Interview with Charlie Yi Zhang, July 3, 2018

Partial Transcript: My name is Adriana Sisko and the date is July third.

Segment Synopsis: Charlie Zhang is introduced. He discusses his upbringing in a 'small town' in China as the only child of working class parents. He talks about his friendships with girls and his interest in stereotypically "girly" activities. He talks about his awareness of the concept of homosexuality and his experience of hearing a homophobic slur in a movie. He talks about his popularity and academic performance in school.

Keywords: "Normal"; "Sissy"; "girly"; 1970s; Academic performance; Adults; Androgyny; Arts and crafts; Aunts; Authority; Awareness; Children; China; Chinese Peking Opera; Cultural norms; Different; Discipline; Discourse; Extracurricular activities; Extroverted; Fathers; Female roles; Feminization; Feminized; Freedom; Gender roles; Gender studies; Girls; Hong Kong (China); Marketization; Mothers; Movies; Name-calling; One Child Policy; Performance; PhD; Popularity; Public schools; Punishment; Reactions; Schools; Siblings; Slurs; Small towns; Social life; Socializing; Teachers; Teaching; Terminology; Terms; United States; Upbringing; Welcoming; Western culture; Working class

Subjects: Childhood; China--Cultural policy.; China--Foreign relations--1976-; China--Foreign relations.; China--History.; China--Politics and government--1976-2002.; China--Politics and government.; China--Social conditions--1976-2000.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs--1976-2002.; China--Social life and customs.; China--Social policy.; China.; Education; Families.; Friendship.; Homophobia.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.; Stereotypes (Social psychology)

Partial Transcript: And you mentioned earlier that at some point you realized you were different from other people or other children.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks more about his experience of hearing a homophobic slur in a movie and somehow knowing that it applied to himself. He talks about his confusion and questioning when he began having romantic feelings toward other males, and his relief when he discovered through the Internet that he was not the only one. He talks about whether he felt pressured to be in heterosexual relationships and discusses his family's awareness of LGBTQ people.

Keywords: Awareness; Categories; Colleges; Confusion; Crushes; Different; Discouraged; Email; Family; Feelings; Friends; Gay community; Gender performance; Hiding; High schools; Internet; Internet cafes; Internet posts; Invisible boundaries; Junior high schools; LGBTQ community; Labels; Middle schools; Movies; Peers; Pressures; Questioning; Relief; Romantic obsessions; Secrets; Slurs; Support; Universities

Subjects: Childhood; China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs.; China.; Closeted gays.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Coming out (Sexual orientation); Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Education; Education, Higher; Families.; Friendship.; Gay men--Identity.; Gays--Identity.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual orientation.; Stereotypes (Social psychology)

Partial Transcript: And undergrad, aside from meeting these other people like you, how would you summarize your undergraduate experience?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about his experience in college in China as an undergraduate majoring in English. He talks about his relationships with friends and roommates, as well as his dating life at the time.

Keywords: Academics; Angry; Attitudes; Awareness; Boyfriends; College majors; Colleges; Contact; Demanding; Discouraged; Dormitories; English; Family; Financially rewarding; Friends; Nostalgic; Parents; Reactions; Relationships; Roommates; Sports teams; Support; Team captains; Undergraduate education; Universities; Volleyball; Well-paid jobs

Subjects: China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs.; China.; Closeted gays.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Coming out (Sexual orientation); Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Education; Education, Higher; Families.; Friendship.; Gay men--Identity.; Gays--Identity.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual orientation.; Stereotypes (Social psychology); Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: So you finish undergrad.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about being offered a job teaching at the same university from which he graduated. He talks about his attempts to apply to graduate school. He talks about his experience teaching English at the college level, as well as teaching and tutoring for a for-profit company at the same time. He briefly talks about attending graduate school and obtaining his masters degree.

Keywords: Academic settings; Academics; Airlines; Communication studies; Corporations; Courses; Department chairs; English; Evaluations; Failure; Graduate schools; Instructors; Internships; Intimidated; Job offers; Jobs; Masters degrees; Peking University; PhD; Side jobs; Students; Tutoring; Undergraduate education; Young

Subjects: China--Social conditions.; China.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Education; Education, Higher; Employment; Families.; Teachers; Teaching; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: And before you move here--

Segment Synopsis: Zhang says he never specifically performed heterosexuality, but would sometimes hide his sexuality. He provides examples, discussing how he would avoid late night talks with his roommates regarding dating.

