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Okay, so today is October 9th, 2020. I'm here interviewing Jiashan Lang. And my name is Chelsey Wen. So the first question is, um, when and where

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were you born? And can you describe what it was like to live there? Yeah, sure. So I was born in Beijing, China. It's actually a really big city, so it’s the capital of China's

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so it's kind of like New York. Really modern. Um so I guess I was born in a pretty artistic family. So my family, our...

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and family friends are all artists, though. That's the culture I live in. So I'm really interested in Chinese art and culture and stuff like that.

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Mhm. So both of your parents were artists? Oh my dad was artist. My mom is, was ob-gyn. Um, okay.

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Um, so how did your parents raise you? And what kind of expectations did they have for you? Yeah, so um, they were actually polar opposite. My dad was like, he's super kind, super nice.

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Like, super helpful, the most helpful person everyone that they know. Yeah, he always like, raised me to be kind, helpful, always lend help to other people who're in need; and my mom, not that I'm not saying she's

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not kind, and she is just, like, she's a fighter, that type of person. She had a pretty rough background growing up. And, and she got to where she was by just fighting her way through it and working really

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hard. So that's how she taught me and one of the things she always said is just fight for it. If there's something like, you know, like, there's a difficult task for me, she always just says, “Fight for it.

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There is a way.” So yeah, I think I got a bit of both. Um, did you have a lot of responsibilities while you were growing up? Yeah, well, kinda. My, I’m their only child, and my parents were

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pretty old when they had me. 46 years old. So growing up my, like, after my dad passed away, I kind of have to take care of my mom,

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since I'm the only child. And she wasn't in a really good mental state. Just really have to take care of her. Like, in a sense, I feel like I’m the parent, she is the child.

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Um, did they have any expectations for what they wanted you to do? Yeah, um, well, my mom. My mom actually just wanted, want me to do anything other than being a doctor, since she was a doctor in China.

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Um yeah, she, I know is might not be the same than US, but being a doctor in China right now is might not be the best career path. Like, you know, a lot of issues

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in that realm. Yeah, but– but she just, she just really wants– wanted me to study more and learn more and choose whatever I wanted.

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Um, so when did you start making art? Um, so that's, that's a hard thing to, to measure, I guess, because my parents, uh... my dad was kind of

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taught me to make art since I was very little. And I wasn't really pursuing anything professionally. But I'm always interested in it. So um moving to the US, it's

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kind of hard for me to find a job initially. So I just started to do something like that. And I was really interested at well, as well. So I'm just trying to do

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something like that and see if there's a way I can not only sell it, but also promote the culture a little bit, stuff like that. So did you start focusing on art as your career when you move to the States?

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Um kind of forced to be, in the beginning on. So I like after moving to the States, I'm just trying to not only make a few, make some art, but also try

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to carry other artists' art a little bit. But I think for me, that's more likely interest rather than a career path. So, right now, I right now, I'm pursuing my, pursuing

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my MBA and those are, I have a job lined up after graduate, full time job. So the artist will be a side-work for me. But I'm not gonna just completely throw it away because there's still interest, even though it's not

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like a career. Um, so did you go to college in China? Before you came to the States? Yeah, for undergrad actually studied language,

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English and Spanish. So really useful in China. Not so useful here. That's why I'm, that's why after coming to the State, I'm

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pursuing my MBA. I'm try to pivot. Um, and I think, did you also get an MFA? Or…

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No, just MBA. Well, MBA focusing in marketing. Yeah. Okay, so, um, what significance does the dough figurine art have to your family?

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So that's really significant, actually. So dough figurine is a really ancient form of art. It start– started in Song dynasty, which is almost 1000 years ago.

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And at that time, it was just something like a little thing that children play with, or people actually just make a few dough figuring and cook that and eat that. So it's like, really enrichment to the food.

