The Asian American’s guide to surviving the tariffs
An unapologetically Asian American guide to economic resilience, cultural thrifting, and strategic panic-buying before import prices soar
Now's the time to stockpile your fave Asian snacks, condiments, and essentials.
Photo illustration by Ryan Quan
Words by Teresa Tran
Prices are rising. Tariffs are looming. And for Asian American households, that could mean anything from Korean sheet masks, to Japanese snacks, to Vietnamese-made clothes might get pricier or harder to find.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump’s administration proposed sweeping new tariffs on nearly all imported goods, many of which come from China, Korea, India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, including scheduled increases affecting more than 70 percent of U.S. imports. This move has sparked fresh anxiety about what might happen to the goods we rely on daily: many of the pantry staples like Lao Gan Ma, skincare essentials like K-beauty, tech accessories bought in bulk online, and everyday items that are mainstays in Asian American homes. While Trump’s massive tariffs are on pause, the tariffs that weren’t paused, such as a 10 percent levy on all Chinese goods, will still impact people’s everyday spending. With inflation already squeezing wallets and U.S.-Asia trade tensions escalating, this moment feels eerily familiar, especially for immigrant communities who’ve long adapted to economic uncertainty through stockpiling, side hustling, and stretching every dollar.
So we made this guide. Call it a survival manual, a cultural flex, or a soft launch into strategic panic-buying. From stocking up on Pocky and Shin Ramyun, to revisiting the thrifty traditions passed down from our parents and grandparents, this is an unapologetically Asian American approach to economic resilience during this time. Because let’s be real, before the government told anyone to "tighten their belts," our communities were already repurposing soup containers, buying rice by the 50-pound sack, and turning leftovers into next-day meal prep.
Asian American money-saving culture was built for moments like this. Here’s what to buy before tariffs bite, and how our Asian American parents’ budgeting wisdom might just be the ultimate recession hack.
@richmondforreal The price of 3 Ladies Jasmine Rice is not it rn 😭😭🫢🫢 #rice #asianfood #tariffs #tariffsandtaxes #fyp #asian #99ranch #groceries #recession ♬ original sound - myshayladaily
Stockpile the Asian essentials (before they triple in cost)
The U.S. government may call them “imports.” We call them “life.”
Korean skincare: From COSRX, to Laneige, to Etude House, K-beauty staples are likely to face significant price hikes as U.S.-Asia trade tensions rise. Snag your snail mucin, rice toners, and hydrogel eye patches while they're still under $20. Pro tip: YesStyle, Olive Young, and even Amazon (for now) are good for bulk buys.
Japanese snacks and pantry goods: Stock up on Pocky, Meiji chocolate, instant miso soup packets, and Japanese curry blocks. And don’t forget Kewpie mayo—it’s not just mayo, it’s umami.
Chinese ingredients: Oyster sauce, Lao Gan Ma chili crisp, dried shiitakes, rice noodles, and preserved duck eggs. These are staples that don’t expire quickly and could easily double in cost if tariffs deepen. Even if you don't cook often, future you will be grateful.
Tech and gaming: If you're planning to upgrade your gear, whether it's a Samsung tablet, an Asus laptop, or a new Nintendo Switch game, move quickly. Asia-based electronics companies are bracing for pricing disruptions, and accessories like styluses, adapters, and controller docks may get hit first.
Textiles and household goods: Think made-in-Vietnam sneakers, Japanese enamelware, Thai kitchen tools, or your favorite no-show socks from Uniqlo. These are the kinds of everyday items that will quietly balloon in price.
Channel your inner Asian auntie: The original recession influencer
Cultural thrifting is the unsung genius of the Asian American household. Before zero-waste trends hit TikTok, our parents were already innovating.
Tupperware? You mean leftover soup containers. That plastic tub your mom keeps soy-marinated eggs in? It once held leftover pho. Asian pantries are a graveyard of reused packaging, and we say: long live the plastic resurrection.
Free napkins > buying napkins. You don’t take napkins from fast food places, you collect them. Every takeout order is a supply chain opportunity.
Plastic bags within plastic bags. Under the sink? A shrine of crinkly, colorful bags from 99 Ranch or H Mart, folded like origami. They're garbage liners, lunch sacks, shoe covers, whatever inflation-proof utility you need today.
Repurpose everything. Glass jars become vases. Old rice bags become laundry totes. That cracked rice cooker inner pot? A basin for washing greens.
Leftovers as life philosophy. A third of your fridge is mystery containers and sauces with labels in two or three different languages. But that’s not waste. That’s lunch tomorrow and the next day.
Community-sourced resilience
Recession anxiety loves isolation. Asian American culture fights back with collectivism.
Multi-generational housing? Already got it. Living with parents or relatives isn't just a cultural norm, it’s an economic strategy. The overhead is lower, child care and elder care are shared, and there’s always rice ready.
Rotating groceries. Aunties trading mangoes, uncles splitting bulk seafood, and cousins driving to three different Asian markets for the cheapest eggs. Consider starting a neighborhood “Asian Costco Collective.”
Group buys are en vogue. Whether it’s a 50-pound bag of rice or skincare drop shipped from Seoul, AA+PI folks know the economics of volume. Don’t be afraid to organize a group chat with your cousins for a bulk order. That’s real mutual aid.
Shift your mindset: We’ve survived worse
@annynantha Anyone else run out to stock up on Asian dry goods!?! This store was out of my soy sauce so have to go search later. I can’t imagine how much prices in Asian restaurant will go up too. Time to learn how to cook more food! #fyp #foryou #foodie #foryoupage #asianfood #tariffs ♬ Sauce - Naïka
Economic hardship isn’t new to immigrant families. Many of us come from lineages in which survival meant doing more with less—less certainty, less institutional support, and less stability. That inherited scrappiness is a competitive advantage.
This guide isn’t just about what to stock up on before prices spike. It’s a reminder that the thrifty, resourceful habits many Asian American families have practiced for generations, reusing containers, buying in bulk, and making every ingredient stretch, are more than cultural quirks. They’re a time-tested blueprint for economic resilience.
Let’s be clear: Asian American financial resilience isn’t just about saving money. It’s about maintaining a connection to our families, our food, and our roots, even when everything else feels uncertain. It’s the quiet power of interdependence in a culture that worships individualism.
Whether you're navigating tariff-driven price hikes, prepping for supply chain hiccups, or just trying to stretch your dollar further, leaning into these traditions might be the smartest move yet. And if you're wondering whether you need a third jar of chili crisp? Yes. Yes, you do. After all, survival has always been in the sauce.
Published on May 27, 2025
Words by Teresa Tran
Teresa Tran (she/her) is an American-born Vietnamese writer and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, with a background in theater and community organizing. She has a B.A. in English and Women’s Studies and a B.S.Ed in English Education from the University of Georgia and studied British Literature at the University of Oxford. She is currently writing and directing her own short films and working on her debut novel. You can find her on Twitter at @teresatran__.
Art by Ryan Quan
Ryan Quan is the Social Media Editor for JoySauce. This queer, half-Chinese, half-Filipino writer and graphic designer loves everything related to music, creative nonfiction, and art. Based in Brooklyn, he spends most of his time dancing to hyperpop and accidentally falling asleep on the subway. Follow him on Instagram at @ryanquans.