31-07-2024
“UNAM changed my Life” Interview with Zhang Yibo
A student drinks coffee while reading a book by Mao Zedong: this might be a common sight in a Chinese university. But for Zhang Yibo, it was a surprising revelation upon her arrival at UNAM’s Faculty of Philosophy and Literature in 2015, as an exchange student from the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).
URL“There were people reading the Communist book. I wouldn’t even read it in China,” she recalls, reflecting on her first impression of the faculty, affectionately nicknamed Filos by the students.
Those days, Zhang was pursuing a master’s degree in the Chinese-Spanish Translation program at BFSU’s Faculty of Hispanic and Portuguese Studies. As a part of the student mobility agreement, Zhang had the opportunity to spend six months at UNAM, where she studied in the postgraduate program. This experience enabled her to choose her enrollment signatures and expand her knowledge of Mexico and Latin America.
Zhang discovered there a different student environment. From the diverse fashion styles of the students, to young people with piercings—an uncommon sight in China, as she herself recalled— to the architectural landscape of the campus: she felt like she entered another reality.
Zhang was born in Wuhan, Hubei province. She is currently studying another master’s degree in interpretation of three languages, Spanish, English, and Chinese, at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, a university located in Monterey, California, U.S. When she finishes her studies, she will come back to her permanent residence: Mexico.
She chose our country as her new home due to new job prospects, a relationship and the opportunity to reinvent herself. At 29 years old, societal norms in China would expect her to already be married with children, working for an important firm or for the government. To keep on studying at that age would be unthinkable in China, while in Mexico she discovered that another world was possible. In a conversation with UNAM China, she expressed:
The interchange at UNAM changed my life. Without it, I would now be in China, living a life that was already planned. Now, I’m living as a freelancer, doing simultaneous interpretation in three languages. I’m living an enviable life for many, just because UNAM gave me the opportunity. And I also because I was willing to embrace it for change.
STUDYING SPANISH TO AVOID THE GAOKAO
Zhang Yibo made the decision to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Spanish driven by a practical reason: to avoid the highly competitive national university entrance exam in China, known as Gaokao. “It’s a really challenging exam that includes mathematical knowledge. Since I wasn’t very good with it, I opted for a faster path”, she explains. The regulated pass was facilitated by her high school studies at Wuhan Foreign Languages School, which had a partnership program with BFSU, China’s most important university for foreign languages studies, to choose the more talented students to be admitted without taking the Gaokao. Zhang, proficient in English, was among those selected. She remarks:
If you speak Chinese, English, and Spanish, you have 80 per cent of the world population covered. This is why I decided to study it. Some people learn Spanish for their love of certain writers, or their passion for soccer. I’m not a soccer fan, I didn’t even know who Gabriel García Márquez was, nor had I read One Hundred Years of Solitude. I was interested in Mayan culture, and that’s why I chose my Spanish name to be Maia.
THE DECISION TO GO TO MEXICO
During the third year at university, students at BFSU can study abroad. During this time Zhang first learned about UNAM and it’s agreement with her university. “While in Beijing, I met a student from UNAM who was studying accounting at a university in China, and he encouraged: ‘Come to Mexico. You can stay at my place.’”
She also asked her classmates, who had previously studied at universities in Spain and at UNAM.
They told me it was a beautiful campus, a World Heritage site. Also, I felt like my life was following a predetermined path, so I wanted to have an adventure before returning to China to pursue a career in a corporate setting.
Zhang considered the opportunity to go to Mexico as unique. She could go to Spain at any other time, as it is generally easier for Chinese people to obtain a Spanish visa.
Prior to my decision, I was unaware of UNAM’s importance in the Spanish-speaking academic community. In addition, it’s a very well-known university that has ranked among the QS top hundred best universities worldwide. I used that argument to convince my parents. They thought there were no good universities in Mexico.
Her parents expressed their concerns about safety, particularly due to news in China about a famous drug lord that escaped from prison during that time. Zhang recalls:
I was apprehensive, but I was also filled with excitement because I had spoken to Chinese students who had been in Mexico, and all of them told me that visiting the place was worth it. It was quite different from what we’ve seen in the media. While there are dangers, like drugs and conflicts, each person who arrives in Mexico embarks on their own adventure. In China, student life is focused solely on studying, which can be boring—but effective. In contrast, arriving in Mexico is like discovering new opportunities. Students can pursue any interest, not just academic excellence. They can become soccer players, ballerinas. Something you can’t do in China because everything is just studying time.
HER JOURNEY THROUGH UNAM
Zhang wanted to fully immerse herself in the exchange experience, just like any other Mexican student, so, she took the pesero (bus) to get to UNAM.
“This is University City” the driver said.
“University City?” Zhang inquired.
“Yes, it even has its own transport and security systems.”
I was surprised because this didn’t exist in China: a university city. I walked and crossed “Las Islas,” and upon reaching the Central Library, I was astonished because it was a work of art. Very beautiful. I saw so many people laying there in ‘Las Islas,’ relaxing in the sun, while others were playing chess, baseball, soccer…
At the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature every professor was kind, but one of them left a lasting impression, professor Simonetta Morselli Barbieri. She teaches History of Mesoamerican People. Zhang keeps photographs of her class notes, which combine Chinese characters, words in Spanish and Nahuatl, and drawings of pre-Hispanic figures.
