Sharing “My Chinese Dream” as an Alien in North America
By Chiaretto Yan
This past summer, I was invited to two events in the US: to give a couple of talks at the USCCA conference on “Building Trust and Friendship” in Houston, TX, and to present my newly published book, My Chinese Dream: Dialogues and Encounters with Christianity, at DePaul University.
Since it was a long journey, I took the opportunity to visit old friends and relatives across North America. Traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast, from south to north—Houston to Toronto—I visited a total of seven major cities, gave lectures in six Chinatowns and parishes, and conducted interviews in English and Cantonese. It turned out to be a deeply enriching and fruitful experience.
Recently, I reflected on this scripture passage: “You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt.” (Ex 22:21). This became the leitmotif (recurring theme) of my trip to North America as an alien myself during this period.
For example, I only discovered that I needed a visa for Canada when I arrived at the San Francisco airport. The airline staff told me, “Apply online; you should have enough time. Just check Google yourself.” To make a long story short, I ended up missing my flight and felt completely desperate. I left that airline's counter and went to Air Canada. The agent there was exceptionally kind and eager to help. She tried assisting me with my mobile phone, but my payment wouldn't go through. In the end, she applied on her own phone and paid for my visa herself. I wanted to reimburse her, but she kindly refused and walked away. I was deeply grateful and reported her good deeds to the airline for helping a stranger in need.
Back at the Houston conference, I had already made many new friends from L.A. and D.C., who offered me generous hospitality and genuine friendship. During this journey, I also reunited with old friends whom I hadn't seen in over 30 years. In Toronto, I shared my wish with Irene to find a venue where I could meet with old friends. Although it seemed difficult at first, through Irene’s dedication and God’s grace, we ended up holding three gatherings and doing several interviews with local Chinese Catholic media.
In every Chinese parish and community I visited, I shared my personal testimony. I was born in Mainland China and grew up in Hong Kong. As a teenager, I became a Catholic after meeting a group of young people who lived out the Gospel authentically, which transformed my life.
For the past 30 years, I have lived in Mainland China, sharing this deeper life of faith with others—precisely because my “Chinese Dream” is for people to enjoy a better life.
My personal story resonated deeply with the audience. Many had pursued their own "American Dream" here—some 30 or more years ago, others 20 years ago, and some more recently. Though well-established now, all of them had been resident aliens in a foreign land at one point. This made their warm hospitality toward me even more meaningful.
After my presentations, a priest and several parishioners in Los Angeles and Toronto invited me to give online catechism classes or OCIA in the future, given that I speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. I gladly accepted, as we shared so much in common, and it offers a wonderful opportunity to accompany new immigrants in their faith journey. Furthermore, in the Bay Area and Toronto, I met diverse groups originating from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China. Despite our different backgrounds, our gatherings were marked by harmonious relationships.
Flying back to Shanghai from the US, my heart is filled with joy and gratitude. While we often witness a culture of indifference in the world around us, there are still so many people ready to extend a helping hand to a stranger in a foreign land. This is the true essence of universal brotherhood and sisterhood. A more fraternal world of peace is not merely a dream.
Dr. Chiaretto Yan 甄健湘 is a visiting professor at the University of Saint Joseph (Macau) and the National Seminary of China (Beijing). He is a consecrated member of the international Focolare movement. He holds a doctorate in practical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a second doctorate in philosophy from the Sophia University Institute in Loppiano. His publications include Evangelization in China: Challenges and Prospects and My Chinese Dream: Dialogues and Encounters with Christianity.
Note from the USCCA: Dr. Chiaretto Yan has been a dear friend of the USCCA community for many years. The warm reception he experienced on his North American book tour is a sign that despite frequent media talk of tension between China and the U.S., human hearts are always ready for communion, friendship, and dialogue. The Catholic faith is universal; so is human solidarity. How good it is to see a “resident alien” warmly embraced in North America, where he politely and movingly shared his “Chinese Dream,” a dream for a better life for his people, to be realized by a supernatural love modeled after the Holy Trinity. As Chiaretto points out in his interview with Megan Mio of the Archdiocese of Chicago, this “Chinese dream” of unity and harmony by way of Christian love is not simply the humble dream of Chiaretto Yan. It is also the dream of Jesus, who prays for the world that all may be one. We encourage you to check out this book by Chiaretto:
We also invite you to watch the interview videos below to get a vivid sense of Chiaretto’s theological and spiritual vision for China.
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