Podcast Summary: The Wayback with Ryan Sickler

Episode 101: Jiaoying Summers Can't Believe What Her Uncle Made for Lunch
Date: December 4, 2025
Guest: Jiaoying Summers

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt, often hilarious episode, comedian Jiaoying Summers joins Ryan Sickler for a ride through her tumultuous and inspiring upbringing in rural China, her culture shock as a student in Kentucky, and the wild family stories and struggles that shaped her. The conversation touches on topics of family, resilience, culture clashes, and personal growth, highlighted by a shocking childhood story involving her beloved pet. Both hosts keep the atmosphere candid and lively, revealing the humor and humanity within difficult memories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jiaoying’s Childhood in China

• Family Dynamics and Early Responsibility

  • Jiaoying was the eldest of three, growing up in Henan province, a rural area of central China (08:15).
  • Her father was intelligent but struggled with alcoholism, while her mother was the hardworking provider who eventually opened several successful restaurants (07:26, 16:21).
  • As the eldest, Jiaoying took on a quasi-parental role for her siblings:

    "I'm a very traditional Chinese older sister. The older sister in the house is the man in the house." (07:15 – Jiaoying Summers)

• Work Ethic and Helping the Family

  • Starting early, Jiaoying helped at her mother’s restaurant, doing dishes as a child and later waitressing at just eight years old (10:41).
  • She often brought friends to the restaurant to do homework and share meals, which made her popular among classmates (11:05).

• Village vs. City Child

  • The family’s move from a village to the city led to bullying due to her accent and clothes. Jiaoying worked hard to fit in, requested tutoring, and eventually ranked number one in her school (12:27).

School Years and Survival

• Academic and Social Pressure

  • Chinese school days were strict: morning programs started at 6:00 a.m. with memorization class, followed by a rigorous schedule (13:46).
  • She strove for success not only for herself but also to shield her siblings from bullying (12:46).

• Early Entrepreneurship

  • As a child, she helped her cousin run a video store, unknowingly peddling Japanese pornography while doing her homework (14:32).

The Heartbreaking Pet Story

• The Fate of “Big Yellow”
  • Jiaoying’s grandfather rescued an Akita-German shepherd mix who became her loyal childhood companion (20:06).
  • Upon returning from a trip, Jiaoying learned her uncle had cooked her pet after it was injured, and she ate what she didn’t realize was her own dog:

    "Am I eating Big Yellow? They're like, yes. I start to cry, but the meat tastes so good. I keep chewing." (22:33 – Jiaoying Summers)

  • Traumatized, she kept the dog’s pelt, refusing afterward to own big dogs (23:31).

Wild Family Stories

• Mother’s Business Acumen and Surprises

  • Jiaoying’s mother rose from waitress to restaurant owner, at one point leasing, then fully owning and expanding a restaurant (16:21).
  • Later, her mother acquired and covertly ran a brothel disguised as a hotel, showing strong-willed “Art of War”–style cunning to protect family reputation:

    "My mom is crazy. It's the Art of War, you know. You have to get with your enemy in any way you can. And she was smart." (31:54 – Jiaoying Summers)

• Family Violence and Survival in School

  • Jiaoying describes standing up for her bullied sister, resulting in a fierce fight with a notorious girl and her gang — a story of self-defense, reputation, and reconciliation (26:22).

Moving to the United States

• Arriving in Kentucky

  • Desperate to leave China, Jiaoying accepted the first school that offered, landing in Kentucky because it was her quickest ticket to the US (35:48).
  • She learned English largely through self-initiative: illegal jobs in restaurants, attending church, and even Alcoholics Anonymous classes for free language exposure (43:24).

• Adapting to America

  • Her initial college experiences included working under the table, cleaning bathrooms, and surviving on lessons learned from hardship (36:41–37:37).
  • She dropped out during her last college semester to save money for moving to LA — inspired by Brad Pitt’s origin story (38:12).

• Culture Shock: Dating, Beauty, Money

  • Jiaoying discussed strict gender norms and financial expectations in China versus the US. In China, men are expected to buy property for their wives; in the US, she found a blend of independence and hustle (45:25, 46:55).
  • She spoke candidly about the obsession with light skin in China as a class, not a race, marker, and compared this to American notions of beauty (41:41).

Building Perseverance and Confidence

• Turning Point: College Popularity

  • Gaining confidence after tutoring math and attending a party as the “chosen” one for a college basketball player, she shifted from “ugly duckling to peacock” (39:09, 41:01).

• Entrepreneurial Spirit

  • Jiaoying credits her family’s hustle for her own work ethic, balancing finance studies with theater to fund her dreams without desperation (46:56).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Outcast Childhood:

  “I was ugly kid, no uncle want to touch me ... I look like a handsome little boy. We don’t have priests there.” (09:08 – Jiaoying Summers, joking about early safety in the village)

• On Eating Her Pet by Accident:

  “Am I eating Big Yellow? ... I start to cry, but the meat tastes so good. I keep chewing.” (22:33 – Jiaoying Summers)
  “I took my chopstick and I stick on this uncle’s arm. And he started to bleed and I started to cry and I told my grandpa I’m keeping the fur.” (23:07 – Jiaoying Summers)

• On Family Legacy:

  “My mom is crazy. It's the Art of War, you know ... She was smart.” (31:54 – Jiaoying Summers)

• On Dating in America versus China:

  “The only balls I touched are the balls on my abacus for calculus homework.” (45:00 – Jiaoying Summers)
  “I just don’t believe in like a man has to pay for everything. I feel like you both contribute in different ways, but ... you’ve got hustle in your DNA.” (46:34 & 46:55 – Jiaoying/Ryan Sickler)

• Advice on Adapting:

  “No, life is not fair. Don’t try to complain about... It has never been fair in the life of history.” (37:35 – Jiaoying Summers)

• Summing Up Her Story:

  “I’m the second Chinese Disney princess after Mulan.” (47:46 – Jiaoying Summers, referencing her Disney+ special)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [06:00] – Introduction: Childhood & Family in China
• [09:41] – Growing up Helping in the Family Restaurant
• [11:13] – Bullying after Moving to the City
• [14:32] – Selling Japanese Porn as a Child
• [20:06] – The “Big Yellow” Dog Story
• [22:33] – Realizing She Ate Her Pet
• [25:01] – High School in China, Bullying and Fights
• [29:09] – Family Business: Mother Ran a Brothel
• [35:39] – Coming to America: Adapting in Kentucky
• [39:06] – Gaining Popularity and Confidence in College
• [41:41] – Chinese Cultural Views on Skin Color
• [43:10] – Learning English Through Churches and AA
• [46:56] – Applying Her Hustle in America

Tone & Style

The episode is marked by sharp wit, raw honesty, and resilient humor. Ryan and Jiaoying share laughter even in retelling painful or astonishing events. There's an undercurrent of empathy, admiration, and hope, whether Jiaoying is joking about her village upbringing or describing her journey to self-sufficiency in America.

Final Thoughts

This episode is both touching and sidesplitting, a candid window into the immigrant experience, family complexity, and the hard-won wisdom that comes from surviving — and laughing at — the worst life throws at you.

Listen if you want: real, unvarnished family stories, comedic takes on culture shock, and a celebration of survival, hustle, and humor.

Promotions:

• Jiaoying Summers' special "What Species Are You?" on Hulu and Disney+
• Jiaoying’s international comedy tour: jiayuncomedy.com
• Ryan Sickler’s special “Live and Alive” on YouTube

For anyone who missed the episode, this summary brings you Jiaoying Summers’ amazing journey in full color — heartbreak, hilarity, and hard-fought triumphs included.