Why are most of the nail salons owned and operated by Vietnamese?

It's fairly simple. When a person immigrates to the US, they are most likely to stay with family members who are already here. If there are no family members, then they'll stay with others from their country of origin. Social capital is key to success. Who you know determines what you do. They get here, they need a job. The best way to get a job is through recommendations from the people you know. Most people recommend the job they already have. At some in history, an Indian got a 7-11, or a Dunkin Donuts (or, in NJ, a gas station), and then as more people came, they hired them, and as people worked in these businesses, they learned them, and when they developed enough capital, they bought them. So, pick an ethnicity, and this will be the story. Koreans running vegetable stands in NYC. Indians in convenience stores, gas stations, or donut stores. Vietnamese running nail salons.  more