Thursday, November 10, 2011

Saigon America, a photo essay series on Vietnamese American life


For the past two years I have been taking photos of various scenes in Vietnamese American life and I thought I'd share them with you on my blog. This specific series is titled " Happy Nails", a selection of shots taken at a nail salon. As you might already know, the nail salon is the unofficial hub of all Vietnamese culture in America. I remember when I was younger, my family would go on road trips, and being illiterate and not able to speak English, we always looked for nail salons whenever we were lost. The little shops, often garishly decorated with charmingly simply names like "Top Nails", "Paris Nails" and "#1 Beauty Nails", are the life line of Vietnamese life in America, often in more ways than one.

If you feel compelled to, please feel free to share this essay with others, on your blogs, tumblrs, facebook, etc... It would mean a lot to me and I appreciate it very much.

I will add to this series as more photos accumulate.

love and light,

-Ocean

                                     "pick you color!"



hot, cold, and nails


morning offerings


in luck we trust...




getting ready to work








matriarch 


bad news from the home country



so much depends upon the sound of money being counted




ready to work



Nicky, age 13



Tanh and Sarah (baby), not related



Hong and Sarah (aunt and niece) 



Sarah and Sen (mother and daughter)



a slow afternoon 



don't mess up!



seventeen 



the view from here



genuflections



pedicure  






beautiful 







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