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Jian Zhao

Reporter

Jian Zhao is a Los Angeles-based journalist for the Mandarin-language World Journal, where she has worked since Aug 2022. She has reported on critical issues such as mental health, domestic violence, illegal immigration, and social isolation among seniors through individual narratives, news reports, and reviews. Prior to her journalism career, Jian gained extensive academic and professional experiences across multiple countries, including Europe, China and other East Asian nations. In 2023, Jian's feature story on Chinese parent-child relationships received recognition as a finalist in the Mandarin Journalism Award for global media.

Articles

"Saving Face”, a traditional Confucian concept, delineates the purpose of social exchange to promote self-esteem and equilibrium within the community. Chinese older adults who have internalized this concept may be more reluctant to engage with their social network to share negative emotions and life difficulties, potentially creating a fertile ground for loneliness. John Feng, who is 91 years old experiences intense bouts of loneliness and isolation, despite living in a senior apartment building in L.A. Chinatown where nearly all the residents are Chinese.

Cathay Manor, a senior housing project with 270 housing units in LA's Chinatown, is home to low-income elderly residents. The two elevators in the building have never functioned smoothly, leaving residents trapped and isolated and, in some cases, causing injury and great harm.