What’s it like to be an ultra rich Asian family’s daughter? Chelsea Jiang knows because she is one.
Jiang is one of the stars of “Ultra Rich Asian Girls,” a purportedly unscripted reality show which follows the daughters of ultra-rich Chinese families who emigrated to Canada.
Viewers get to follow the show’s stars on their luxurious and designer-filled escapades as they try to launch their careers as fashion designers and actresses.
Jiang, 25, is the founder of fashion line C3 and is the mother to a son she gave birth to earlier this year.
As her reality web series personality, Jiang is the orator of such gems like, “If I’m beef, I’m wagyu,” her way of saying she’s a cut above the regular by referring to the expensive fat-marbled beef commonly imported from Japan. There’s also this little exchange:
Jiang: “I’m allergic to carbs.”
Co-Star: “Carbs? You mean gluten?”
Jiang: “Yeah, gluten.”
“I’m Chinese, grew up in Canada, UBC math degree, lived in Beijing, Hunan, and Vancouver,” Jiang told NextShark about her background.
Jiang, a single child, was born in Ottawa and was raised in Beijing until she moved back to Ottawa at the age of 14. She eventually moved to Vancouver to attend the University of British Columbia to study math, expecting that she would end up working as an accountant.
Growing up in China, Jiang was raised through private schools and rarely saw her father, who spent most of his time working while her mother took her to ballet and piano classes. When she did see her father, he would buy her anything she wanted.
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On how her family amassed their fortune and the most important lesson they ever taught her, she said: “My families are very hard working. They earned every penny through their hard work and wisdom. They told me, ‘Always depend on yourself, nothing else.’ ”
In an interview with Richmond News, she said: “My parents are helping me financially, but it’s me who’s making the decisions.”
On the hardest thing she has ever had to do in her life, she said: “The hardest thing is being a mom, yet it’s the most rewarding thing too.”
In an interview with the National Post, Jiang said: “Ugly rich guys can use their wealth to get plastic surgery and become handsome. Hot and rich.”
When asked if she would ever marry someone who is considered “below” her financial class for love, she said: “Yes, I believe in love more than anything else.”
On whether she thinks most people only want to meet her for her money, she said: “I don’t think of myself as rich. More fortunate maybe, so I don’t think they only want to know me for my money.”
When asked if her persona on the series was that of a spoiled daughter who would otherwise be nothing without her parents’ money, Jiang responded:
“I never heard people say that about me, because I’m not spoiled or acting spoiled. I worked as a waitress when I was 18. Also I studied hard to graduate with a math degree. Everything I have in my life I earned it from hard work.”
Newly rich Chinese who are considered uncultured or lacking sophistication are often branded as “tuhao” in China. When asked if she considers herself a part of the group, Jiang said:
“Of course not. First, we are not uncultured or lack manners. Second, I’m not rich enough to be called tuhao lol.”
Jiang is known in the series to use a straw when she orders a bottle of Château Latour a Pomerol 1995 wine, which costs around $100 in the United States. Her reason being is to not stain her teeth when she drinks it.
“Chateau Latour, Pomerol 1995. And with a straw, I’ll have a straw with my wine.”
Also, there’s this:
On whether she believes that those who are fortunate enough to have wealth also have the added responsibility to make the world a better place, Jiang said:
“It’s easier for those who are fortunate with wealth to make the world a better place because they have more power in general. So I think the rich should do whatever is in their ability to help those who have needs.”
“And it doesn’t have to be money. It can be a message on Facebook, or a change of behavior, anything that brings awareness in people and affects the society in a positive way. Money, donation, those are the easiest and simplest way to contribute and make the world a better place. I’m involved in several charities, I contribute my time and energy to organize charity events, and of course I donate money and goods as well.”
Once passionate about launching her own fashion line, Jiang is now focusing on international trade to bring Asian-made goods to North America:
“I’ll be opening up an international trading company between Asia and North America. I believe people here need things that Asia is specialized in producing, and vice versa. My updates will be on my Instagram and Facebook.”
While Jiang’s Instagram is updated daily with pictures, her public Facebook page hasn’t been updated since November 2014 and her personal page is relatively private.