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Not really a serious art. But I think it also lost in time for a long period of time. People knew about this art form, but because it's lost in popularity, maybe it's not their

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practice anymore, practical anymore, people don't really do it any- anymore. My grandpa, he was really interested in any art form like that. So he actually learned how to do it, digging through books and

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seeing, like the street performance, like just to make a few, like really simple characters for the children to play with, that kind of stuff. And he kind of reinvented it.

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And just to make it a really, like, art. So I think that's a big part of my education growing up, looking at how he did and the attempt he went through

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to bring back like a culture piece to get back to life. And I think that made a huge impact on me. And I'm really interested in- in that. Not just this particular art form, but also all kinds of

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traditional Chinese art. So that's why I started to do that, besides just fun to play with. It's like playdough. Yeah. Yeah.

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So did you mostly learn how to make them from your grandpa? Yeah, well, he passed away when I was little. So I started to learn with him when I was really, really little, like playing on playdough that kind of thing.

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So and then I, after he passed, I learned from my dad, who's also very, very good at making that. Yeah, and after that, I'm just trying to explore it on my own. Um, so when you're making them, how do you decide

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which, because you're used to just pick like historical events, right? How do you decide what you want to do? So it's like any kind of art making, right?

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Just something that come to you, and maybe you just speak to you, you just decide to make an art piece like that. Um, I'm also really interested in a lot of traditional Chinese literature.

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So that a lot of my likes, the scene of my art came from, like, my favorite as- absolute favorite is “Dream of Red Chamber.” So I did a lot of classical piece based on that literature.

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Yeah. Mm hmm. Um, so do you focus mainly on literature and like bookstores or like actual historical events?

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And I guess both, like everything, like I know. There are also people say- saying, maybe lost touch a little bit to reality, to the modern world. So people, like a lot of, there's a lot of demand for making

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more modern scene. But for me what really interested me is just to bring that traditional art form and combine with traditional historical events or traditional literature.

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So for me, a lot of my interests are making them to either past events or past books or folklore, or any sort of fairytale stuff like that. So do you think you would ever be interested in making them more

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contemporary or, since you live in the States now, would you ever consider having some American influence? Yeah, I'm trying to do that a little bit more as well, uh just to, I guess, so that it can speak

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to more people as a way to promote it, I guess. Yeah. So I kind of do, start to doing that as well. But still, I think majority of my work is still more traditional. Have you noticed a difference in how your art is received in America

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and China? Yeah, well, I think a lot of it is because it's already a well-known art form in China. In China, it’s actually recognized by UNESCO as a national intangible cultural heritage.

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So people in China already know about the art form. So and they they know a little bit about how much detail goes into that, how much work goes into that, where and history

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right, and they're also more familiar with the, the influence of that particular piece, like, you know, based on historical events, or based on like, a folklore that they know of.

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In the US, whereas not so much. And even for more moderate, a moderate material, like theme, they're still not really familiar with the, the material itself, with the art form itself.

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So I think that's something I have to overcome to make those art piece here. Um, so how do you think the art community is different in China versus the States?

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I think there's actually quite different. So in China, the art industry to my knowledge is more fully developed in recent-- I won't even say fully developed, but more developed in

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recent years. Whereas in the State, our market already pretty advanced, people buy it a lot of time, because they really like to appreciate certain art and maybe just hanging at home and you know, like,

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because they like they appreciate the art. Whereas in China, I think a lot of art, rather than being appreciated they, they’re a lot of time bought as a collection piece. Prepared to sell or like to go up in value later on.

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So I think that's the main difference. So I do hope in China, eventually we'll get to this day that people buy a piece of art is not just because it's collectible, but also they appreciate it.

