momo chang

I’m moderating a panel on Thursday, September 3rd in San Jose entitled “A Hidden Side of Beauty: Hazards Facing Nail Salon Workers.” I’ve written about Vietnamese and other Asian-owned and worked salons for the last few years, and have come across many people who are surprised to hear about the working conditions in nail salons, from the toxic chemicals used in many salons, to the low labor standards in the field.

My most recent story is in the current issue of Hyphen, out on stands now, about how some nail salons are trying to go green. Please check out the issue and support an independent, Asian American magazine (I am also an editor there). You can read the article, “Mani-Pedis Go Green,” here.

If you’re in the Bay Area in California and are interested in these issues, please come check out the South Bay Third Thursdays panel mentioned above. Please RSVP to the event.

The panelists for the forum are:

Theresa Le is the Special Projects Organizer for UFCW 5 Cosmetology Division that represents Manicurists, Estheticians, Cosmetologists, and Salon Owners in dealing with the Board of Barbering & Cosmetology (BBC). BBC’s mission is to ensure the health and safety of California consumers by promoting ethical standards and by enforcing the laws of the beauty industry. Theresa is responsible for strategizing and organizing multiple tri-lingual campaigns (English-Vietnamese-Spanish) to build positive consumer awareness, increase membership enrollment, and combine traditional and innovative marketing methods to build synergy between policy makers and industry practicioners. Her work philosophy is “Your Net Worth is defined by Your Network!”

Currently, Theresa’s Cosmetology campaign focuses on:

Salon Consumer Protection
Green-Purchasing Manufacturers
Advanced Education for the industry members learning about the 5 P’s

Board of Barbering & Cosmetology (BBC) citations prevention

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) protection
Maximizing profits through A.R.I.E.S (Awareness.Responses.
Interaction.Evaluation.Sale)
Fair Labor practices
Grassroots promotions

Prior to joining UFCW Local 5, Theresa was a licensed manicurist and an eyelash extension educator who owned and operated a full-service salon in San Diego since 2005. She also coordinated Donald Trump’s Miss Universe 2008 Pageant hosted in Vietnam in the summer of 2008. Theresa graduated Cum Laude from University of California, Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics.

Le Phan is a fifth year Ph.D. student in Sociology at the University of California, Davis. She received her bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies with a minor in History at the University of California, San Diego. Her research interest encompasses a wide range of areas including race, ethnicity, immigration, gender and family. Her most recent research project explores the work experiences of first and second generation Vietnamese nail technicians in Northern California. As a teaching assistant, she has experience in numerous Sociology and Asian American Studies courses. She is involved in various organizations on campus and throughout her community including a graduate student organization that provides support for graduate students interested in Asian American Studies. Le is committed to raising awareness about issues affecting Asians and Asian Americans. She is also passionate about empowering Asian American youth through education and research.

Lenh Tsan, Project Manager at the Asian Law Caucus, is a graduate of UC Davis’ Sociology Department. While in Davis, she worked at the International House to promote dialogue between immigrant families of different backgrounds in Yolo County. At the Caucus, she works with the Immigrant Rights Project to defend low income immigrants. On the Nail Salon Project, she conducts occupational health and safety trainings to salon workers and owners, who are predominantly Vietnamese immigrant women. Since joining the Caucus in 2005, she has conducted over 250 of these trainings in the nail salons, cosmetology schools, and occupational health classes and has outreached to over 500 workers, students, and nail salon owners in the bay area. She works to mobilize workers to publicly speak about the hazards they face and to advocate for their rights to work in a healthy and safe environment. She is fluent in Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

Hope to see you there!