Hi, I’m Dustin, and I work as a janitor at a school. I’m in charge of cleaning the boys’ dorm. First, I usually go to the bathroom. That part is the hardest. The smell... It's bad, and the boys clog the toilets a lot. I take out the trash, mop the floors, and sometimes I clean the windows or fix small things. Then at night, I go check again to see if someone made a mess. They always do. Sometimes the students treat me like I'm invisible. They walk past, leaving their trash on

My surname is Huang, I am 64 years old, and I have been running a traditional hairpin shop in Xunpu Village, Quanzhou, for fifty years. Our family runs the most traditional hairpin shop on this street. In the past, all the shops in our village were traditional hairpin shops, but later, outsiders came in. We might earn a few thousand yuan a month running our own shop, but the outsiders would say, “Rent it to me, and I'll give you ten thousand yuan.” That made it more profitab

I’m just an ordinary high-school boy in Chengdu. The first time I realized I liked guys, it didn’t feel earth-shattering but more like a quiet, natural discovery. If anything felt unnatural, it was the occasional flash of worry about how I’d one day talk to my parents about it. Online, misunderstandings and stereotypes about LGBTQ people are everywhere. Take my hometown: because we’re in Sichuan, people see a Chengdu IP address and instantly think “gay.” Two straight guys sta

I am a retired coal miner now resting at home, doing nothing. I can barely walk or breathe properly; both my legs have problems. I worked as a coal miner for 28 years, starting underground work in 1984 until 2001. My main job in the mine was tunneling, commonly known as digging coal, mining coal deep underground. After arriving for work, we would first change into special black mining attire. We wore miners' lamps and carried self-rescuers. We also had location devices. essen

My name is Xu Yan. I was born in 1989 and come from Xinyang, Henan Province. I have an associate's degree. There are six people in my family, including my two children: a boy and a girl. In 2019, I left my hometown to work in Shanghai. At that time, I felt that my children were growing up, the household expenses were increasing, and our financial situation back home wasn’t great. I wanted to come to a big city to earn more money and give my family a better life. When I first

My name is Kelvin, and I’m from Myanmar. Because of the Civil War, all the schools were closed immediately after the coup, so I traveled to Singapore and then the UAE. Most of my friends and I went to study abroad, and some of them came to Singapore with me, but some stayed in Myanmar. The schools reopened after five or six months because the fighting mainly happened in the north. However, there is still a possibility that people aged between 18 and 35 will be drafted for mil

I have always loved baseball since I was young, and I had a knack for the sport. While still in high school, I signed a semi-professional contract with Guo Bao, one of the most prestigious baseball academies in Taiwan. Eventually, I made it to the U-18 national team. During a major high school tournament known as the “Black Panther Flag,” I caught the attention of scouts from China Trust Brothers (then called the Brothers Elephants) and was added to their test roster. For a w

Hello, my name is Mike, and I’m an incoming college freshman from Danzhou, Hainan. To be honest, I feel both excited and nervous about starting college. For me, the biggest challenge might be adapting to a brand-new environment. I’ve always lived in a relatively small circle—my friends and classmates are all from the local area, and we know each other well. But college is a completely different world, filled with students from all over the country. I’m worried it might take m

I run a small corner shop in Beijing. This space, smaller than 20 square meters, supports my family’s livelihood while also reflecting the harsh reality of retail today. To be honest, running a small shop isn’t what it used to be—profits are slim. Rent increases annually, utilities cost more, and goods are pricier to source. Yet I can’t casually raise prices, or customers will stay away. For that reason, profit margins are razor-thin: for example, I earn just a few cents on a

My name is Deng Rungen, and I was born in 1949. I don't have any children. After my parents passed away, I came to Nanchang to work with my uncle. My home is located right next to Jewellery Street. I live in the old town, so my room is in pretty bad shape. In the corner of my house, there are some moldy leftovers and three big jute bags full of plastic bottles that I've collected for recycling. I usually spend my days basking in the sun with my little dog, Xiao Huang. I also