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So I think in the US, this is perfect. This is good. Um, so what was it like to appear on TV for your art? Yeah, I think it's just something that I really,

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I think is a really good opportunity to promote the piece because even though a lot of people are already know about it, they don't know enough. They think, like in the back of their mind, they're thinking this is a really

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traditional art form um like, it's more like a history piece rather than something that's close to their lives. So I think my mission is just hopefully make them think “Oh, this is something I can have in my life as well.” or “I

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know more about.” or “I think is interesting.” Or like even though it even though it's a traditional piece, it can still be for young people, and I think my age speaks to that a little bit

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as well because traditionally you see this art form is made by a lot of old artists whereas I’m not that old. Yeah. Hmm.

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Um, so how did— how did you come into contact with the people who had you on TV? Did you reach out to them? Or do they find you?

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Um, they find me, initially. Yeah. And do you think that most of your, the people who enjoy your art or seek out your own on older or younger? As for now is still the older generation

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because… Which makes sense. Because it is the older art form and people do appreciate, like older people do appreciate it, especially they do appreciate more historical

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theme. But I mean the… this generation is not getting any younger. There's, there's always newer clients who come into the market, not older ones.

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So it is a challenge, but something we need to do is to just to appeal to more younger clientele, more younger generation. I mean, it's not just, it's not even about selling it, I'm okay with not selling it younger generation, it’s just, hopefully

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they're more interested in it. But you said that the art is not your target career, right? Right. Right. Okay.

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So, to me, because you- you've had so many galleries and like exhibits, like you've been on TV. Yeah, yeah, um, that that is true, actually. Um, I don't know, it feels like, especially in

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US, a lot of artists, I mean, in China and US same, a lot of artists, even though they, they kind of made a fame of their art, they're not really using it to support their living, necessarily.

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It's still not that easy to be artists, no matter where you are. So I think just for like a living standpoint, it is better off for a lot of

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artists to to make their art on the side and have a stable career. And, and I'm okay with that. I'm okay with having a

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stable career and use what I whatever I earn to use that money to promote the art. I'm okay with doing that as well. Mhm. Um, so what do you think is the most difficult part about being an

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independent or a freelance artist? Um, I think I mean, being a freelance artists, it means it's not stable. Like there's no such thing as job

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security, well I mean, it’s my career but there's, like you would not know when you have your next client, specially, you can see it in COVID era. Really well.

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Um, I mean, if everyone is suffering, the last thing they're thinking of is buying art. They buy food first. Right, so that's something like if economy take ahead, um the first, like, industry get affected,

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it's probably something downstream like art. Um, do you have a favorite piece that you've made? Well, they're all like my babies. I don't know if I have a favorite favorite.

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And yeah, I– I guess it's something like a genre is... it's something in, in Walnut. So there are type of figurines that we make really

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miniature that can fit several character in a walnut. So that is, I think, in an artistic standpoint, that is really something precious to me. This is so hard to make, and they're, they're really pretty to

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look at, but they're, but they are hard to make. I don't make them anymore really that much. Um, do you see yourself ever teaching others how to make

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these so you can pass it on? Yeah, yeah, for sure. If I have children, I would definitely teach them and honestly to anyone really

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interested. But again, this is not something really easy to make. It take years and years, decades of training, right? So it's like, I really want to teach everyone but hopefully either someone can really like it

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enough to really practice for decades to perfect their technique, but if not, I'm okay with everyone just look, just look at it and know the value behind it. Mm hmm. Um, do you have a favorite

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exhibit or gallery appearance that you’ve had? Well, I will have my a duo exhibit in the coming January in Archway Gallery at Houston area.

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And so the title about that piece is, exhibition is called “Dual Identity.” So that's something something in the top of my mind as well to speak up about the self-identity of Asian society, or all min- all

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minority in the US. So I think that's the perfect chance for me as well to maybe insert my value into my art and see if that

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can get a like people to think. And so yeah, that's something that I'm really looking forward. Are there other artists that inspire you? A bunch of other artists.

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Oh, I don't know the English name for a lot of them. So they're, I guess the most– most recent show, I've seen is from a really realistic style artist.

