Ms. Nathalie Kay “Tippi” Hedren, an American actress, animal rights activist and former fashion model, was born on January 19, 1930. Hedren was instrumental in helping Vietnamese immigrants in California get started in the nail industry.
Offscreen, Hedren was an international relief coordinator for a non-profit organization Food for the Hungry. After Saigon fell, she began working with Vietnamese women in Hope Village, the refugee camp in Northern California, where she began to receive attention from the Vietnamese women for her long, glossy nails.
Hedren asked Dusty, her manicurist at the time, if she would come to the camp and meet with the Vietnamese women. Dusty agreed, and Hedren flew her up to Camp Hope every weekend to teach nail technology to a group of twenty or so eager women. When they graduated, Hedren helped them get jobs all over Southern California.
The Vietnamese gave the nail salon business a radical makeover. In the 1970s, manicures and pedicures cost around $50, which was fine for Hollywood starlets, but out of reach for most American women. Today, a basic mani-pedi costs around $20, which is largely due to Vietnamese-American salons, who typically charge around 30-50% less than other salons, according to NAILS Magazine.
Vietnamese-Americans now make up around 80 percent of California’s licensed manicurists, and about 45 percent of manicurists nationwide.
“There was hope in an idea that maybe I could help these incredibly wonderful women… I had no idea it would reach the gigantic numbers,” said Hedren.
Sources:
- NPR June 14, 2012
- Regan Morris BBC News, Los Angeles.
