Vietnamese Americans dominate the manicure business (thanks, Tippi Hedren!) and one nail salon owner in Fairview, Texas is letting her customers know that she’s not one of them.

According to Steve Stoler of WFAA.com, Diana Casey, the owner of the St. Tropez Nail Spa posted a sign declaring her shop “American Owned, American Staffed,” which has caused controversy because of its racist undertones. Casey says that she is simply being “patriotic.”

Ed Thayer said he was offended when he saw the sign in the window of the St. Tropez Nail Spa. He’s a regular customer at a Vietnamese restaurant next door. He and his wife adopted four girls who are Vietnamese-Americans. Thayer said he was so upset, he went into the salon to confront the owner.

“I said, ‘This sign here implies that the other salons around here that are owned by Asian-Americans are less American than you,'” Thayer recalled. The salon owner, Diana Casey, said she never intended to offend anyone, but wanted to draw attention to her store. “This is a business decision,” she said. “It’s just letting people know I’m American, and I speak English.” There are three Asian-owned businesses in the small strip shopping center along Stacy Road. Two of them said the sign made them uncomfortable. [full]

Casey’s quote about the sign declaring that she is an English-speaking American is very telling. It implies is that her competition (Vietnamese Americans) are somehow not American nor English-speaking. I think all Vietnamese American nail salons should start putting “patriotic” signs in their windows– after all, they are also “American Owned, American Staffed,” right?

h/t: Justine S.