1
2
3
4
Sooki Choi Forever has evolved from watching my mother (Insook Choi) work in a nail salon for many years. The mixture of straight and slightly curly black hair that Sooki is fully made of represents Asian women in the nail industry. The majority of people who work in nail salons, and massage parlors in large cities are Asian women between the ages of 25-50. Most of the women in this work field are there as an immigrant pending for a green card, or American citizenship. Society does not easily accept Asian women who speak with a broken English accent, who has no work history, and living here with a temporary VISA.
With very few options to turn to, they work in a service industry that provides no health insurance, no retirement plan, no union, and no job security. Sooki goes around various nail salons in New York City interviewing the women who work there while getting her nails done. Some women are more reluctant to speak than others and some women prefer to have their identity hidden. This project is ongoing and will become a documentation of multiple stories told from the perspective of each individual.