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He had his exhibition two years ago, in Houston Art Museum. I forgot his name in English, but he do a lot of human sized pieces that are

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really detailed and capture people's emotion really well. Seeing that really inspired me a lot. Yeah, the last show I saw is two years ago, that's really COVID.

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COVID’s fault. Um, so how long did the doll figurines last? Like? Do you have to preserve them in a special way? Um, yes. So we— I sun-dry it.

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So that will make it last pretty long. And well, I still have my grandfather's piece from probably 100 years ago, almost something like that. So that, like, if it

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can last that long, for sure. Yeah. Um, so do you see yourself getting into different art forms and mediums in the future? Yeah, I'm really interested.

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So for my upcoming show, and also trying to do a lot of mask, face masks painting for like Chinese opera. So that's another way to express the identity.

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Right? So that’s something that I'm trying to do as well try to explore different, different art just as an interest. Yeah. Um, do you think that… Or how do

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you feel that your race has made me affected your ability to be successful as an artist and America? Hmm. So I think that's a, I don't know, how can I say that well,

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because I think we have a lot of pretty vocal Asian artist or Asian people in the community, especially in Houston. But I think even that, even

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though we have a large relative large present, now, I do feel a lot of time when I talk to my friend or like other people from other race and culture, they still see our art, our culture, our food, festival, how,

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like costume everything as an exotic thing, not mainstream. Um, so I think there's that’s that. So I do feel like even though there are a lot of individual effort we make, there definitely

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something more there is to do. And I think that can't be just localized individual effort. Because it's hard to change people's perception even– even you're trying, everyone's just trying

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to do that right. So I think there's-- and I'm not saying we're demanding some sort of governmental intervention, like making Chinese festival a public holiday,

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I'm not saying something like that. I’m just saying, if Asian people around the country on can be more vocal on a variety of issues, maybe not just about art and culture, and that would at least make make

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others think of us, aware of us more. And that will probably help a lot. If they're aware of us, more of our present, we will become more mainstream.

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Yeah. Mm hmm. So are you saying that you think that Asian people should be more vocal about, like community issues or political issues?

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Everything. Yeah. Not just something that affect us individually, but everything. Yeah, I think we do. Like I think a lot of time Asian people are because of our our

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culture, we are a lot of time and mind our own business, in our own bubble, because I know like, for example, there's a Chinese word called “Zhongyong”1 like is, me, like being the middle, that's a good thing

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to do. Being not overwhelmed. Not being extreme, not showing yourself, but I don't think that's the way for it in the US. In the US, we

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probably should be more conscious and be more vocal about everything, not just things that affect us. Um, so um switching topics a little bit.

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How did you immigrate to the US? And yeah, that's, that's a long story. Yeah. So my husband was working in China at the time that we

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met. So that's nine years ago. So he decided to get married in China. And five years ago, his company decided to transfer back to the US and here I come.

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1 D octrine of the Mean, a Confucious doctrine. So after you did undergrad in China, what did you do? Um, so after I did, undergrad in China, I was actually working for Chinese government, a subdivision

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for Chinese government for a while, handling uh, how do you say, student scholarship to apply to different countries like applying scholarship for a student going from China to Spain to study there.

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Okay, and then you just, you were doing that up until you left? Yeah, pretty much. And so how was the process of immigration? Was it difficult?

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Was it easy? For me, it’s not particularly difficult, because we were, I was married to a US citizen for a couple years already. And fortunately for me, his company handles everything.

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So for me, specifically, the process is not hard. So did you guys know anybody in the US before you move? No. Well, his family.

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He is a Chinese American. Um, his family has been immigrated here before he was born. So when his parents were little, actually so. So his, or his family are in here, but that's the only

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people I knew. Here. Yeah. So does most of your family still live in China? Yeah, all of my family still living in China. How did you feel about moving away from them?