Keywords: Attitudes; Avoidance; Avoiding; Blending in; Conversations; Economic status; Finances; Heteronormative; Hiding; Late night talks; Marketization; Participation; Performing heterosexuality; Privilege; Roommates; Sex; Sexuality

Subjects: China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs.; China.; Closeted gays.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Education; Education, Higher; Families.; Friendship.; Gay men--Identity.; Gays--Identity.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual minority college students; Sexual orientation.; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: And you mentioned a couple times that, um, you come from a working class background.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about how his mother was proud of his teaching job at the university.

Keywords: Bragging; Faculty; Family; Fathers; Feelings; Financial support; Income; Independent; Money; Mothers; Parents; Proud; Reactions; Salary; University-level; Well-paid; Working class

Subjects: China--Social conditions.; China.; Education; Education, Higher; Employment; Families.; Teachers; Teaching; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: So at some point you decide to pursue a PhD?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang discusses how he decided to pursue a PhD in gender studies. He says a professor exploited some of her students to translate a book on the topics of masculinity studies and gender theory. Through his work translating the book, Zhang became interested in the topic. He wrote his masters thesis on the topic of gender and later realized that he could study gender for his PhD.

Keywords: Admissions; Applications; Arizona State University; Boyfriends; Communications studies; Costs; Cultural norms; Examinations; Exams; Exploitation; Failure; Fees; Finances; GRE testing; Gender and women's studies (GWS); Gender theory; Instructors; Judith Butler; Life-changing moments; Marginalized; Masculinity studies; Masters thesis; Men's Lifestyle Magazines and the Construction of Male Identity; Michel Foucault; Motivations; Peers; PhD; Political Economy of Communication; Poor; Poverty; Professors; Topics; Translations; United States

Subjects: China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs.; China.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Education; Education, Higher; Families.; Gender studies; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Masculinity.; Sexual orientation.; Stereotypes (Social psychology); Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: So your plan initially when you, you come to, um--it was Arizona, right?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about his reasons for leaving China and his decision to stay in the U.S. He talks about the fantasy he believed regarding the freedom and democracy in the U.S. and how that differed from the reality once he arrived. He talks about the current sociopolitical situation in China in regard to the Communist Party and freedom, gender, and sexuality.

Keywords: Anti-revolutionary; Awareness; Backgrounds; Better; Businesses; Capitalism; Communist Party; Condemned; Cultural revolution; Degrees; Democratic; Economic polarization; Education; Employment; Family; Fantasy; Fathers; Feminist activists; Finances; Gender norms; Grandfathers; Influences; Knowledge; Marketization; Mass media; Non-marital relationships; Oppressive; Parents; Positive images; Pressure; Public; Reasoning; Sexuality; State-owned; Staying; Strict; Stringent; Topics; United States; Women; Worse

Subjects: Childhood; China--Commerce.; China--Cultural policy.; China--Economic conditions.; China--Emigration and immigration.; China--Foreign relations--1976-; China--Foreign relations.; China--History--Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976.; China--History.; China--Politics and government--1976-2002.; China--Politics and government.; China--Social conditions--1976-2000.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs--1976-2002.; China--Social life and customs.; China--Social policy.; China.; Education, Higher; Families.; Gender studies; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual orientation.

Partial Transcript: Um, when you were--this is somewhat connected but jumping topics a bit.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about his defense committee's reaction to his masters thesis on masculinity. He talks about how gender and sexuality are becoming more popular topics in China, but many people are still not aware.

Keywords: 'Leftover women'; 'Manly quality'; Advisors; Awareness; Cultural representation; Culture; Defense committees; Developed; Interests; LGBTQ community; Labels; Marginalized; Masters programs; Masters thesis; Media; Misunderstandings; Popular culture; Popularity; Quantitative statistics; Reactions; Single women; Subcultures; Topics; Universities

Subjects: China--Cultural policy.; China--Foreign relations.; China--History.; China--Politics and government.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs--1976-2002.; China--Social life and customs.; China--Social policy.; China.; Education, Higher; Gender studies; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Masculinity.; Sexual orientation.; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: Um, alright, moving forward a bit.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about how he felt when he first arrived in the U.S., specifically in Arizona. He talks about how some of his initial impressions were positive, but he discovered later that there was negativity under the surface. For instance, he was told he was allowed to wear anything he wanted, including the color pink, but he later discovered that this was because Asian men are already seen as "feminized."

