Meet Victoria Yap-Chung | Model, Actress, Author, Wife & Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Yap-Chung and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by stories of the underdogs and the positive psychological effects of changing one’s perspective to aid in one’s path toward the opportunity for success, personal growth, and development.

I’m not here to say we need challenges but that the challenges we face and our experiences are a big reason for us realizing the most authentic version of ourselves today and that we must continue to push past all of that noise and keep going. I want to help to show others through storytelling that they can do it too and live in their own truth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was born in Toronto, Canada, to a Black-Scottish-Arawak Jamaican mother and Chinese-Jamaican father. Soon after she gave birth, we moved back to Jamaica, where I never felt different growing up. I was shy but usually quite happy. My friends looked different, but we shared similarities in our differences. Some were black, brown, East Indian, Chinese, Syrian, Lebanese or a mix of all of the above. This was normal. ‘Out of many, one people is the National Motto of Jamaica. Despite our different skin tones and religious backgrounds, we’re all one people. When I was 12 years old, we moved to Canada, and that’s when I realized that not everyone embraces differences. On my first day of school, I remember one boy laughing and pressing his nose flat, and I knew immediately that the secret giggles and quiet whispers were directed at me. I could only assume that these children had never met someone like me. I was uniquely tall and thin for my age with wild curly hair, almond-shaped eyes, and a caramel complexion.

I suppose my uniqueness perplexed them.

I was constantly asked questions I’d never encountered before, like “Do you wash your hair every day?” or “How did you get your hair like that?” I felt like I had to make myself small because maybe they noticed the smell of the hair oil I used, and I knew they didn’t so that’s why they were asking these questions.

And they weren’t just limited to hair questions. I’d often get, “How did your parents meet?” or one of the best I recall is: “So one of your parents is from Africa, and one is from China, how did that even happen?” I would get all these strange questions, and they made me feel alien. I wanted to fit in so people would stop being so weird. Each time I spoke, I could never be sure that anyone understood my accent because they always asked me to repeat myself. So I spoke less to avoid the bewildered looks. Everywhere I turned, there were more reminders that I didn’t fit in.

Growing up in this environment, I quickly realized that people behaved differently based on physical appearance – teachers especially. One teacher asked me, “How did I get hair like that?” I wanted to be treated equally, so when I was 13, I started to work on changing my accent, and by the age of 14, I began straightening my hair using a clothing iron and towel on the floor. I got my mom to help, and she said that ironing your hair was similar to the hot comb she used back in her day.

All this to look and sound more like everyone else. Which I later realized was the wrong thing to do. I was suppressing and conforming myself to the social ideals of society. That is a huge thing to be battling as a kid, especially when you’re trying to come into yourself as a teenager.

My older sister Jodi was already in the modeling industry and always took me to her castings and bookings, where I would wait in the lounge areas for hours with the snacks that were left out for the crews, and I loved it. I felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself and always wanted to get into modeling after seeing her shoot editorial work or commercials. I got my initial taste of the modeling world when she snapped a few candid shots of me and submitted them to the agency, and every time I had a casting, I was ecstatic. I felt like I had something exciting to look forward to away from this odd world of school, and when people asked where I was going, I felt like I was a part of this secret world that made me feel a little special.

I was modeling on and off, and once I was a little older, the modeling world even changed for me. While looking for a new agency I was told that I couldn’t do high fashion and that my nose was too wide. Of course, it was difficult to hear someone voice their opinion about you in that way but somehow I wasn’t too put off. I suppose that’s what they mean when they say modeling gives you tougher skin because you’re constantly being critiqued on your physical appearance so I was determined to find an agency that believed in me, which I did. I eventually went on to shoot for companies like Aveda, Schwarzkopf, Arcteryx, Roots, Marley Coffee, runway, and modelling for a few morning television shows that introduced me to the television side of the industry. I decided to delve a little deeper by taking acting classes and later booking small roles in movies like Downsizing with Matt Damon.