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Oh, yeah, that's, that's definitely the most challenging part. I am a huge family person, super close to my mom. And she is 76 years old now. So, and yeah, I'm, I'm constantly

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missing her, concerning about her. Yeah, and my husband and I asked her to move, come with us. But I think it's for her to abandon all her friends, family, culture, everything, everything she

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have and come to a completely new world and with language she don't know. Um, so yeah, I guess in a sense, I need her more than she need me. So she's still there.

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Yeah. So I'm assuming you haven't been able to see her recently because of COVID. Yeah, yeah. But thanks to technology, we can WeChat.

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To see her face. So. Um, so how was it like adjusting to American culture? I mean, there's definitely a culture shock. And to be honest, because he's family, my husband's family

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is from Michigan. So really up north, I think there is a bigger culture shock for for him as well, moving from Michigan to Texas.

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I mean, in a good way, but still a cultural shock for both of us. Um, I mean, the first thing I notice is, like, I'm still using the imperial system for every day.

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I am not able to convert anything to metric like, yeah, sorry, metric system. So I have to convert everything to imperial system. Yeah. And yeah, that's just something on the top of my

00:31:24.150 - 00:31:40.440

mind is really, really, really different. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so how, I guess you've been here in the US for six years?

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Did you move to Houston first? Yeah, yeah. How did you start to build a social network? And like find friends? Right. So a lot of the contact the friends I have

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are from art community. So coming here, I don't know any, anyone. So I'm just starting to do art.

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And after that, I just trying to see if there are way to promote it. So I show it to a bunch of galleries. And that's when I made a lot of friends. And yeah, so that's, that's

00:32:20.680 - 00:32:38.200

actually how did I get my first step out of the door for everything. Um, and then when did you decide that you wanted to go for an MBA? Um, I've been thinking on it for a couple of years.

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And, and I started to do it. Last year, I started. Yeah, I started to do it last year, and I'm on an accelerated program. So I will be graduating the end of this

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year. Mm hmm. Um, how does that fit in with what you want to do in the future? Um, I actually, I think that pretty well. So from making the dough figurine and promote it in China,

00:33:07.210 - 00:33:22.800

and in here, I really think I really find a lot of interest in marketing realm. So because, since I'm deciding to do an MBA or anything related to business, I really started

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to think I’ll have a focus in marketing. And that's what got me to my previous internship in marketing. And that's, that's also what led me to my uh job in the future, for next year is also in marketing so I

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really, really enjoyed that. Um, so once you started putting your art online, did you notice a difference in who was interested in your art since you were able to reach more people?

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I'm sorry. Can you-- What do you mean by difference in? Like, um, like, when you first started showing art here, it was just for the local community.

00:34:13.710 - 00:34:32.370

And then when you put your art online, it's accessible to more people? Oh, yeah. Um, I think, for sure, and I think right now, the world of art is really rapidly expanding because we have internet right, you just get exposed to

00:34:32.370 - 00:34:51.690

more people. And in US, I think, in general, is pretty similar. Down south, people have the same back are the same, like cultural backgrounds, so they don't really know the culture or literature aspect of my art.

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But if the art is grabbing them, as the people who's really interested in and probably interested in learning the culture as well, so that's, yeah, that's, that's something that I'm trying to do putting online.

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And I'm also trying to, on whichever city I travel to, like, leisure, and I also bring my art to see to go to to the galleries, local galleries and see if they are interested in putting in their exhibit

00:35:29.340 - 00:35:39.140

and putting their website and see if I can attract more people from different region. And so far that has been successful too. Hmm. Yeah.

00:35:40.590 - 00:35:59.000

Um, so what do you think is the importance of art in your life and in the world? Oh, it’s-it's too important, I mean, I think it's harder for people, like

00:35:59.110 - 00:36:12.350

under pandemic to think the importance of art, which is understandable. Because if you, you know, you need this essential for surviving first.

