I was impressed by a blog entry in Brother Fred's blog entitled "Now is the time, Start Planning". It inspired me to write the following response which I would like to present here for your consideration and discussion. It is only a series of observations about the path that many "new comers" to America follow to realize the American Dream, which somehow escapes us. It is of course not the only path to that realization; but it has worked for many groups in the past.

When I mentioned MI (Mixed Idiom) in the beginning I refer to the synergy of mixing employment and entrepreneurship and investing. There are few combinations that are as effective. All too often we, Black People follow a single path; employment, profession, or entrepreneurship; and don't go on to invest (except for the small minority of our professionals who invest in ideosyncratic venues such as stocks and brokered funds) beyond their own personal real estate.

Here is my observation:

Mixed Idiom, or MI is a concept that I have been trying to teach to as many like minded people as possible. The underlying concept is that we establish "clans" which would be composed of 15-50 families. Much like the family associations (sometimes called Tongs) that the Asians participate in. These clans would provide for each other's economic welfare and group development.

Often AAs lament, "they come over here and bang they got a restaruant or store. It aint fair that somebody gives them the money". What we often don't realize is that the somebody financing them is actually a family association back in Asia. Not their government or our government but as many as 2-3 thousand asians each contributing all they can from their subsistence incomes.

Their first activity is to send their "scouts", these are young men without wives who have studied and learned enough english to come here and find menial employment. They work as slaves, almost, at wages that no american would consider. They sleep in the back of job #2 or 3 and save every dime. Usually one of their jobs is in a restaurant or store where food is included as part of their income. They own 2 changes of clothes. One is always drying, after being washed the night before. They don't spend a dime on recreation. To them conversation over their weekly beer is all the recreation they get. When they have enough money they send it back home to finance another brother or cousin coming over. They repeat the process. Again and again, until there are 10 or 12 of them.

They then have enough money to bring over an uncle. Uncle acts as treasurer and supervisor for the young men. He makes sure that they stay out of trouble and keep working. They turn over 85-95% of their gross incomes. Uncle networks with other uncles already here and they buy a building. As many as 30 young men will sleep in an apartment in shifts. The other apartments in the building will be rented out for income. They buy another building and then another. All this has taken 1 year. They now have 2 or 3 buildings and from the 30 young men 15-20 thousand dollars a week in income.

By the end of the second year they have brought over another 30 worker bees and 3 aunties. The next year they start bringing over neices. These girls from back home are to be brides for the hardest workers. It is the oldest incentive program in the world. Sex.

By the end of year three there are 60 worker bees 8 uncles 12 aunties 10 neices and the first American born children are born. By this time they own 16-20 buildings where they operate 15 or more businesses. All of the worker bees are paid more than in their "slave" days, only have to work 2 jobs, live in apartments with only 3 or 4 others. They have mastered english, and are looking for business opportunities; that will be financed by the Tong. And most importantly are moving up the list to get a neice brought over to marry. The 60 of them earn 50-75 thousand dollars a week. And it keeps growing.

By the end of 10 years they own 50 buildings, have a weekly income of 250K - 400K, are all married, have no debts, are working only 1 job each, those who can are enrolled in schools and they are financing the next wave of Tongs back home. They started with just 2 or 3 cousins, now there are 3 or 4 hundred of them, all making more money than they dreamed of at the start. They send 1 or 2 million dollars back to china, monthly, where they invest in manufacturing plants or other businesses. The family association which started with less than 10 thousand US is now worth 50 million dollars or more.

Such is the power of collectivism, such is the power of a dream, such is the power of discipline. As long as we are addicted to consumerism and got to have that bling, addicted to envy and jealousy and can't stand to see anyone else get ahead; we will never compete. If we learn from this simple example, we can do the same or better within the next decade.