But just like in the world around us, there are inequalities in the modeling industry. So many times I’ve gone to a job, and the makeup artist doesn’t have my shade, and they end up making me look like a ghost, and the photographers have even had to chime in and ask if my makeup could be fixed because it’s a completely different color from my neck. And the hair, oh my goodness, don’t let me get started on the hair. Surprisingly, they still don’t have people who know how to deal with curly hair and end up frying it.

My life changed in 2020 when I gave birth to my daughter – especially because I had unmedicated birth and experienced a child with severe eczema.

I knew as soon as I was pregnant with a little girl, I needed to be a source of strength for her to lean on because I knew how cruel and unforgiving this world can be at times and in order to do that for her I had to be mentally strong. I began studying HypnoBirthing, which is a practice in which helps educate and help you cope with the natural pains of labor.

In May 2020, my beautiful daughter Imani, was born through the will of my own mind. Every day I look at her, I feel an ecstatic sense of gratitude and disbelief that I brought a human being into life. There is something that just takes over your body when you’re in labor – these surges these waves are coming that you can’t stop. You have to surrender your mind and your body. The whole experience is primal. A primal rhythm that breaks your body in two and separates your mind from this world and the next.

Spiritually, I wanted to feel death so I could give her life. She fought her way into the life form and transitioned through my body. That is an experience and bond that my daughter and I share, and I believe that she has the strength to do anything because we went through that.

Once I found out she had severe eczema to the point of scratching until her skin would bleed. I would stay up night after night reading article after article in hopes of finding something that could help my little baby. I went through so many moments of feeling helpless or that I wasn’t good enough for her, I needed to be doing more, anything to help her through this. Especially after discovering that school-aged children experience feelings of social isolation and discrimination because of their skin, I knew I had to do something, I had to be her strength and guide her to develop her own.

Through that experience, I was inspired to write, “Caroline’s itch: A Story About Eczema,” in which the main character, Caroline experiences an eczema flare in front of her whole class and feels embarrassed. The situation becomes the perfect opportunity to inform her peers and bridge the gap to develop friendships with classmates. This informative rhyming book is designed to raise awareness of
eczema and educate readers so that people with the condition feel less alienated and more empowered.

If you know someone who could benefit from “Caroline’s itch: A Story About Eczema,” you can purchase the book on Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/carolines-itch-victoria-yap-chung/1141909981

Book Depository https://www.bookdepository.com/Carolines-Itch-Victoria-Yap-Chung/9798986548609?ref=grid-view&qid=1665003648643&sr=1-1

or Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Carolines-Itch-Victoria-Yap-Chung/dp/B0B92FYCWJ/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1661123474&sr=8-2

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a big foodie so we would definitely have to hit up all my favourite food spots, including:

• Cecconi’s – Beef tartare, black truffle, quail egg & the Branzino, spinach, tomato & olives (I’m getting hungry just thinking about it haha)
  • Joe’s Stone Crab – My good friend, Shaun Schroeter first introduced me to this place a few years ago, and wow, I have to say these are the most succulent crabs I’ve ever eaten.
  • MiamiZoo – If you’re a big kid like me ha. I love how big this zoo is. I’m always here with my daughter, nieces & nephews.

Miami always has something cool going on like Art Basel, so if you’re in town while it’s happening definitely check it out.

You can’t come to Miami without going to the beach for a chill day. I love south beach and all the little cafes with fresh smoothie options and the unique little clothing shops with imported pieces.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My best friend, who is like a sister to me, Soraya Azzabi – model, director, and actor. Her unapologetic personality, constant determination, and life story to live in your truth have given me the confidence and inspired me to forge my path. When we first met at a wardrobe fitting for a tv commercial, we instantly clicked like we had known each other for years. Soraya had just moved to Toronto from Milan. She was working on her first documentary – “Making It Against all Odds,” featuring Tracey Mills – and asked me to help, which is how I discovered the true power of storytelling. Being herself inspires me each day to live in my truth, and I want to help empower others to do that too.

I also want to shout out my very supportive husband, Nigel Bunbury. His work ethic is like nothing I’ve seen before. It inspires me to fine-tune and focus on my craft each day.

Website: www.carolinesitchbook.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamblasiangurl

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8J0XujsCRjxDV21pgyRBBg

Image Credits
Natasha Gerschon, Meagan Puett, D&M Photography