#ExpectAsianVsReality: It& #39;s common knowledge that South & East Asian immigrants own a good portion of convenience stores. At the one by my middle school I bought candy daily from a nice Korean man who did all the math in his head. And I grew up with Apu from the Simpsons.(thread)

On the surface, the corner store/service trade stereotype is not the worst. At least we& #39;re stereotyped as having jobs. Vietnamese nail salon jokes were a comedy goldmine for
Dat Phan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKf4Omcdw8g">https://www.youtube.com/watch... and
Anjelah Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG1myqu4CbA.">https://www.youtube.com/watch... But there& #39;s more to it.

These businesses have obvious appeal to immigrants with limited English, low skills, and/or unrecognized credentials. They demand extensive labor that the whole family can help with. Many of the stores are bought from white owners abandoning a toilsome, low-profit business.

In my hometown of Toronto, "all" gas stations were owned by South Asians, and convenience stores by Koreans. Maybe your city has different trends. But I get where the stereotype comes from: Immigrant communities share business tips and hire their friends so they can survive.

Lately I& #39;m watching Kim& #39;s Convenience on Netflix - a sitcom about a Korean-Canadian family, their store, and their complex lives. There& #39;s a son who& #39;s estranged from his dad, and a daughter who& #39;s an artist. It& #39;s set in Toronto. I am loving it. #ExpectAsianVsReality @SimuLiu