The British government has issued guidelines to owners of Indian and Chinese restaurants on reporting racist attacks against them and their establishments.
Owners of small businesses across Hampshire say they have been threatened by thugs armed with pieces of broken glass and had windows smashed with an air rifle.
At a seminar here they received advice on how to deal with the attacks, including how to report them.
Said Hugh Marriage, Home Office director for the southeast who co-funded the project: "There is a feeling that you can get away with it more if you attack an Indian or Chinese business.
"The offenders think that owners who belong to ethnic minority groups will not report the crimes to the police.
"I am very anxious that these businesses and the communities that support them do not feel isolated and that they get the help and support they need."
Last year Ricky Tang, who owns Sunshine Valley Chinese takeaway in Marchwood, had one of his windows smashed. The vandal then picked up a piece of broken glass and tried to attack Tang.
In February, the window of a Chinese takeaway in Woolston shattered after a pellet fired from an air rifle hit it.
{{/usCountry}}In February, the window of a Chinese takeaway in Woolston shattered after a pellet fired from an air rifle hit it.
{{/usCountry}}Said the owner Lin Ching Li: "We reported the incident to the police, but no one was caught.
I think there are places being targeted simply because they belong to foreign people.
"We need more information about these kind of crimes and to learn how to work together with the police."