Why is my nail bar full of Vietnamese?
The Tippi Hedren story:
Most people of a certain age will remember the Alfred Hitcock film 'The Birds', a cult horror film from the 60's. Playing the lead role was actress Nathalie (Tippi) Hedren, a classic blonde American beauty and former fashion model.
During the Vietnamese war, refugees were brought to the USA, mainly women who had lost literally everything including their families. Tippi desperately wanted to help these intelligent hard working women, quickly becoming involved with an organisation helping to settle them in the USA.
Tippi took on a group of about 20 highly intelligent women, some widows of high ranking military men and at least one who was military intelligence herself. Noting their fascination for her 'Hollywood style nails', Tippi brought in her manicurist to teach the women how to create beautiful nails themselves, getting local beauty academies involved, leading these women to employment all over California.
Vietnamese people are incredibly diligent and they soon started to create a nail industry in their own right. As a result of their success, more and more women and some men, escaping the horror of the conflict in their country, became involved in this industry.
Their secret was in their culture, having your nails manicured was only for the well-heeled 60 years ago in the west, whilst painted nails and wearing make-up were frowned upon for many years in the socialist state of Vietnam. Life was tougher in their home country, working 12 hours a day was normal and everything was done as quickly as possible. Applying these cultural habits to the nail industry, they made having beautiful nails available to everyone!
These women played key roles in establishing today’s global nail industry – a multi-billion-dollar industry in which Vietnamese people still dominate. To this day at least 50% of nail salons worldwide, are owned by Vietnamese and having beautiful nails is affordable to all in part at least, thanks to Tippi Hedren.