Hu-mani-ty: Shining Light on Vietnamese Women Nail Technicians

This exhibit traces the origins of how Vietnamese-owned nail salons emerged after the Vietnam War in refugee camps, and how women nail technicians continued to revolutionize the industry after moving to the East Coast. Meeting women in the spaces where they work, Tiffany's exhibit explores the gendered effects of being employed in this specific industry as a woman through oral history interviews and local newspapers.

01 Introduction 02 The Vietnam War and the Cold War 03 Vietnamese Refugees: The First Wave 04 The Second Wave: Boat People 05 Migration and Life in New York City 06 Gendered Vietnamese Immigrant Labor in NYC 07 Reality of Being a Nail Tech 08 Born in Vietnam, Made in America: Stories of Local Nail Technicians 09 My Mother's Oral History 10 Conclusion 11 Works Cited Enter the Exhibit