00:36:12.630 - 00:36:31.390

But after we pass that, I think a highly developed advanced society, any society like that would really need to educate everyone within the society, the importance of beauty,

00:36:31.970 - 00:36:47.880

not just art and culture, but also like, just pure beauty standpoint. I think people or a culture can appreciate beauty that this that's the signal that they are advanced, and they're passing

00:36:47.880 - 00:37:02.140

the– the life essential things. So I think that's actually just a really important measurement on whether if people like art that that symbolize that really valid society.

00:37:05.080 - 00:37:21.070

Um, do you feel like you have a specific mission with your art or a specific message? Yeah, I really want to want people here to know the importance of protecting, preserving intangible

00:37:21.070 - 00:37:36.490

culture heritage, not just dough figuring but all sort of intangible cultural heritage, in China, in Asian specifically, because that's where my expertise are, but also around the world.

00:37:37.780 - 00:37:52.040

Because those, those are living history, and these people, like if the technique are lost, people or people know the technique are lost, they may not have that part

00:37:52.040 - 00:38:08.940

of history anymore. So I think this is something really important that I am making my mission to, to spread to the US. So in the future, would you want to also show your art in other countries other than

00:38:08.940 - 00:38:20.630

the US? Yeah, for sure. Um, and I'm trying to take it one step at a time, but if it’s possible, I really want the world to see it as well.

00:38:20.630 - 00:38:32.580

And that's something my grandpa and my dad has been doing. So if there is an opportunity, I really, really want to follow their footsteps, and hopefully, more people around the world

00:38:32.580 - 00:38:48.600

will, will see it. Um, do you know any other dough figurine artists in the US? Uh not in the US that I've

00:38:48.740 - 00:39:06.040

known. Um, there is mainly… well, my family, there's mainly for the art form as intangible cultural heritage, there's my family's doing that, but there are other families.

00:39:06.460 - 00:39:20.590

There are other people doing it quite well, actually. From culinary world that's starting to do that. Oh, like they make it to eat?

00:39:21.050 - 00:39:30.770

From the beginning. Yeah, in the beginning, yeah. But then they start to progress and start to do more advanced figurine, but that's how they started.

00:39:33.550 - 00:39:51.050

Yeah. That's really cool. Um, so can you talk about how you started to work for Verizon? Yeah, so um, as MBA student, I was trying to find a internship within

00:39:51.630 - 00:40:02.230

marketing realm. Um, I had a few offer and I think Verizon is a good company, and they're doing try really doing a lot of good things,

00:40:02.230 - 00:40:12.900

especially in the COVID era. So that's where I picked and through the internship, I think it's a good fit. That's why I signed the contract with them.

00:40:14.400 - 00:40:33.230

So. Um, how does it feel to work for a company and not yourself? Oh, yeah, that's definitely something, a new experience for me. I mean, I used to work in a subdivision of Chinese government a little bit, but that's very different experiment,

00:40:33.380 - 00:40:45.550

but I think is good experiments overall. I really like being, working in a team, and I was I was pivoting to this new industry

00:40:46.290 - 00:40:58.740

and new position, I didn't know much about anything. So everyone has been incredibly helpful. So yeah, really, really liking the experience.

00:41:01.070 - 00:41:16.400

And how has it been working from home? It’s actually like it more than I expected because I thought working from home, would cut out a lot of the experience, you don't get to interact with people face to face.

00:41:16.700 - 00:41:33.800

But I think actually enhance the experience, at least for me, because this gives the company Verizon a chance to get us involved with more higher level topic, like talk to the CEO, talk to the VP.

00:41:35.130 - 00:41:50.500

So that's something we cannot have the opportunity to do if we do it in person. So I think for me in the big organization, I actually really like the the remote experience.

00:41:51.340 - 00:42:08.790

Also no traffic so. And how has quarantine affected the way that you make art? Um, I actually have been more efficient with it. Being a Chinese, Chinese.

