Pursuing My Acting Aspiration in China: A Journey from New York's Banking Scene

Born in Beijing, I relocated to Rhode Island at the age of eight, alongside my twin sister. Neither of us spoke English then, and we were among the very few Asian students at our school. It was evident, even before understanding the language, that we were targets of mockery.

Our parents initially banned Chinese at home, believing it would expedite our English learning. However, a year later, realizing we could hardly write our names in Chinese, they reversed their stance.

My entrance into Duke University was an eye-opener, with more Asian students present than I had ever encountered before. Initially an economics major, I discovered theater, deciding to minor in it as my passion for performing and storytelling grew.

The summer following my freshman year, a trip back to China to study ancient Chinese left me awestruck by the country's transformation since I departed in 1999.

Transitioning from Finance to the Stage

Upon graduating, I secured a position as an investment banking analyst in New York. An aspiration to take a weekly acting class was dismissed by my boss as a sign of inadequate dedication.

During Hurricane Sandy, despite courier disruptions, my boss insisted on hand-delivering a contract, only for higher management to suggest faxing it—saving me an arduous journey.

While the extended hours were manageable, the lack of respect was not. Just over a year into the role, I quit to pursue acting full-time, attending auditions and enrolling in the city's acting programs.

Roles for non-white actors were scarce. At one audition for an Italian-American play, the singular Asian part involved speaking Mandarin only to be ridiculed.

A mentor from Duke informed me of a master's program at Shanghai Theatre Academy. With my mother's recent passing—her dream had always been to return to China—the program seemed a perfect way to reconnect with my heritage and her memory. In 2016, I embraced the opportunity and moved to Shanghai.

Establishing My Theatre Presence in Shanghai

Shanghai, though modern and accessible, required adjustment. Locals initially assumed I was native, growing frustrated at my tentative Chinese until they learned I was a foreigner, which then turned their impatience into politeness.

In recent years, amid growing cultural pride, the expectation that I speak fluent Chinese has only increased. Yet my theater program, conducted in English, was welcoming and supportive.

Roles I landed here, including in 'Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties' and 'Twelfth Night' at Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts, were opportunities I never would have secured stateside. However, the post-COVID landscape presents more red tape for foreign actors.

Combining Passion with Financial Stability

Relocating to China proved wise, as I devised a way to sustain myself financially while indulging my theatrical aspirations.

I assist a dozen students annually with US college applications, advising them on institutions, majors, extracurriculars, internships, interviews, and exams. We hold bi-weekly meetings during their initial college years, escalating to weekly in junior year. Beyond coaching, I strive to mentor them for life skills.

Most of my earnings stem from this educational consulting, supplementing it with occasional commercial or voice-acting projects. Such financial steadiness enables my creative pursuits without the worry of basic needs.

In America, I'd likely struggle financially while pursuing art, but here, I can fully focus on my craft, now branching into scriptwriting.

Currently, I'm crafting a one-woman theater show centered on my mother, whose complex relationship I share with many Asian daughters. Here, I find the support necessary to realize this vision.

Though my father initially backed my move, he assumed I'd return upon graduating. His confusion over my decision has since waned amidst recent US political changes.

Annual visits to the US still occur, where I feel an American identity. Yet, the extended period in China increasingly cements it as my home.