On the eve of Independence Day in the United States, Chinese-American journalist Ling Wei, writing for The Wall Street Journal, shared her personal journey of transitioning from being a Chinese national to becoming an American citizen and finding a sense of identity.
After studying and working in journalism in New York for ten years, she obtained her U.S. citizenship in 2010.
“The reason is simple: I wanted to return to China – the place where I was born and raised – to engage in independent reporting,” she wrote.
As Beijing does not allow Chinese citizens to report for foreign news agencies, having a U.S. blue passport could help her fulfill her dream of reporting in China.
At that time, China had surpassed Japan as the world’s second-largest economy.
In the spring of 2011, as she prepared to head to Beijing to work for The Wall Street Journal’s Beijing bureau, she applied for a visa at the Chinese Consulate General in New York. She witnessed a Chinese visa officer trim the top right corner of her Chinese passport swiftly.
“I felt a little moved,” she wrote, “To me, this action marked the end of my official Chinese citizen status. Nonetheless, at that moment, I still considered myself Chinese – even though I held a blue American passport.”
In the following years, she found reporting on Chinese topics in Beijing to be increasingly challenging. “Officials initially sought out Western journalists to express their views, exchange ideas, or practice English, but gradually they all fell silent,” she said.
“As the years passed living and breathing in Beijing, I felt more like an American, and my desire to challenge official narratives and engage in critical reporting grew stronger,” Ling Wei added.
By spring 2020, the Chinese government expelled a group of American media journalists, including those from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and she was among them.
This expulsion was seen as retaliation against the U.S. government but also represented Beijing’s efforts to isolate China from the West.
Subsequently, even traditionally more economically focused Chinese officials – who used to interact with Western counterparts and foreign corporate executives – increasingly found themselves only able to attend meetings with security personnel and repeating official rhetoric.
In May 2020, Ling Wei was escorted by Chinese security to the boarding gate at Shanghai airport, being expelled from the country where she had spent half of her life. All of this unfolded before her mother, who was in her seventies.
Fifteen hours later, upon arriving at JFK Airport in New York and presenting her blue passport, a U.S. Customs officer greeted her, saying, “Welcome home.”
“At that moment, I realized, I am no longer just someone holding a blue passport. I am a proud Chinese-American,” she wrote.
She noted that compared to over twenty years ago, the U.S. has undergone significant changes, including how Americans view China. Many bright and intelligent Americans no longer see China as a sought-after destination but rather as a risky place to travel.
Lastly, she quoted a letter from a reader in New Jersey saying that while America is certainly not perfect, the American flag flies for everyone, whether it’s “Daughters of the American Revolution” (a non-profit organization) or newly naturalized citizens.
This U.S. Chinese-American journalist wishes everyone a happy Independence Day on July 4th.