00:42:09.150 - 00:42:26.140

I, I lived through COVID, lived through the SARS and everything so I, I am pretty good at getting pretty good at quarantine now. So I've been living under my rock not going out, not going out

00:42:26.410 - 00:42:43.950

at all for a few months, and then since I’m stucking at home, I've just have to make art. For my art, I think that's best, I can't say it's a bad thing for my art. Um, so in the

00:42:44.020 - 00:42:57.830

future, do you see yourself continuing to work in marketing and art and split your time? Or do you want to transition to one or the other eventually? No, I think splitting my time will be, will work.

00:42:59.070 - 00:43:15.850

I mean, I think for me, doing art, making art and promoting art is relaxed time for me, I enjoy it as much as vacation. So I can definitely do that on the

00:43:15.920 - 00:43:32.050

side of of my main work. And so, what do you think is your favorite part of Chinese history and culture? And how do you incorporate that into your art?

00:43:33.610 - 00:43:53.370

There's too many good things in Chinese culture and history. I guess I can't even just pick one, um but I think all the history are condensed to the, the culture we are having now like our day to

00:43:53.370 - 00:44:08.740

day lives, you can see everything, you can see a lot in our daily life from the history. You can refer, reference back the book with we are reading now on to historical

00:44:09.960 - 00:44:25.930

like fraction of history, um, am I think that's something that I try to find inspiration in, from my day to day life to making my art. So even though is inspired by

00:44:26.230 - 00:44:46.360

ancient time, but I don't need to just drowning in history every day. like from like, what I've read today, I can still make reference to history and think of something amazing to do, to make. Um, so

00:44:46.360 - 00:45:03.440

how active have you been in the Chinese community in Houston? And so I try, I try to be as involved as I can. Um, there is a Asian Society of Houston. So I think they

00:45:03.440 - 00:45:21.900

are, they're really involved in, in a lot of like, Asian events and they, they hold a lot of events and trying to do a lot of good things to educate all race and culture about Asian, about about Asian community.

00:45:22.320 - 00:45:39.650

I'm just trying to be as involved as, as I can to be included in their event as well. So yeah, that's something I try to do. And other than that, just in my daily life, to tell my friends and my classmate, and my

00:45:39.650 - 00:45:55.820

co-workers more about Asian culture, Asian art, stuff like that. Um, have you had any significant mentors in your schooling? Or through art?

00:45:56.030 - 00:46:13.940

Or for your MBA? Yeah, I mean, um, by mentor, like, I, I do have a lot of professors that helped me dramatically. And I think I've built a pretty good personal relationship with a

00:46:13.990 - 00:46:29.920

few of my professors as well. So that's something that I didn't expect I can do. Yeah, but that's really precious to me. A lot of them are Asians

00:46:30.860 - 00:46:45.730

too. Um, so, during COVID, there's been an increase in anti-Asian sentiment in the US, how do you feel about that?

00:46:46.830 - 00:47:00.920

Yeah, that's, I mean, I, I don't know how to say that. But I feel like it’s... it’s gonna be harsh to say,

00:47:00.920 - 00:47:17.030

but I think they know, we are not-- people in China are not responsible for or are not releasing the virus. So we are all victim.

00:47:17.030 - 00:47:33.900

And we are trying to do a lot of people in China trying to do a lot of damage control as well, to help the rest of the, the world, um, as American transplant, I think I really appreciate

00:47:35.000 - 00:47:48.980

the effort that they did to help control COVID. And, and I think, I think we've made that people here and US are

00:47:48.980 - 00:48:06.910

also trying to make that really clear to the entire society. I don't know if there are, there definitely are still a lot of people still felt the opposite. So I, I, I don't know,

00:48:07.800 - 00:48:27.180

if there's a good way to further tell them the truth. To educate them to be more, to be more mindful about what's going on, on but I I'm just hopeful

00:48:27.210 - 00:48:45.270

that everyone can be more, more, more open minded about, you know, like different, different things, not just different culture, different people, different activity, different things.

