Why Ivanka Trump Is Considered A ‘Goddess’ In China
Image by Getty
By Thea Glassman April 8, 2017
Have you ever wanted to be exactly like a celebrity? Like maybe late at night, after scrolling a little too long through Lea Michele’s Instagram, you start wondering how exactly you can get her hair thickness and dewy skin?
For Wang Ge, a 26-year-old Chinese business school student, her celebrity of choice is Ivanka Trump, and the frequency of wanting to be her is pretty much every single morning.
“She’s pretty, she has her own career, she’s hardworking and she has a beautiful family,” Wang told The New York Times. “She inspires me.”
Wang said she has just one thought when she wakes up: “What would Ivanka do?” The student models her day on Trump’s, waking up at 6 a.m. for maximum productivity and making sure that she reading for a half-hour everyday — just like Trump.
And Wang is not alone. The Times reported that Trump is placed on a high pedestal in China, revered for her ability to (at least on the shiny surface of social media) have it all.
“She’s very independent,” Wang Jiabao, a Beijing-based reality television producer, told the NYT. “She represents what we’re looking for — to marry into a decent family, to look good, and to also have your own career.”
Trump’s self-help books are translated on Chinese messaging apps, while companies capitalize on her Chinese name “Yi Wan Ka” to sell products. She’s dubbed a “goddess” on social media and working Chinese women seek to mimic her confidence in the office, often to combat chauvinistic co-workers and employers.
The NYT also reports that many in China applauded Trump’s decision to convert to Judaism for Jared Kushner, which they believe shows commitment to family.
“Underneath her image are very traditional values,” Dai Linjia, a communications consultant, said. “Her family is almost like a dynasty.”
Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at glassman@forward.com
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