“Indian” Beauty Parlor in Île-de-France: Exploring a Growing Niche for South Asian Women Migrants

Abstract

« Indian beauty » salons are becoming increasingly present and visible in Paris and the Île-de-France region. Currently, over 150 can be found in the region. Their sizes vary: while a few chains exist, most are small businesses with one to three women employees, mostly of south Asian origin. These salons provide a unique lens through which to examine an emerging and significant economic niche for first-generation South Asian migrant women, as well as the diverse socio-geographical, economic, and legal contexts in which they operate. My thesis work, which will serve as the foundation for this presentation, involved an exploration of these commercial places through a mixed methodological approach, primarily based on interviews and participant observation, with a focus on the roles and place of family in the trajectories and professional lives of these workers. This will allow us to shed light on how gendered and familial dynamics influence the economic integration of south Asian women, as well as the gendered disparities in access to co-ethnic solidarity networks. Moving beyond the well-documented narratives of male-dominated professions, this study emphasizes beauty parlors as a feminized—and often precarious—economic niche for migrant women. This presentation contributes to the growing body of literature on the diversification of South Asian migrants’ professions in Europe, offering a fresh perspective on lesser-explored niches.