#ExpectAsianVsReality: It'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're stereotyped as having jobs. Vietnamese nail salon jokes were a comedy goldmine for
Dat Phan and
Anjelah Johnson . But there'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'm watching Kim's Convenience on Netflix - a sitcom about a Korean-Canadian family, their store, and their complex lives. There's a son who's estranged from his dad, and a daughter who's an artist. It's set in Toronto. I am loving it. #ExpectAsianVsReality @SimuLiu