Nevertheless, firms large and small have found that if they offer services in languages other than English, customers will come. Delong Lau founded Integrity Solutions, a discount brokerage firm, in Oakland's Chinatown four years ago. Nearly all the firm's clients are Chinese American, and, like their larger counterparts, their representatives all speak a combination of Mandarin, Cantonese and Taiwanese. Oakland was his first home when he moved to the United States in 1989, so when he decided to start his own discount brokerage firm, it made sense to open it in the Oakland Chinatown community. It wasn't about targeting a niche group, he said.
All clients are attractive.
Sharing a language and cultural background simply came naturally. Franklin H. Kung, vice president of investments at Interfirst Capital in Walnut Creek, also didn't consider the market of Asian American investors when he decided to become a broker. He had always worked in business, climbing the corporate ladder of Fortune 500 companies. Nine years ago, when he decided he wanted a job that allowed him to be independent, he chose to become a full-service financial planner. About 70 percent of his clients are Asian Americans, and the majority of those are Chinese Americans.