I had coffee yesterday with a Vietnamese man who is here visiting from Houston. He was one of the many Vietnamese who emmigrated from Vietnam in the 1990's in hopes of a better life in the United States. We talked about many things: his life in Houston, his return to Vietnam after 15 years away, & of course, Vietnamese nail salons in the US. This article says that by 2007 the Vietnamese had cornered nearly 45% of the nail salon market in the US. My new friend said that his sister runs a nail salon in Houston, so I just had to ask him why so many Vietnamese are nail technicians in the United States.He said that the Vietnamese initially go into the nail business because it is a fast, easy way to make money. Getting a nail tech license is apparently a cinch, & you don't need a lot of capital to start your own business. Plus, you don't need to know much English to be successful. The Vietnamese nail techs can save a lot of money over a short period of time & soon open their own businesses where they then contract other Vietnamese techs on commission.
After the first group of Vietnamese nail techs establish their businesses, their friends & family also start immigrating to the US, where they have a stable, well-paying job waiting for them. For those that don't speak English, it's the easiest way to start their American life because they can work with other Vietnamese-speaking people. They just do what their friends & family do.
What an enlightening cup of coffee!
