Everybody knows that Vietnamese are taking over the manicure/pedicure business. (It’s so prevalent that it’s only natural for an artist to reflect that in artwork featuring a pedicure spa and the (South) Vietnamese flag. But hey we’ve beaten that horse dead several times over already…)
But how did that happen and exactly how prevalent was it? The Bolsavik is glad that the L.A. Times’s My-Thuan Tran answered those questions in her latest story, here, entitled “Vietnamese nail down the U.S. manicure business” (that sound you hear is the Bolsavik groaning at the bad pun).
For years, the Bolsavik has heard from actress Kieu Chinh (Joy Luck Club, Journey from the Fall) the theory that it was her friend Tippi Hedren (pictured right, Hitchcock’s The Birds) who introduced the profession to the first Vietnamese arriving in 1975.
And for years, the Bolsavik has been wondering how to test that theory. Who were the first Viet manicurists? Were they really introduced to it by Hedren? And did they pass on the job to other Viets, or was the later wave of Viet manicurists developing separately?
Apparently My-Thuan Tran found one of the first Viet manicurist, yes she went into the profession through Hedren, and yes there’s linkage between the first group and the later manicurists, through Advance Beauty College, commonly known by Viet manicurists as the “ABC school.”
Read the story here. The slide show has a picture of Tippi Hedren in Vietnamese ao dai sitting with a group of Vietnamese refugee women whom she’d helped get manicure training for free.
“For years, the Bolsavik has heard from actress Kieu Chinh…”
No name dropping please.
AnhHai,
That’s odd; for years I’ve heard Kieu Chinh say that “I’ve told Bolsavik …”, and I told her the same thing, “No name-dropping, please.”
Hello, my name is Mary Beth Phang. I am the HR Generalist/Recruitment Manager for 10 Minute Manicure. We are recruiting for licensed cosmetologists/nail technicians and retail sales people for our locations.
A little about our company, 10 Minute Manicure is designed to suit the manicure needs of busy professionals, our stores are located conveniently where you work and travel—in airports and busy commercial centers. We already have locations in the following areas:
• Dulles International Airport – (Virginia)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (Kentucky) – Concourse B & C
• Downtown Miami (Biscayne Boulevard across from the Wachovia building)
• Ottawa International Airport (Canada)
• Toronto International Airport Pier 9, 2 & 5 (Canada)
• West Edmonton Mall (Canada)
• JFK International Airport, Terminal 8 & 3 (New York)
• Miami International Airport (Florida)
• Southwest Florida International Airport (Florida)
Here is all my contact information for you:
Mary Beth Phang
HR Generalist/Recruitment Manager
20185-B NE 16th Place Miami, Fl 33179
Office: 305-665-2510
Cell: 786-877-8761
Fax: 305-655-3310
Email: Marybeth.phang@10minutemanicure.com
I look forward to hearing from you!