Keywords: Alone; Arizona; Arizona State University; Clothes; Clothing; Cohorts; Competition; Cultural climate; Demanding; Education systems; Emancipating; Emancipation; Equality; Faculty; Fathers; Feminization; Feminized; Freedom; Friendships; Gender norms; Graduate students; Liberated; Reading; Transitions; United States

Subjects: China--Emigration and immigration.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs.; China.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination.; Education, Higher; Gender studies; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Race discrimination.; Race relations; Racism

Partial Transcript: Were you able to meet any, um, LGBT-identified people?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang discusses some of the discoveries he made about dating in the U.S., including racism among the LGBTQ community.

Keywords: Asian; Asian identity; Boyfriends; Chinese; Cohorts; Democratic; Departments; Disclosure; Faculty; Fantasy; Internet; LGBTQ community; Relationships; Roles

Subjects: China--Emigration and immigration.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Discrimination.; Friendship.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Race discrimination.; Race relations; Racism; Stereotypes (Social psychology)

Partial Transcript: What did you end up doing for your dissertation?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang describes the topic of his dissertation. He talks about some of the cultural barriers he experienced in the U.S., including more examples of racism and racial stereotypes that he had never experienced before.

Keywords: Abilities; Asian; Assumptions; Checkboxes; Classes; Communication; Contributions; Cultural barriers; Differences; Discussions; Dissertations; Expression; Gender norms; Global economy; Intimidated; Jobs; Language skills; Marketization; Mathematics; Racial differences; Reading materials; Shifting; Social regulations; Social structures; Students; Topics

Subjects: China--Commerce.; China--Cultural policy.; China--Economic conditions.; China--Politics and government.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social policy.; College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination.; Education; Education, Higher; Gender studies; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Masculinity.; Race discrimination.; Race relations; Racism; Stereotypes (Social psychology); Teachers; Teaching; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: So after you finished the dissertation, where's the next place that you went?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about being offered a job at a university in South Dakota. He says he was told he was hired specifically because he is Asian. He talks about teaching classes on global studies and being told by the head of the department that he was not allowed to mention topics including race, gender, and sexuality. He talks about examples of tokenism at the university, as well as examples of harassment he experienced due to his sexuality.

Keywords: African Americans; Allowed; Arizona; Asian; Awareness; Censorship; Chinese; Content; Courses; Department heads; Departments; Enrollment; Evaluations; First; Friends; Global studies; Harassment; Heterosexual partners; Hired; Job offers; Jobs; Offensive; Openness; Outness; Pressure; Reported; Scared; Sexuality; South Dakota; Subjects; Tokenism; Topics

Subjects: College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination.; Education; Education, Higher; Gender studies; Homophobia.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Race discrimination.; Race relations; Racism; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.; Teachers; Teaching; Universities and colleges.

Partial Transcript: And so, uh, South Dakota, how long were you teaching there?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang discusses the differences between South Dakota and Kentucky in regard to how the topics of race and sexuality are treated. He talks about how race is an emotionally charged topic in Kentucky and gives an example of how he carefully introduces it to his students.

Keywords: 'Underdeveloped species'; Acceptance; African Americans; Classes; Conversations; Differences; Emotionally charged; Gender and women's studies (GWS); Human diversity; Intersectionality; Jobs; Kentucky; LGBTQ community; Latino; Liberal; Participation; Personal life; Popular culture; Progressive; Representation; Sexuality; South Dakota; Subjects; Talking; Textbooks; Title IX; Topics

Subjects: College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Discrimination.; Education; Education, Higher; Gender studies; Homophobia.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Race discrimination.; Race relations; Racism; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.; Teachers; Teaching; Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Um, actually, speaking of him, I wanted to ask how you all met.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about meeting and marrying his husband. He talks about why they did not have a wedding ceremony. He talks about when he told his father about his husband, his father's initial reaction, and the current relationship between his father and his husband, as well as the relationship between his father and himself.

