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Witness History: Godfather of manicures

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Godfather of Manicures

29/03/2023 GMT

Godfather of manicures

BBC World Service - Witness History, Godfather of manicures

In 1975, Minh Nguyen left behind his macho military life and re-trained as a manicurist

In 1975, Navy commander Minh Nguyen, left behind his macho military life and re-trained as a manicurist. He migrated from Vietnam to the United States during the fall of Saigon.

In November 1975, Vietnamese Navy commander Minh Nguyen, left behind his macho military life and retrained as a manicurist. He migrated from Vietnam to the United States during the fall of Saigon. 

He went on to open a beauty school in Little Saigon, California and encouraged thousands of Vietnamese refugees to become nail technicians. Today, more than 40,000 students have graduated from Minh’s beauty schools and they have helped establish Vietnamese-Americans as the mainstay of the nail salon industry. 

Minh’s wife Kien talks to Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty. 

(Photo: Minh Nguyen. Credit: Minh Nguyen)

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