The Fall of Saigon
Following the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975. The fall of Saigon to the People's Army of Vietnam led to more than 130,000 Vietnamese closely aligned with the United States and the former government of South Vietnam, escaping the country to avoid persecution and death. Most of the earliest evacuees were resettled in the United States—including the first 20 Vietnamese manicurists.
The First 20 Vietnamese Manicurists
In April 1975, a fortuitous encounter with 20 of the first Vietnamese refugee women in the US, and The Birds actress Tippi Hedren, sparked the Asian nail salon as we know it. Learn more about this harrowing exodus from five of these first 20 manicurists from “Hope Village,”, and how Tippi helped establish them as working women—serendipitously anchoring future generations of Vietnamese immigrants to this day.
The Influence of Black Women
In 1981 Olivett Robinson and Charlie Vo, two Black and Vietnamese women, opened the first nails-only salon in the hood—South Central LA to be exact. With Black women establishing nail art as an everyday luxury via these new salons, Mantrap was the roadmap for legions of Vietnamese entering the business, and spreading affordable nail salon service across the country.
Contemporary Nails
Today nail salons provide a plethora of services, PEDICURES, nail extensions, acrylic, gel, endless nail art—to full body services like waxing massage, microblading and eyelash extensions. Since Rihanna made #StilettoNails trend via Instagram in 2012, social media has been an integral force in shaping contemporary Nail Art culture, and multibillion dollar nail economy.