In RTÉ's new radio series, Coming Home - Stories of Being Chinese Irish, six people from Ireland's Chinese-Irish community welcome host Eva Pau into their home and share their personal story of blended identity, family and belonging.
Ahead of the first episode, set to air on RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday, 12 October, we spoke with Qian Li, a woman who tells Eva about her childhood in Northern China and her life in Ireland as a busy mother of two.
Qian came to Ireland at the age of 22 with her boyfriend (now husband) when they were studying in college. They initially chose Ireland for the purpose of learning English and because the visa was accessible, but decided to put down roots when they found themselves settling into Irish life.
"At the beginning, it was very difficult," she muses. "Having to study and work part-time - I worked as a waitress, as a cleaner, as a cashier in a garage. But once I found a full-time job, I think, life got easier."
Having grown up in the most inland city in the world, moving to a small island was quite the culture shock, but she insists that the people made up for it.
"The people are so friendly here," she smiles. "People have such a good sense of humour and they're very helpful. I could tell 100 stories of how much help I've got from random people in Dublin.
"Also, I think the life here is very balanced," she adds. "I know I have to work hard, but I can balance it; I can enjoy time with my family. I have two children who grew up here."
Raising two children in Ireland - a 10-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy - has brought the cultural differences of China and Ireland to the forefront for Qian, who says that there are pros and cons to both ways of life.
"They have so many sports every week," she laughs, "I remember that I would just study all the time."
"When I was a student, every single summer, every single day, you had homework. Every day. Sometimes you could work until 10 in the evening. Here? Friday, no homework. Saturday, no homework. Sunday, no homework. The whole summer, not a single hour! It's just incredible, but they're happy.
"I suppose there are pros and cons for both education systems, but I think once it's balanced well, you're fine."
As for her own work, Qian has a full plate. As well as working with Irish Rail and raising a family, she runs a charity called Love Actually, which provides community resources and events for families who have children with special educational needs.
"We have about 40-50 families and they all have children with different levels of autism," she explains, adding that a "small number" of the children she works with have Down Syndrome.
As well as organising kids' summer camps and family days, the charity provides workshops, online classes and a parents' support programme for those in need.
Although the charity is open to people of all nationalities, Qian says she believes it has been especially helpful to the Chinese-Irish community.
"In Chinese culture, we can be a little bit shy to interact with the public," she explains. "It's already difficult as a non-English-speaking person to socialise in this society, but if their children have autism, they [may] find it extremely difficult to go out and socialise at all."
Putting a special emphasis on supporting parents, Qian says that it's important that they have a network to lean on and other adults in the same situation to speak with.
"Sometimes we do a family day where the parents can actually talk to each other," she says. "We free them up, and we almost have a one-to-one ratio of children and additional needs assistants, to make sure the parents can talk to each other."
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When we speak, Qian is celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival - also known as Moon Festival - which is celebrated every year in Chinese culture.
Not as well-known in Ireland but on a par with the Chinese New Year, it is believed that this is when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, coinciding with the time of the harvest in mid-autumn.
On Saturday, 11 October, Qian will be hosting a special cultural gathering celebrating the festival through the beauty of Chinese and Irish poetry, tea, and performance at the National Gallery of Ireland. You can find more information here.
Reflecting on her work with the charity as well as her contribution to the radio series, Qian says that she hopes that Ireland will continue to embrace Chinese culture and the Chinese-Irish community.
"I've lived here for so long and I've met so many Irish people, and I would love more Irish people to know more about the Chinese community, our stories, our passions, even our struggles, and our connections to both Ireland and China."
Listen to Coming Home on RTÉ Radio 1 this Sunday at 7:30pm. The series was funded by Comisiun na Meain Sound and Vision 4 ‘Voices of immigrant & new Irish communities’ scheme.
