Jiaoying_Summers
Jiaoying Summers
American actress, comedian, producer and philanthropist
Jiaoying Summers (born January 18, 1990) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, producer, and philanthropist. She is best known for her TikTok videos and her focus on combating Asian racism and promoting Asian representation.
Jiaoying Summers 梁娇颖 | |
|---|---|
Summers in 2022 | |
| Born | (1990-01-18) January 18, 1990 (age 34) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | jiaoyingsummers |
Summers was born and raised in Henan Province in China. She was born during China's one-child policy, and her parents delivered her at home instead of a hospital "to avoid the shame of having a girl" as their only child. She came to the United States at the age of 18 and studied at the University of Kentucky.[1]
In 2013, Summers served as the president for new business development for her family's construction company. She also interned for the IMAX Corporation in Los Angeles. In 2014, Summers won the title of Miss China in the international beauty pageant "Queen of the Universe".[2] She began acting in 2016.[3]
Summers is the founding partner and CEO of Summers Media, an international production company.[4]
Comedy
During an audition for the police drama show Rebel, executive producer John Singleton heard Summers making jokes and suggested that she "try her hand at comedy". Following his advice, she performed at her first open mic night in 2019.[5] She began posting on TikTok in 2020, and has since gained more than 1.2 million followers and has accumulated over 1 billion views.[6][7]
Summers incorporates personal material into her comedy routines, including her "decision to talk about [China's] one-child policy as a survivor". Her video went viral, leading to being banned on TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. TikTok cited violation of community guidelines, and restored her account three months later. Summers has spoken about continued deflated viewership, leading her to suspect she had also been shadow banned.[1]
Summers performs regularly at The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, and Carolines NYC, was a headliner at the New York Comedy Festival in 2022 and headlined the Apollo theater in Nov 9th 2023.[6] She also starred in the Netflix Is A Joke festival's Women in Comedy show.[7] In 2022, Summers released a comedy special as part of the Comedy InvAsian series, on NBC Peacock.[8]
Summers is the owner of two comedy clubs, both located in Los Angeles: The Hollywood Comedy and The Pasadena Comedy.[9]
Philanthropy and outreach
Summers is the Asia ambassador for Operation USA, a non profit humanitarian organization supporting health, education and relief programs. She is also the international ambassador for the Linzhou Charity Federation.[2]
- In 2022, Summers was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame[10]
As actress
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Major Crimes | Tai Chi Student | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | The Scarlet Thorn | Lin Wu | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | Alex and Lotus | Lotus Wang | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | Hollywood Diversity | Michelle | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2017 | The Missing 6 | Carrie Ling | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2019 | American Bistro | Yu Yang | uncredited |
| 2020 | The Madams | Steph | as Gia Summers |
As producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Scarlet Thorn | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2016 | The Like Challenge | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2019 | An Unforgettable Winter | as Jiaoying Liang |
| 2020 | Wo men zhe xie nian |
Summers is a mother of two.[5]
- Jackson, Nate (28 January 2022). "Jiaoying Summers' joke about China's one-child policy made everyone laugh – except TikTok censors". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- "Meet Jiaoying Summers". VoyageLA.com. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- "Jiaoying Summers". IMDb. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- Germano, Prachedes Indyra (23 February 2022). "The Queen of Comedy - Jiaoying Summers". Jejune Magazine. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- Diamond, Joy (7 July 2022). "Asian American comedians reclaim their narratives in S.F. 'Asians Are Funny' fundraiser". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- "Stop Asian Hate feat. Jiaoying Summers". Carolines on Broadway. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- "Jiaoying Summers". improv.com. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- Luparello, Joseph (14 September 2022). "Chillin' With Jiaoying Summers". ChilledMagazine.com. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- Ang, Marc (19 September 2021). "Comedy Is The Next Asian Entertainment Frontier & Jiaoying Summers Is The Trailblazer". TheHollywoodTimes.today. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- Grein, Paul (10 October 2022). "Daniel Ho, Hiroshima, Tia Carrere & More to Be Inducted Into Asian Hall of Fame". Billboard. Retrieved 14 February 2023.