The professor taught them about pre-Columbian art, the deciphering of Mayan symbolism, and the meaning of the codices. “I still remember the word códices!” she says.
She wonders if there’s any class like that in China, one focused on deciphering lectures on ancient China: “At least there’s none in our university.” This cultural shock made her reflect on the richness of cultural differences and the importance of diversity in teaching.
The first challenge she faced in her classes was understanding the sense of identity through the deconstruction of established narratives. She realized that the phrase “the discovery of America” reflects the perspective of the conquerors.
I remember that we already had two classes discussing the sense of Latin American identity and why it is wrong to use the concept of “discovery.” I couldn’t understand it back then, but now I do. I was born in China, and I don’t need to be discovered. It’s a topic of interest among many Mexicans, who have been discussing the Mexican identity for a long time.
And she felt frustrated because, despite understanding Spanish, she struggled to fully grasp the deepness of the concepts and discussions.
When I went out with my Mexican friends, they tried to explain the complex relationship between the Indigenous communities and Europeans. I realized that Mexico is very different than the stereotype I had initially formed. I assumed that, given its reputation for vibrant celebrations, all the Mexicans were naturally optimistic, but that’s not true. Many of my friends may be depressive and are engaged in profound discussions about how to transform their country and define their identity. They have showed me a different Mexico from that of the fiestas.
In the academic realm, she also encountered a vastly different system compared to the one she knew in China. At BFSU, she learned a foreign language, which emphasized the practice of memorization and repetition.
At UNAM, language proficiency is a prerequisite. The focus then shifts towards discourse, analysis and critical thought. We had to read lots of books every week, which were very difficult for me to understand. Unlike in China, where we concentrated on learning Spanish vocabulary, at UNAM they expect you to express your opinions or write essays or analysis. They won’t correct you, but everything must be discussed in class. Someone you don’t know ca say: “I don’t agree with you” and share their opinion. I find this dynamic interesting.
I don’t mean you can’t express your opinion at BFSU, it’s more about the nature of learning a new language from scratch. We are like sponges who absorb so much information and knowledge that we often don’t have time to formulate our own thoughts. At UNAM, the university environment is very diverse across all the faculties. Despite this, there’s a sense of coexistence, and I adapt easily to different cultures. In Mexico there’s people from every background—colors, classes and ideologies.
Besides, UNAM opens the door to the world, and embodies the essence of a true university: an institution that encourages critical thinking and reflection.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO REINVENT ONESELF
Zhang has reflected about the experiences of Chinese students during their exchanges to Mexico, at least within her own circle of friends. She elaborates on her situation:
There are numerous reasons why I felt so free in Mexico. First, it was due to a six-month exchange program followed by my return to China after that time. This is crucial because, if I had stayed for two years or lived a normal life, I wouldn’t have felt the same sense of freedom. I have evidence that the same students who thoroughly enjoyed their time in Mexico during the six-month period were very disappointed when they returned to China, not because of the country itself, but because they had to settle and become more responsible.
For young people in China, studying in Mexico is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure […]. Another significant factor is distance. Since you’re far from your family, people won’t judge you because they don’t know you. In China I faced immense pressure due to my family’s expectations that I work for a governmental organization. In Mexico, however, you can be anything you want. I saw a forty-year-old woman studying her second master’s degree program in Philosophy, which would have been heavily criticized in China for not prioritizing her children and responsibilities. In Mexico no one would do that. Instead, people would congratulate you for keeping on with your studies.
This experience opened my mind and revealed new life opportunities before me. I am not limited to one single path. If I wanted to study another master’s degree when I’m 50, I can do it.
HER NEW HOME
After her exchange in Mexico, Zhang Yibo returned to China and graduated as an interpreter-translator. It wasn’t long before she found a job that would take her back to America. In 2017, a Chinese company hired her to work in Peru for a couple of months. Since she already had a visa for the United States, she took the opportunity to visit Mexico again. She got a job in Aeroméxico for a year as an interpreter on the Shanghai-Tijuana-Mexico City flight route. She worked there for just over a year, until the route was canceled in 2019 after eleven years of operation. This had been the only direct air connection between China and Latin America.
Zhang then secured another job at a Chinese tech company, which also helped her get her work visa. Things were looking up for her. During her time in Mexico, she met her boyfriend, with whom she’s been in a relationship for over four years. She describes him as Chinese Mexican. He was born in Shanghai, and arrived in Mexico when he was just 11 years old. Now he is 36.
He identifies as a Mexican. Speaks Chinese, Spanish, and English. His Spanish is very academic, but his Chinese skills are at an elementary level, just sufficient for his work. He embodies the Asian-Chinese work ethic common among grown men, he works very hard. While lot of Mexicans say “I have a private life,” he would remain working. But he did live his younger years like any other Mexican: going to parties, clubs, exploring freely.
