June 2, 2025 4:41 PM PT
The fight for licensed manicurists to be able to work as self-employed without passing a test is going to court.
Backed by Vietnamese American nail technicians and nail salon owners holding protest signs, including “stop Asian hate,” Republican Assemblyman Tri Ta announced Monday morning the filing of a discrimination lawsuit outside of the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Santa Ana.
“Earlier this year, our office received many concerns from Vietnamese American manicurists and nail salon owners,” Ta said at a news conference. “Their lives were turned upside down overnight when the independent contractor status expired on January 1.”
“It is not just unfair, it is discrimination,” he added.
Feb. 14, 2025
Licensed barbers, cosmetologists, estheticians and electrologists can still work as independent contractors under state labor law without being subjected to a rigorous test.
But exemptions under Assembly Bill 5 expired this year for manicurists.
The change has left manicurists and nail salon owners alike confused as to whether non-employees can continue renting booths for their businesses — a decades-long industry practice.
Ta, whose 70th Assembly District encompasses Little Saigon, said 82% of manicurists in the state are Vietnamese, with 85% of those being women.
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