Why are nail salons so specific to Vietnamese people?

[Anonymous]

I never see a Korean-owned or Chinese-owned nail salon. It’s always Vietnamese people. Why is it so specific to them? There’s no law prohibiting other Asian races from opening nail shops, so why is it always Vietnamese people?

[Curmudgeon]

I grew up in an area with a large refugee immigrant population. There IS a fascinating backstory to this phenomenon:

https://matadornetwork.com/life/why-vietnamese-americans-rule-the-nail-salon-scene/

https://nextshark.com/tippi-hedren-vietnamese-nail-salon/

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/19/724452398/how-vietnamese-americans-took-over-the-nails-business-a-documentary

So, to sum up:
1. That lady from "The Birds", Melanie Griffith's mom and Dakota Johnson's grandmother, helped out the first wave of refugees, and
2. It is a ready made family enterprise, relatives will work for less than outsiders, and
3. It is flexible self employed and even possibly part time work

[ChrisMaster69]

I have never actually seen an Asian nail bar owned by Korean, Chinese or Vietnamese or any really.
usually white or black.

[pandyponde]

nice racism there.
The ones I've known of have been chinese owned, and even white British owned...

[Flower7]

Maybe it's a part of their culture or they are trained for it in their country.

[flexin-on-yuu]

Not sure what you’re talking about? Most are white or black owned

[Curmudgeon]

Really? I know what she is talking about, in California anyway.

[Asker]

@Curmudgeon 40% of nail salons in the U. S. are owned by Vietnamese people.

In California, approximately 59-80% of nail technicians are of Vietnamese descent

[Curmudgeon]

@Asker I know, I live here, and grew up in what was then known as "New Saigon".

[Tamera952]

Maybe you should get out more.