Not long ago, a relative of mine was referred to see a specialist by her regular specialist doctor for a second opinion. The doctor who referred my relative to the specialist was just an adequate doctor with a bedside manner that left a lot to be desired.

After seeing the new specialist, my relative was deeply impressed and was interested in making a switch to the specialist to become her regular doctor. When I asked the specialist doctor about making the switch, he flat out refused to take on my relative as a regular patient and said he didn’t steal patients from this particular referring doctor.

Worth nothing, both doctors in this little scenario with my elderly relative were Asians.

I’ve known for some time that generally speaking, Asians hold to a very strict code of conduct with each other and with other nations that they rarely break. A part of Asian code of conduct is to first and foremost work with and support those within their community first and to work together with fairness and harmony.

My landlord is Asian and does a great job of maintaining the property where I live. If I ever have an issue with the house like the pilot light goes out, a broken oven or backed up sink, my landlord always calls in a repairman who is from the Asian community. A year or so ago, my landlord wanted to refinance the house. The bank sent out an appraiser to look at the property. Guess who showed up to do the appraisal? If you guessed an Asian appraiser, you would be correct!

Most major cities that are populated by Asians have Asian-specific communities. For example, China town, Japan town, Korean town, Vietnamese town, etc. These Asian towns typically have thriving businesses such as restaurants, salons, financial institutions, legal services…you name it. The commonality of these Asian communities is that the Asians work with and support one another.

In the 1920s, there was a community referred to as “Black Wallstreet” located on Greenwood street in Tulsa Oklahoma that operated similarly to what we see today in Asian communities. Black Wallstreet boasted over 600 businesses made up of 21 restaurants, 30 grocery stores, two movie theaters, a hospital, a bank, post office, libraries, schools, law offices, a half dozen private airplanes and a bus system. The commonality of Black Wallstreet and Asian communities of today is that the Black people in Black Wallstreet conducted business almost solely with themselves. Before the massacre that occurred on Black Wallstreet in 1921 that destroyed it, the people living and doing business in this Black community worked and conducted business together, and they thrived.

Can you think of a major U.S. city that has a successfully thriving Black community with a variety of businesses like Black Wallstreet? Comment below if you do, because I’d love to know about it and maybe write about it!