Back in the early 1900s, manicures and pedicures were only served at full service salons that included perms, haircut and hair stylings. There were few of them and only the wealthy had the means to attain the services. It was not until the 1970s when the influx of immigrant work force and entrepreneurship combined with the advancement in technology that made this leisure more affordable and accessible.

Vietnamese—Americans make up the majority of the immigrant nail salon community, especially in the state of California. The first wave came to flee their war-torn country after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Actress Tippi Hedren wanted to help the new immigrants transition in America and introduced the first Vietnamese women to the nail industry. She hired her own manicurist to train these women who were able to spread this opportunity to the rest of the community despite not having a formal training center and curriculum. It wasn’t until 1987 when Advance Beauty College held the first formal classes in Little Saigon, CA. It streamlined the learning process and made it easier for the students to enroll.

Impact of the Vietnamese-Americans

With their skills in nail care services, Vietnamese Americans opened up their own businesses. Due to discounted service charges and more shops, women of any class can easily locate an affordable nail salon in their area. The industry changed from a few luxury establishments to being dominated by mom-and-pop shops.

The Vietnamese community continues to be a pivotal driving force in the nail industry. New Vietnamese immigrants continue to partake in this opportunity to support themselves and their families . The community leaders continue to expand their businesses and prosper the community by implementing new products and technology as well as better business practices.