KICKI YANG ZHANG | GERMANIA

Summary

Kicki, a 22-year-old model, influencer, and artist, reflects on her experiences growing up between cultures. Born to Chinese parents in Germany, she spent her early childhood in Shanghai before returning to Dortmund, where she faced bullying due to her Asian heritage. She discusses how this shaped her resilience and self-confidence, and how she embraces both her Asian roots and her creative passions. Now living in Berlin, Kicki inspires other Asian girls in the West by sharing her journey of overcoming challenges, pursuing a creative career, and striving for happiness and fulfillment.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker, Kicki, is 22 years old and was born in Dortmund, now living in Berlin.
• 🌍 Kicki's parents are from China, with her mother from Beijing and her father from Shanghai. They met in Germany.
• ✈️ Kicki spent the first five years of her life in Shanghai before returning to Dortmund, where she learned German after starting kindergarten.
• 🇨🇳 She identifies strongly with Asian culture, especially the values her parents taught her.
• 👶 Kicki was largely raised by nannies because her parents worked a lot, but she knows it was for her benefit.
• 💬 She experienced racism and bullying in school but didn't fully understand it at the time. Later, she was bullied in high school but didn't share it with her parents.
• 🎨 Kicki has a passion for Japanese and Korean pop culture and expressed herself through her unique style, which made her feel like an outsider.
• 💪 Despite the bullying, she believes it helped build her confidence and made her care less about others' opinions.
• 🎓 Her parents, influenced by their experiences during the Cultural Revolution, placed a strong emphasis on education, but Kicki chose a creative career path.
• 📱 Now a model, influencer, and artist, Kicki finds joy in inspiring other Asian girls and living creatively while making a living.