Faces of the West County: Trang Nguyen

Meet Trang Nguyen of Bella Capela Salon in Sebastopol

Trang Nguyen at Bella Capella in Sebastopol.

Okay, I’ve got a little something to admit. …. I get my toenails clipped at a nail care salon. They’re not the prettiest of nails, not even after my occasional pedicure. I won’t dwell on the details, but it ain’t pretty.

It all started a few months before the COVID shut down kicked in.

I was visiting a friend on South Main Street at her hat shop (more about Donna another time) and when I walked out the door, noticed that there was a new nail salon opening up. They were advertising a really cheap introductory rate for a pedicure, so I thought, what the hell, and went in.

That’s when I first met Trang. She was cheerful, and excited, and certainly very happy to have a customer in her just opened shop. Well, after about a half hour of foot soaking, nail trimming and grinding, lotions, and light massage, I was sold. Bella Capela has been my first and only toenail joint ever since.

Last year, there was an uptick in anti-Asian crime, and in March of ’21, that horrible massacre of six Asian women in an Atlanta shooting spree. I wanted to get Trang’s take on that back then, but she didn’t really want to talk about it.

So today, I went into her shop for a little toenail tuneup, and Trang was a bit more willing to talk, though not about the events of last year in Atlanta.

She is not actually from Sebastopol, but Trang certainly spends much of her time here, and by now, is a familiar face, so qualifies as a Face of the West County.

Trang, where do you live and who’s in your family?

We live in Santa Rosa. It’s my husband, and three kids, ages 11, 6, and 3.

When did you get to the States, and from where?

I was from Vietnam. The south part of the country. I came here, alone, in 2001. I was 21. I still have two sisters and a brother in Vietnam. I’ve gone back four times to visit since I moved here. … You can never forget your roots. My parents and younger brother now live here too, but a big part of me is still in Vietnam.

I came here to change my future. For a better life. It was so hard at first. I came on my own, but stayed with my aunt.

Is your husband also from Vietnam?

No, he was born here and raised in the states. Meeting him really helped me adjust to life here.

So when you cook dinner at home, is it mostly Vietnamese food?

Yes, mostly.

Do your children consider themselves Vietnamese?

Well, they’re very American, but identify as Vietnamese. I think they do.

Do you speak to them in Vietnamese?

Yes, I do. But they only want to speak English.

So tell me, why are there so many nail salons owned and operated by people from Vietnam?

To be honest, it’s because it doesn’t take much schooling, and it’s easy to get a license and open a shop.

Are there many nail joints in Vietnam?

Oh yes. Lots of beauty shops.

Trang, since you opened you store, there have been numerous shops on either side of you that have opened, and then shut down. They just couldn’t survive the challenges that COVID brought.

I opened four months before COVID hit. I’m glad my business survived through that. It wasn’t easy.

And your business keeps growing!

Yes, thanks to you! Your whole family comes here now!!! They’re very nice people.

What do you like about having a salon here in Sebastopol?

It’s a wonderful town. There are so many kind and giving people here. And it’s a good town for a business. It’s also so beautiful here.

So Trang, when you and your family go out to eat, where do you like to go?

We like Chevy’s, and the Thai House on 4th St. in Santa Rosa is very good. You should go there.

We’re coming up to an election in a few weeks. Do you vote?

I’m not so good at politics. I don’t know who is better, and I don’t really study the issues so much.

It doesn’t really matter to me who the leader is. I just have to work hard either way.

How many hours a week do you put in here?

Fifty to sixty hours a week when it’s busy. Maybe 30 to 40 when it’s slow.

Trang, I want to thank you for speaking with me. I know you’re a bashful person, so I really appreciate you letting us getting to know you a little.

Trang’s salon, Bella Capela, is at 226 South Main St. in Sebastopol. Tell her that Steve sent you.