Facade portrait: Ke Li
Ke Li
* 1990 in Shaanxi/China
Immigration to Bremerhaven: 2017
Ke Li is born in 1990 in Shaanxi/China. Due to her parents’ entrepreneurship, she experiences a tumultuous childhood and youth marked by several relocations and a demanding school life:
“I had to be very strong as a child, which also had an impact on my personality. I am very independent and don’t give up easily.”
“I had to be very strong as a child, which also had an impact on my personality. I am very independent and don’t give up easily.”
In 2014, she completes her Bachelor’s degree in Business English and Management Accounting in Xian/China. During her studies, she becomes passionate about CouchSurfing, a network for travelers, and meets many different people from various countries. Her curiosity for other cultures is sparked. For her Master’s studies in Applied Linguistics, she decides to move to Great Britain.
Ke Li
During her first round trip through Germany, she meets Matthias and they fall in love. They begin a long-distance relationship. After her studies, she returns to China and works as an English teacher in the metropolis of Shanghai, while Matthias studies in Bremerhaven. In 2017, she moves to him in Bremerhaven.
“I actually came to Germany for three reasons: first, I wanted to learn the language, second, for my husband, and third, because I wanted to do something new professionally.”
She follows her dream of learning German; some of her favorite words are Kuhdorf, Augenweide, and Himmelszelt. Since 2018, Ke has been working at a modern startup company based in Geestland. On October 3, 2018, Ke and Matthias get married, as the Day of German Unity symbolizes their relationship for both:
“That is the day when East and West came together.”
Although she feels very comfortable in Bremerhaven and wants to start a family here with Matthias, she also encounters negative aspects: Initially, it was mainly bureaucratic obstacles. Unfortunately, facing hostility due to her Asian appearance is also part of Kes’ experiences in Germany. But she courageously confronts all challenges:
“We are all the same! We should enjoy diversity and use it for a better future. I want to build a bridge!”