Sam Garcia
Class of 2017
What inspired you to pursue a major or minor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC)?
I started taking Chinese courses my first year at Northwestern, and found that it opened up the door to a whole other way of thinking, new cultures, and a new way to look at the world. After traveling to China for the first time between my first and second year, it only solidified my view that this language could open up thousands of new possibilities. I became fascinated with the cultures, food, music, and more, and decided to change my major from Mathematics in my third year.
How did your studies in the ALC department impact you personally or professionally?
Without the language skill and cultural knowledge I gained from the ALC department, I wouldn't be where I am today! After graduating from Northwestern I moved to Taipei to pursue my master's in musicology at National Taiwan University (NTU). This program was mostly taught in Mandarin Chinese and required a Chinese language proficiency test, so I wouldn't have been able to do the program without studying through the ALC department. Now, I am currently working as an editor/translator at NTU's Office of International Affairs, and spend my days in the office communicating with my colleagues in Mandarin and translating anything from press releases to speeches from Chinese to English, or writing them from scratch.
I am also working as a professional singer here and a part of three different vocal groups, all of which communicate in Mandarin, and sing in Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Hokkien. When I was at Northwestern studying Chinese and Voice Performance, I began singing in Chinese and learning about Chinese music as well. This laid the foundation for the career I have as a musician in Taiwan now. The education I received at Northwestern launched my professional development and prepared me to thrive in a Chinese-speaking country.
Is there a specific course, event, or memory associated with the ALC department that sticks out to you from your time at Northwestern?
The most memorable course for me was Professor Pat Noonan's senior seminar. The analytical theories he introduced us to, which ranged from queer theory to historical analysis, were applicable throughout my graduate studies. Moreover, this was the first seminar where we really had the chance to pick our own research topic and dive into a deep analysis. We were treated like graduate students. When I began my master's studies at NTU, many of my classes were structured very similarly to the senior seminar at the ALC department. I remember my final project in Prof. Noonan's seminar was about heteronormativity a queer Chinese web series, and my master's thesis at NTU was about the construction of queer gender through drag performance in Taipei. These two projects, albeit very different in scale, remarkably used some of the same analytical theories.
What are you working on right now that excites you the most OR are there any accomplishments you would like to share?
The a cappella group I am in, Voco Novo (which was founded by another Northwestern graduate, Christine Liu), recorded a new album this fall. The album contains all original songs in English, Mandarin, and Taiwanese. One of the songs is my own composition! The album will hopefully be released in March on all streaming platforms. We also performed at the New Year's Flag Raising Ceremony at the Presidential Palace (元旦總統府升旗典禮) in Taipei this year, on January 1. I also perform as a drag queen here and started my own drag house, and we recently performed at the first ever Taipei International Drag Fest on January 14, which made it on the news. You can see me singing in the first 10 seconds of the story! The other cool big drag project I did was hosting a video introducing Taiwan Nightlife. I'm the one with the moustache haha. (My drag name is Rafaela)
What’s a fun fact that you want to share with the Northwestern community?
If you want to study Chinese, I recommend coming to Taiwan over China ;) I've found the society is more open-minded and free-thinking, very welcoming to foreigners, affordable, and super convenient.
How do you enjoy spending your free time?
Hiking around Taipei, traveling around Taiwan, reading fantasy novels (currently on Book 11 of the Wheel of Time), spending time with friends, eating delicious food.
