a truck used for business operations because it displayed Chinese characters, while other tenants were allegedly permitted to park vehicles with signage without issue. The plaintiffs allege the conduct violated their contractual rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1981.
The complaint describes multiple incidents in which the plaintiffs’ business operations were allegedly disrupted. It states that an agent of the defendants, identified as Claudia Abraham, arranged for the towing of the plaintiffs’ truck due to signage containing Chinese characters. The plaintiffs also allege that their requests for permits to park the vehicle in a manner similar to other tenants were denied or not addressed. In addition, the complaint alleges that the defendants objected to facade signage containing Chinese characters and made complaints to health authorities that resulted in a temporary closure of the restaurant.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for alleged economic losses, punitive damages for claimed emotional distress, attorney’s fees, and other relief.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Enrico DeMarco of The DeMarco Law Firm PLLC. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Civil Action No. 2:25-cv-06772-NJC-ST.