Written by: Mehr Jan
Posted on: April 28, 2020 | 
| 中文
Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin
The current pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of societies the world over on a massive scale. Such outbreaks often instill a sense of fear among people, and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has uncovered fault-lines in the society in various ways. The chaos and uncertainty is getting the better of people, and racism, prejudice and bigotry then surface on the sidelines. While China has always been one of our strongest allies, beyond officialdom, the people-to-people connectivity is the centerpiece of our friendship.
A little-noticed fact is that Pakistan is home to a small, thriving Chinese-Pakistani community. In search of a better life, Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin’s parents migrated to Pakistan in the eighties. She was born in Lahore in 1988, and while such a significant relocation could bring about an identity crisis, Vicky enjoys the best of both worlds. Soaking the cultural richness, diversity, history, traditions, as well as mastering both native languages with ease, she has been making the most of her situation.
Vicky with her father in 1989 (photo credits to Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin)
Speaking to Youlin, Vicky said: “At home, I am a complete ‘Cheeni’ (the endearing term in Urdu for ‘Chinese), but as soon as I step out, it’s a complete switch, which sometimes leaves friends and strangers bewildered, but that’s the fun of it.”
Despite not travelling to China during the past 20 years or so, she feels great pride in that part of her Chinese roots, as much as she does in being a desi (Pakistani). Having formed strong friendships over the years, Vicky is content with how her life has panned out, allowing her to consider both countries as major influences on her life and value system.
Vicky's Family in China in 1997 -(photo credits to Vicky Zhuang Yi-Yin)
Vicky is also one of the founders and directors of ‘Olomopolo’, a performance art theatre group that has been showcasing the similarities between both countries through art and theatrical projects. When asked about how it all began, she said, “My love for theatre originated as a third grader when I took part in a school play, in which a professional director was tasked to look over the modest production. The interest, however, peaked when I was in A Levels; it just felt like something I really wanted to do. Unfortunately, I thought I had given up on it when I went to Business School, but then somehow, it pulled me back into its world when I was in college, when I did my first commercial theater production, “The Corpse Bride”, directed by Hashim Ali. I then co-directed and wrote the play ‘The Forsaken’ the following year, with my friends, Hamza Ghaznavi as co-director, and Sarah Gilani as our art director. It led to more opportunities, ideas and interest, as I met great artists like Kanwal Khoosat, Iram Sana, FyqueNadeem and Sania Saeed. It was this group that was cosmically drawn together, and created OLOMOPOLO Media back in 2013, and we're still at it with OLOMOPOLO .”
Some of the Founders of Olomopolo (Including Vicky) celebrating Olomopolo's Third Anniversary
There is a recent subdivision in OLOMOPOLO called ‘OLO People’, which aims to celebrate the different cultures found in Pakistan. The Lantern Festival was one such celebration, through which Vicky presented to the audience how Chinese people in Pakistan commemorate the Chinese New Year. “I also did a fun segment in which I compared how both cultures are marriage obsessed, and how we celebrate Chinese New Year in the same spirit as Eid is celebrated here.”
Celebrating the Chinese New Year at Olomopolo
Olomopolo has been presenting and experimenting with different works of art, across mediums of theatre, stage performance and interactive theater, which engages the audience. They have tackled multiple genres, from fantasy to social commentary to folk theatre.
“We've been able to push the boundaries in terms of performances, by constantly challenging ourselves and the (often repeated and boring) social narratives that we are so used to in our society. The best part is that we work with different age groups, so it really is a fun mix of things to do”, she added.
At AlHamra Arts Council, Lahore
Aside from theatre, Vicky has also founded the social media initiative ‘The Cheeni Chronicles’, which documents her everyday experiences. Recently, her attention has shifted to conversations about racism and diversity. Calling it her passion project, Vicky revealed that its purpose is to embrace one’s identity and celebrate one’s uniqueness, as opposed to hiding it for fear of ridicule. This is a message that is strongly needed in present times.
Vicky as Majnu in a College Play (phtoto credits to Dawn)
“In Pakistan, prejudice against the ‘other’ is a result of the homogeneity of society. The moment somebody sees someone else being different or looking different, we kind of start asking strange questions or, sometimes, even trying to make fun of them, simply because they are different from the majority of people.”
She explained how the pandemic has regrettably resulted in a perpetuation of racism, especially for people who look ‘Chinese’, although such stigmatizing is totally unacceptable. President Trump initially had the temerity to call it ‘Chinese Virus’.
“People are being judgmental and COVID-19 is the new slur for "Chinese" people, often incorrectly for Asians who aren’t even from China.” While the concerns over the deadly virus are understandable, the stereotyping resulting from it is shameful. Vicky highlighted the fact that the virus doesn’t discriminate among races in its spread. Certain dangerous misconceptions need to be eradicated, and efforts made to forge a collective approach to confront a ‘common enemy’ in the form of the Coronavirus.
“Rather than wasting time on looking for scapegoats, I think if people worked together, did their part in protecting their loved ones and the people around them, we'd end up with a better world. Instead of excluding an entire race and putting labels and location on the virus, the time is to show solidarity.”
You can follow Vicky’s take on the world at @cheenichronicles on Instagram.
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