True, true. You know, I’ve never seen a black-run nail salon or doughnut shop. Oh, I’m sure they exist. Somewhere. But I haven’t seen one. Ever. My point, of course, is that Vietnamese are willing to work hard in low-margin, small businesses.
You have people who came here with little Education, fleeing Communism and appreciating the Freedoms that most American took for granted.
Entire Families worked in Donut Shops, Dry Cleaners, Sandwich Shops, Nail Salons, you name it. They sacrificed doing menial Labor, even those people who came here with an Education, so their Children would succeed. They pooled their Money and bought Homes, the American Dream. They took care of their own.
I worked at a Check Processing Center for a Major Bank. Most of the Proof Operators were Vietnamese kids, some in High School and some College Students. They showed up on time, never complained and respected their Parents and their Peers. They were Polite and they would never do anything to bring Shame upon their Families. Most were the first in their Families born in the United States.
Ever hear of thousands of Vietnamese American malcontents demonstrating because they think they are owed a Living by the White Man? Didn’t think so.
in 82/83, a Vietnamese nurse worked the night shift with me. When she got off, she went to the family restaurant to do prep, while her husband went to work.
He had already been up, and hit the wholesale markets for the fresh produce, and delivered it.
When the prep was done, THEN she went home and got some rest, before opening for the dinner trade. The husband came to the restaurant as soon as he was off work, until closing.
The kids helped before and after school.
Another one worked all the extra shifts she could get, and also had a side job. One morning, she was on the phone to her husband, and blew up: “You better get job quick! I’m not supporting you forever! You LAZY!” Asked by another nurse what the matter was, she said, “last week he graduated medical school, AND STILL NOT HAVE JOB! Uses excuse he’s interviewing for internships. WHOLE WEEK AND NO JOB! LAZY!!!”
That was in San Bernardino, and was a far cry from “work ethic” of the local denizens.
They exist, but government regulation makes it very hard to open a small urban business in a poor neighborhood. It’s hard enough to successfully run a business even with training.