My name is Wu Nanshan. I was born in 1966. For now, I cut hair for elders in the Garden Alley, under the Grand Bridge. Even though I'm not young anymore, in this film, everyone still calls me "Little Wu." My family used to run a business. We were wealthy, and I went to private school when I was a child. Unfortunately, the good times did not last. The Cultural Revolution started during the time when I was in elementary school and junior high school. My family went bankrupt, so

My surname is Yang. To provide better educational opportunities for my children, I chose to relocate to the United States with them. When we first immigrated, the main challenges stemmed from differences in daily habits. For instance, adapting from Chinese culinary traditions to American salads and cold dishes proved unexpectedly difficult. However, I firmly believe in respecting both cultures, ensuring our children never perceive their heritage as burdensome. We consciously

My name is Gemma, and I’ve been living in Hong Kong for 4 years now. I work with the same employer. I chose to come here because it’s close to the Philippines and offers higher pay compared to places like the Middle East. I have relatives in HK, so they told me about HK before I came. I think the culture and everything is similar to what I thought. We all have different faiths and beliefs, but it’s still the same as what I read about Hong Kongers. I’m Christian, and the relig

I’m currently in my second year of high school, and the academic pressure is overwhelming, especially since my academic ranking hasn’t met my expectations. I’ve noticed that even when I put in effort, I don’t see progress, which has made me increasingly lose confidence. Additionally, I struggle with interpersonal relationships. I feel like I don’t share common topics with my classmates, and social interactions often feel awkward, leaving me lonely. All of this has plunged me

My name is Min Lin (anonymous name). I graduated from Hongling Middle School in 2024 and then joined Bolun Vocational and Technical School to study “Food Safety and Inspection Technology.” The daily schedule in vocational high school is quite similar to that in middle school: morning reading starts at 8 a.m., classes end at 5:20 p.m., and evening study finishes at 9:15 p.m. The atmosphere is less competitive, and there is more time for self-management. I am participating in t

I am Dr. Christine Sartiaguda, Director of Clinical Counselling. Clinical Counselling is a mental health program that provides counseling services to students in school settings, including elementary, middle, and high schools. Students who come to counseling are suffering from mental health issues: depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, gang involvement, etc. Since high school, I started to be interested in psychotherapy, which is helping people with problems through talking and

My name is Jonny, and I am currently a sophomore at BU’s Business School, as well as an amateur rap songwriter. I initially got into rap simply because I enjoyed listening to it. The more I listened, the more I understood the differences between various music genres and found it increasingly interesting. Fortunately, I had some basic music theory knowledge, so I started to try making simple beats and filling them with lyrics, creating my own little songs. Although my skills w

When I was a kid, the village on our west side was hugely religious, specifically, believing in Jesus. I went there to hang out with friends, so I had some early exposure to Christianity. Later, in my twenties, when I was in Luoyang, a friend took me to church. I started occasionally listening to sermons, and gradually, I embraced Christianity. It felt terrific. Christianity emphasizes moral and ethical teachings, significantly impacting my outlook on life and values. It taug

I am a public security officer from Hunan province, and I am 43 years old. In 2015, a relative introduced me to this line of work. He encouraged me to “give it a try,” and since then, I’ve continued in this field. My first job was as a night-shift security officer at a factory. I worked 12-hour shifts, sleeping during the day and working through the night. It was a tough job. Over the past nine years, I’ve had to take breaks from work due to family responsibilities, often ret

My surname is Hou. I used to work as a chef and a driver for a few years, and I also worked part-time in TCM health care. When I was a child, I went to the village next to ours, where people there believed in God. I have had some impressions of Christianity since I was little. Later, when I was in my twenties in Luoyang, a brother took me to church and, occasionally, to hear sermons. Therefore, I gradually began to believe in Christianity.   Christianity focuses on the teachi