Due to his Mexican upbringing, Zhang declares that her boyfriend possesses a truly open-minded perspective:
When I asked him his opinion on my choice to pursue a master’s degree at 27, or the possibility of not having children even if we married, the typical Asian response would be: “If we don’t have kids then why are we together.” My boyfriend’s answer was: “Whatever happens, it won’t matter.”
When the pandemic hit in 2019, she found herself stranded and unable to go back to China for three years. Consequently, she decided to apply for permanent residence in Mexico, securing her stay.
ZHANG A LA MEXICANA
Among the traditions she encountered, Zhang vividly recalls the Day of the Dead.
In China we have a day for remembrance of the dead called Qingming, but it is considered a sad day, and we tend to cry. In Mexico a family invited me to join them in visiting their departed ones. I was surprised to see them eating tacos at the cemetery, with the taco stand set up on top of a grave. It was a cultural shock for me, especially when I was told: “Sit wherever you like.” How could I sit when I was surrounded by graves? Yet, I saw a lot of people doing it. This would never happen in China.
Zhang has also taken part in posadas, but she admits struggling with the intonation of the Christmas carols and the song to ask for shelter. However, she learned how to dance salsa, cumbia and bachata, which she regularly practices with her friends while she studies in the United States.
GENERATIONS OF CHINESE MIGRANTS IN MEXICO
As a migrant, Zhang has a firsthand insight into how the different generations of her compatriots have settled in Mexico. She has observed four generations living here. The first generation comprises those who arrived in Mexico in the 80s and 90s, including her boyfriend’s parents. “They tend to isolate themselves. My boyfriend’s dad doesn’t speak a lot of Spanish and spends most of his time at home.” This generation opened many small supermarkets or the classic cafés de chinos (Chinese cafes). They also run stores of cheap Chinese goods, which are sold downtown alongside clothes and pirated goods. Many of them work in Tepito or own a more popular kind of Chinese restaurants.
The second generation includes those born in the 80s, and those who arrived in Mexico as children. Many of them have inherited their parent’s businesses:
But there’s so many people from this generation, like my boyfriend, that don’t want to become business owners and prefer to work for companies. “My parents spend most of the time taking care of their store. I don’t want to do that,” he says, so he prefers to work for Chinese companies that are opening branches in Mexico.
The third generation is Zhang’s:
My generation, born in the 90s, is already proficient in Spanish, and we also speak English. Many work for companies and, after four or five years, leave to start their own. Some, like me, want to pursue further postgraduate studies. Those from my generation who migrated to Mexico often did so because their partner is Mexican, or because they enjoy living in the country. A significant number of them are also homosexual.
There are also those who have started businesses, such as hot-pot restaurants or other ventures related to China. Lastly, the fourth generation consists of the children of employees that came to Mexico for work and decided to stay:
Their children, who are between ten and fifteen years old, attend private schools and learn English, Chinese and Spanish. Surely, they will do fine in life. These are the four generations that I have observed, each one of them vastly different from the other. Communication between these generations is limited, as the elderly are not very open to new things.
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN CULTURES
Zhang finds similarities between the Mexican and Chinese mothers’ education of their children, with a particular emphasis on education:
All the Mexicans I’ve known think education is very important. At least among my circle of friends at UNAM. At the Faculty of Philosophy, if you don’t study you won’t understand the class. I’m sure there are people who won’t care about education, but the Mexicans I’ve met in Mexico and the United States are very hardworking, and place importance on their children’s studies.
Before traveling to Latin America, I formed the stereotype that the region was all about partying every night. While it’s true that clubs open every night, there’s more than just nightlife. Academic education is prevalent, as is home education. Even though there’s families that can’t afford a private education, children often receive a good education at home: they get taught social skills, forgiveness, and saying ‘excuse me’ when passing by. There’s also a rough side from Mexicans, but generally they are kind. Even among those who can afford private education, I have seen families where parents work multiple jobs to pay for their children’s tuitions.
I’m also impressed by the difference regarding tolerance compared to China. It’s commonly believed that pursuing a degree in Humanities, such as Languages or History, may limit one’s opportunities. In Mexico, a historian is met with acceptance, whereas in China it often prompts questioning. But that’s just my personal experience, it may not be valid for everyone.
Zhang Yibo believes that language is merely a tool to communicate. What truly matters is getting to know people and their culture:
Because of that, UNAM and BFSU should continue to strengthen their exchange programs, as they can change the lives of countless students. For UNAM students considering an exchange in China, the experience is life changing. Learning Chinese culture and language will unlock many career opportunities. It also offers a chance to explore a distant country, one that shares both similarities and differences with Mexico.
Zhang Yibo is an interpreter and a translator formed at UNAM, currently living in Mexico.
Raúl L. Parra serves as a Communication and Liaison coordinator at UNAM’s office in China. He is editor of the bilingual (Chinese and Spanish) electronic newsletter: En el ombligo de la luna.
Raúl L. Parra serves as a Communication and Liaison coordinator at UNAM’s office in China. He is editor of the bilingual (Chinese and Spanish) electronic newsletter: En el ombligo de la luna.
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