Keywords: Angry; Attitudes; Awareness; Baggage; Bonding; Communication; County clerks; Dating apps; Disclosure; Distance; Fathers; Health issues; Husbands; Married; Mothers; Parties; Personalities; Reactions; Relationships; Shocked; Talking; Visits; Wedding ceremonies; Weddings

Subjects: Childhood; Coming out (Sexual orientation); Couples.; Dates (Social engagements); Dating (Social customs); Families.; Friendship.; Gay men--Identity.; Gays--Identity.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Marriage; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.

Partial Transcript: And, um, moving topics a bit to focus more on Lexington and your life in, in Lexington.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about his social circles in Lexington and his interactions with the LGBTQ community. He talks about hearing that rural areas are not welcoming to non-white or LGBTQ people, but says he did not really experience that when visiting Morehead.

Keywords: Classes; Entomology; Faculty advisors; Graduate students; Husbands; Kim Davis; LGBTQ community; Morehead State University; Professional relationships; Relationships; Rural areas; Rural communities; Safe spaces; Social circles; The Queer Project; Welcome; Welcoming

Subjects: College students--Attitudes.; College students--Social conditions; Education; Education, Higher; Homophobia.; Homosexuality.; Interpersonal relations; Lexington (Ky.).; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Race relations; Sexual minorities--Identity.; Sexual minorities.; Sexual orientation.; Teachers; Teaching; Universities and colleges.; University of Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And I've, um--this has come to be a question that's come up, um--or a topic, I should say...

Segment Synopsis: Zhang discusses his views on the Trump administration and the current political climate in the U.S. He talks about the Trump administration's international policies, as well as domestic policies.

Keywords: Authoritarian; Barack Obama; Changes; Chinese government; Democracy; Donald Trump; Geopolitics; International diplomacy; International policies; International relations; Judges; Justice Anthony Kennedy; Naive; North Korea; Peace; Political administration; Precedents; Presidents; Progress; Reproductive rights; Stances; Supreme Court Justices; Taiwan; Threats; Trade wars

Subjects: China--Commerce.; China--Economic conditions.; China--Foreign relations--1976-; China--Foreign relations.; China--History.; China--Politics and government.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social policy.; China.; United States--Politics and government

Partial Transcript: Speaking of China, um, do you ever find yourself missing any aspects of China?

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about his feelings when visiting China now. He talks more about why he would not move back to China, saying that it is dangerous to discuss and teach topics on gender and sexuality. He talks about his uncle's reaction to hearing about his husband.

Keywords: Acceptance; Angry; Arrested; Control; Critical condition; Criticism; Dangerous; Emotionally taxing; Fathers; Food; Gender; Health issues; Home; Hong Kong (China); Husbands; Ideology; Jail; Marriage; Married; Missing; Mothers; Nightlife; Pressure; Purpose; Reactions; Same sex marriage; Sexuality; Shocked; Uncles; United States; Visiting; Visits; Western culture

Subjects: China--Cultural policy.; China--Emigration and immigration.; China--Foreign relations.; China--History.; China--Politics and government.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social life and customs.; China--Social policy.; China.; Families.; Interpersonal relations; Lifestyles.; Manners and customs; Sexual orientation.

Partial Transcript: Um, alright, so I have one more question that will finish us off.

Segment Synopsis: Zhang talks about his hopes for the future, both for his own career as well as politically in the U.S. and China. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Academics; Books; Changes; Chinese; Communist Party; Conservative; Democratic Party; Distractions; Donald Trump; Elections; Future; Hopes; International relations; Investigation; Journals; North Korea; Personal life; Politically; Presidents; Published; Publishing; Resistance; Robert Mueller; Tenure; Vladimir Putin; Writing

Subjects: China--Commerce.; China--Economic conditions.; China--Foreign relations--1976-; China--Foreign relations.; China--History.; China--Politics and government.; China--Social conditions.; China--Social policy.; China.; Education; Education, Higher; Teachers; Teaching; United States--Politics and government; Universities and colleges.