Migration in Dialogue – Yibin Wang
Photo of Yibin Wang. Image credit: Kai Miedendorp.
In the interview series, Migration in Dialogue, IMPULSE journalists speak with immigrants who work in the arts and culture industry. The compilation of conversations examines borders and the arbitrariness thereof, in an attempt to situate nationhood and the migrant experience in the now. To kickstart the series of conversations, theater director Yibin Wang (b. Hangzhou, China) talks about self-realization and how the visa application process impacts the rhythm of his creative journey.
With an MFA in Theater Directing from Columbia University and a BA in Theater and Performance from Bard College, Yibin Wang explores physicality, technology, kinship, and human narratives through his work. Since 2016, he has been directing and co-writing plays in the US, China, and Germany.
JW: How long have you been in the US? What visa are you currently on? Have you been on other kinds of visas before?
YB: I came to the US for the first time in 2016 on a student visa for my undergrad. I had a tourist visa before that but never used it. I was here until 2020 when COVID hit, went back to China for a year, and returned in 2021 to continue my F1 visa as a grad student. I've been here for almost seven years, with a one-year break in between. I'm now waiting for my OPT to start in July.
JW: What are your plans now?
YB: I haven’t always been sure if I wanted to get an O1 visa and stay. One important moment was last November when I returned to New York after being away for a while. I remember vividly that I immediately got back to work the very next day, helping Lingyi with her play reading. Somehow, I was suddenly hit with a sense of familiarity with working in New York – the grind and the sense of community.
Since the beginning of this year, I felt that the illusion of choice had trapped me for a while. I was telling myself it wouldn't be bad to return to China, but I could also stay here. I kept oscillating between options and might have underestimated how complicated the process was. By the time I finished my MFA thesis, it was really time to decide. The goal right now is to make the most of this OPT year and work towards an O1 visa – setting realistic expectations, digging up proofs for past gigs, and being mentally prepared. I can’t be completely sure about what comes after, but now I want to focus on this short-term goal.
JW: If you do stay in the US, is it mainly because of New York then?
YB: Yes, for the most part. The people with whom I would like to collaborate are still in New York. But honestly, many of them are in the same situation as me, so who knows how many of us will still be around after this year …
Yibin Wang at a rehearsal. Photo by Yejia Sun.
JW: Do you envy your American artist friends?
YB: Yes and no. I definitely consider them lucky to not have this concern. But talking to the people in my program made me realize that they also share similar confusions about their careers. It’s not that all of your problems would go away if you didn’t have this visa problem, and there’s certainly not a direct correlation between this and a successful career. I’m also just grateful that being an immigrant gives me an added perspective.
The thing I envy the most is how close they are to home. Especially as some of our family members are aging, I wish I had more opportunities to see them, which weighs heavily on me. Going back to China is really a lengthy and complicated process. I always feel like I've left behind my hometown and its people, and this is something I need to personally work through and find reconciliation with.
JW: Our work in the arts relies heavily on networking and connections, which can take a long time to cultivate. Do you have any work experience in China that allowed you to get to know people in the industry, in case you have to go back?
YB: Most of my theater experience has been in the US. I had a few gigs and internships here and there in Europe and in China but nothing substantial. Last summer while in China, I worked on a short play as part of a theater festival. That was my first real interaction with Chinese crew members, getting a sense of their dynamics, which is similar to what I’ve been hearing. People say that theater’s ecosystem in China is still quite raw—an apt description. The industry isn't fully mature, and many people are still figuring things out. Power dynamics are unstable, so "raw / in the wild" would be a good descriptor.
To be honest, as an artist, I feel that I haven't fully matured yet, and I haven’t fully defined the scope of my craft or what I want to do. My intuition is that returning to China and starting over might overwhelm me. Here in New York, although life is tougher, I feel as if I’m making steady progress towards becoming the artist I want to be, so I want to give it another try here.
JW: If the visa issue didn't exist, would your outlook on the future be different? Do you think the responsibility and pressure of this visa would affect your creative life?
YB: Without the pressure of this visa, I might have been able to live more freely. I might go back to China and live in the mountains for a few months to absorb some energy from nature. Then I can come back here and take on some projects. I would definitely be less goal-oriented and take things at my own pace because I'm just not very overachieving as a person. I might also work another job to support myself financially, instead of forcing myself to constantly do creative work, which can be draining at times.
Right now, I'm trying to focus on what the experience can bring me instead of what it will take away. Two weeks ago, our cohort of six people went to a cabin upstate for a retreat. I shared with Professor Anne Bogart that the visa issue will be a major theme in my life, at least for the next year or so. She told me to reframe this as a relatively positive experience—maybe it will bring more opportunities, now that I have to fully advocate for myself.
I have to start exercising this mentality, because for an artist, creative energy is very precious and easily misguided. I genuinely don’t know what will happen four years from now, but I hope to best harness my limited energy on what’s useful.
Yibin Wang at a rehearsal. Photo by Shi Huang.
JW: Do you feel that political and social issues within the United States will affect your future plans? For example, would the result of the election influence your decisions? What’s your relationship with American politics?
YB: I don't think so. I came here in August 2016, and during the election that year, I had a curious and somewhat detached attitude. I always considered myself a liberal while in China, but after coming here, I found it hard to fully fit into the liberal-conservative spectrum. It was a bit of a culture shock with a lot of self-questioning running in the background. I was looking at the election through both Western and Chinese media, which made me feel quite detached. For instance, one article that left a deep impression on me was by Liu Yu. She talked about how the liberal elites of the Democratic Party failed their voters by completely ignoring some Trump supporters, which led to such outcomes in 2016. I was still learning about American democracy (and I continue to learn now) with no particular attachment to this land; I also found myself well-protected in the bubble of a liberal environment at my school. At the time, I would try and protect myself by saying that I was a neutral observer who just came here for school. But this stance and my relationship with American politics changed after I graduated from college, which also coincided with some things happening in China that caused me to increasingly dislike the attitude of being a fence-sitter; the avoidant attitude accomplishes very little other than self-protection. Given what’s been happening in 2021, 2022, and what happened this year at school, I can no longer pretend to be neutral. You have to advocate for what you think is right. This year, after spending so much time in the US, it's hard to not think about current events and find myself affected by them.
This is where I see the importance of community. I don't want to make any predictions, but, say, if Trump returns in November, I'll be like, "Ok, this country messed up again." But I think I'll absorb some energy from my peers and community, because my desire to stay here has to do with specific people — those whom I want to be friends with and collaborate with. When politics become frustrating, I think about those people and our relationships. They give me so much strength and make me think it’s all worth it.
JW: Have you ever considered moving to Europe?
YB: It's possible too, if I end up hitting a wall here in the US. Getting a visa in Germany is easier than here, and the chance of obtaining permanent residency there is also higher. If that ends up being the case, I’d have to learn German, and it will take time and effort to start over. When I was there, I quite liked their political ecology, because from my perspective as an ordinary person (I’m no expert in politics), I feel as though their society is more compassionate towards marginalized peoples. It’s an important quality to me, although their politics are also in flux with the rise of the far-right as a global phenomenon.
That said, I am still inclined to commit to the application for an O1 because of what the process can teach me. For instance, years ago, I would have been too embarrassed to ask for that many recommendation letters, but now I have to take the leap and learn to self-promote. This proactive attitude will be incredibly helpful for pitching projects in the future, and I won’t feel ashamed to ask for help, especially from people I consider to be “above me.” You’d be surprised to know how many people are willing to help you.
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This interview was conducted in Mandarin Chinese and was edited for length and clarity.
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