Ke Li
Ke Li was born in 1990 in Shaanxi, China. Due to her parents’ independence, she experienced a tumultuous childhood and youth marked by several relocations and a demanding school period: “I had to be very strong as a child, which has also impacted my personality. I am very independent and do not give up easily.” In 2014, she completed her Bachelor’s in Business English and Management Accounting in Xi’an, China. During her studies, she became fascinated with CouchSurfing, a network for travelers, and met many different people from various countries. Her curiosity about other cultures was ignited. For her Master’s in Applied Linguistics, she decided to move to Great Britain. During her first tour of Germany, she met Matthias, and the two fell in love. They began a long-distance relationship. After her studies, she returned to China and worked in the metropolis of Shanghai as an English teacher, while Matthias studied in Bremerhaven. In 2017, she moved to him in Bremerhaven. “I came to Germany for three reasons: First, I wanted to learn the language; second, because of my husband; and third, because I wanted to try 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 got married, as the Day of German Unity symbolizes for both their relationship: “This is the day when East and West came together.” Although she feels very comfortable in Bremerhaven and wants to start a family with Matthias here, she also encounters negative aspects: at first, it was primarily bureaucratic hurdles. Unfortunately, racist confrontations are also part of Ke’s experiences in Germany. Yet, she faces all challenges with courage: “We are all equal! We should enjoy diversity and use it for a better future. I want to build a bridge!”
A portrait of Ke Li is one of the faces that has been displayed on the facade of the new German Emigration Center since June 2021. Before the opening of the extension with its artistically designed facade, the Nordsee-Zeitung introduced the individuals behind the faces. You can watch the corresponding film portrait of Ke Li here.