In this episode of our China From All Angles podcast, host Wes Chen talks to the managing editor of i-D China, Qiuzi Zhang, better known as Qz, about fashion, racism, identity, and everything related to being a young Chinese American.
Zhang was born in Hong Kong and attended primary school in Guangzhou before moving to the United States when she was 12. Having experienced both Eastern and Western cultures, she identifies as a third-culture kid.
“It is not about how many cultures you have encountered. It’s more about not fitting in with any of them and creating your own: That makes you a third-culture kid.”
In this podcast episode, Zhang recalls bouncing around different parts of the U.S., sometimes not by choice.
“My mom even sent me to a military school in Virginia because she thought I needed more discipline,” shares Zhang, who reveals that the private institute was packed with young social misfits and racist teachers.
From doing what she calls “bitchwork” (industry lingo for handling receipts and Starbucks orders) as an intern in New York to being cherry-picked as the editorial leader of i-D China, Zhang has come a long way in the creative industry.
Listen to her take on recent controversies, such as Chen Man’s cover for i-D and the D&G campaign featuring a model eating pizza with chopsticks, and much more.
A word of warning: Get ready for some raw material — this isn’t sugarcoated content.
‘China From All Angles’ is brought to you by East-West Bank, the premier financial bridge between the US and China. Listen to the new podcast’s first episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, SoundCloud, and 小宇宙.
Cover image designed by Haedi Yue
