An Interview with Jason Li

Jason is in his sophomore year of undergraduate studies here at Duke. He is from Hong Kong, China, and is majoring in Economics and Psychology.

So why did you decide to study in the States?

Well, I thought it was going to be a good experience to leave Hong Kong. I’ve always wanted to study overseas, and I was considering between the US and the UK. I finally decided that I wanted to come here because the education system here is more liberal compared to the UK system. With the UK, you go there and, if you’re an Econ major, all the classes you’re taking are basically Econ classes. And I felt like I wanted to take some other classes. I took Intro to Jazz last semester and loved it, and I took a couple of Psych classes and liked them a lot, so now I’m a Psych major.

 

What did your family and friends think of your decision?

Actually, in Hong Kong, quite a lot of people study overseas. Most of them stay in Hong Kong, obviously, but a lot of the go to the UK, as well. I have some friends who go to school in the US, so it’s a pretty common thing. My family has been pretty supportive and encouraging. I think they agree that it’s a good idea to come here and study.

 

Did you always know that you were going to be an Econ major?

Yeah, I’m very interested in Econ. I’ve always been, so, yep.

 

Where did you go to school in Hong Kong?

I actually spent 11 years in a local school. It’s somewhere between a private and public school because it’s subsidized by the government, but, other than that, it’s basically like a private school. And I also did the IB program, so, after that school, I went to an international school in Hong Kong where I did the IB program.

 

So when you got to Duke, what were some of the bigger cultural changes you noticed?

Haha, I kind of knew you were going to ask that. Actually, I don’t know. Cultural change…there’s not as much as I thought. I think partly because, I don’t know, globalization? I watch American movies, I listen to American music. I feel like, here, people tend to really live up to the “work hard, play hard” thing they talk about, which is pretty amazing, because it’s a lot about time management and learning how to prioritize, and that’s something that I find quite unique about students here. I’m not sure whether that’s the case in the US, but at least here at Duke, it’s pretty amazing. They’re very focused academically, but they also have a big social life.

 

What were some of the things that you did growing up in Hong Kong that people might not do here? Or maybe the reverse?

Well, I don’t know how football works – American football. In my mind, football is soccer, and I’ve been a big soccer fan for a long time. I grew up playing soccer, and I don’t understand how football and baseball work. I never watched the Superbowl until this year – I never learned how it worked until this year, as well.

 

When you’re here, what do you miss most about Hong Kong?

I miss my family, my friends. I miss the food in Hong Kong. You know, Chinese food here is nothing like what we have in Hong Kong. So, yeah, I’d say I miss my family and my friends the most, though.

 

So how has the Chinese/Hong Kong duality played out in your life?

Well, obviously I consider myself Chinese. It’s just that I feel like Hong Kong and China are very different in terms of…the cultures are different, the legal system and the education system are different. When I was going up, Hong Kong was still under the British – so until 1997, when I was 9 years old. Before that, I grew up having the perception that it was a British colony.

 

Do you guys still have British passports?

Yeah, I do have British citizenship, so it’s weird. But I would say Hong Kong is definitely much more westernized. In terms of China, it’s more open. I grew up watching ER, The X-Files, and all that. But, at the same time, after 1997, there have been a lot of new policies, there are a lot more immigrants from mainland China, and there’s a much bigger focus on learning Mandarin.

 

Do you see the changes as something positive or not?

Well, it’s a mixture of both, because, in college and schools, there are a lot of immigrants from China, and the children go to same schools as we did, and they made it much more competitive. But I would say competition might be a good thing. I mean, in terms of the society as a whole, Chinese tourism in Hong Kong is one of the biggest sources of income. It starts the flow of money into Hong Kong. So that might be a good thing.

 

Do you think Americans might have any stereotypes about Hong Kong?

About Hong Kong in particular? I would say that there might be some, but I haven’t really encountered any, in terms of Hong Kong. Whenever people ask me where I’m from and I say, “Hong Kong,” they go, “Oh, it’s a big city – it’s pretty cool!” And, I mean, they’re right, in that respect. Some people are surprised that everything isn’t taught in Chinese in Hong Kong. That’s not the case – there’s a really big focus on English in the education system in Hong Kong, and now Mandarin, too, because of China. Other than that, I’d say that’s pretty much it.

 

So here on campus, what are the organizations and activities you’re involved with?

I work at the Career Center. Basically what I do is that I help people write their resumes and cover letters. And, since I’m an international student, I also help international students if they have any problems or questions about working here in the United States or applying for a jobs here as students. I’m also in International Association, so I’m in charge of organizing major events like Foodfest and Springternational, which is coming up. The library party this year is organized by IA, too. I’m a TA for Econ as well.

 

So in your time at Duke, do you feel like you’ve changed any?

Yeah, actually I do feel like I’ve changed. I feel like the way I look at things has been different, because, before coming here, it was pretty clear. I wanted to be an Econ major and probably go into business and financial banking. It might be the education system here, it might be the atmosphere in general, but I just feel like there are so many more options out there.

 

Might be the economy!

Yeah, especially since the economy is so bad right now, so I might have to change my mind! But, I mean, taking Psych classes and that jazz class I talked about – they really made me feel like there are more things out there.

 

So do you know your plans after graduating?

I don’t really know. I probably am going to go back to Hong Kong. As I said, I miss my family and my friends. I grew up there. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever been to…well, I went to LA when I was like 8, but I never actually came back again until college. So I grew up in Hong Kong, and my friends and family are there, so I’m probably going to go back. And, I mean, career-wise, I feel like Hong Kong being so close to China is also kind of a niche that I should probably look in to.