00:48:45.680 - 00:49:02.940

So I think if people are more open minded, it shouldn't be that much of a problem, because it is natural to have a tendency to worry about things that are different than where they usually see or behave.

00:49:02.980 - 00:49:22.040

Right. So. Um, I think you were kind of mentioning earlier about Asian Americans being less vocal about certain issues. What do you think, that the Asian community can do

00:49:22.620 - 00:49:37.250

to make that better? Be more vocal. I think I think that's actually the case for younger generation, and especially like this

00:49:37.420 - 00:49:55.170

second generation of Asian American, third generation and you know, they're more vocal, I think it is a little bit difficult and I acknowledge the difficulty for a lot of Asian, first

00:49:55.210 - 00:50:11.210

generation Asian American depends on their upbringing, for example, Like, if, like I am, coming from China, it may be hard for one to, to speak up against the government, whichever government

00:50:11.290 - 00:50:27.740

they, they, they they are living under right now. Some people may think that that shouldn't be a good thing to do. You know, depends on, depends on culture, but I do think for second, third generation and,

00:50:28.720 - 00:50:46.980

and younger people, they, they, they are speaking up a little bit more, and I think that's a good thing that we should keep up with and keep doing. Yeah. Um, so was your, was your husband born and raised in

00:50:46.980 - 00:51:04.430

America? Or did he grow up in China? he was born and raised in, in America. He, his family, his grandma, grandpa come from Hong Kong. And it's so their

00:51:04.500 - 00:51:22.250

their parents have a traditional Chinese upbringing. But for his generation, for one, he don't speak Chinese anymore, not Mandarin, not Cantonese. He don't really celebrate any traditional

00:51:22.250 - 00:51:38.350

Chinese festival anymore, and I think that's like, a, that's true for a lot of other cases as well. So I think for a lot of Chinese, or sorry, Asian immigrant, they kind

00:51:38.920 - 00:51:54.430

of start to abandon their, their root, after a few generation, I don't know if there's something the parents intentionally do, or just just something not

00:51:54.480 - 00:52:08.680

intentionally do. But still, I think that's something we we can be more aware of, to educate, when educating our next generation, because it’s important to you to keep your roots.

00:52:11.140 - 00:52:25.130

and how do you think you will find the balance between keeping in touch with your roots, but also learning how to be successful in American society where you grow up? Well, I don't think those two are entirely contradictory.

00:52:27.110 - 00:52:43.950

Um, I think you can definitely do both. You can like, is same to be successful. Like, in any society, like, there's a lot of good quality that

00:52:44.400 - 00:53:02.570

you can you can gain from a, from, from, from a good background from like, a good family education, and to be successful in all culture. And that's something I think all parents should do, no matter where their

00:53:02.710 - 00:53:16.570

cultural background is. And I think, you know, like, just keep touch, keep in touch with the traditional Asian roots, it’s just some- something that can be done not

00:53:17.590 - 00:53:28.790

like super consciously, every like, because I think other people do that well, do that as well. White people do that.

00:53:29.300 - 00:53:39.110

Hispanic do that. Black people do that. Ever- everyone do that. Um, I don't think for Asian in order to be merged

00:53:40.050 - 00:53:55.230

into the mainstream society, we necessarily need to abandon, abandon our route. So. So what are your goals for the future?

00:53:56.640 - 00:54:10.580

Um, yeah, just trying to do both. Just juggle both worlds: marketing and art. So yeah, that and family I guess that would be my, my goal.

00:54:12.230 - 00:54:26.830

Mmm hmm. I don't think I have any more questions. Is there anything else you want to talk about? Um, no, I think that’s it.

00:54:27.380 - 00:54:33.750

Great. Well, thank you so much. I will stop recording this right now. Great. Thank you.