‘Ghetto Kirk’ is unmoved by critics who have accused him of cultural appropriation.

According to ‘Ghetto Kirk’, whose real name is Jia Zhang, while he was not born in Jamaica he has spent his entire life living on the island and considers himself culturally Jamaican.

“Well, I’m Jamaican as well. I might not look like the typical Jamaican that people think about in terms of race. But in terms of nationality, and in terms of culture, I am very much Jamaican,” said Zhang

“I’ve been here for most of my life – that’s what 31 years,” he added.

Admitting that a name like ‘Ghetto Kirk,’ is bound to raise eyebrows and draw the ire of socially conscious circles, Zhang said that the name was given to him by a customer.

Zhang, who is the owner of a wholesale, shared that he was uncomfortable with the name at first but noted that anyone familiar with Jamaican culture would know that the more you resist a nickname, the more it is thrusted on to you.

“Funny thing is I’m not the one who chose it in terms of like, I didn’t come up with it. How the name came about was one of my customers came up with it while I was working in downtown,” said Zhang.

“So, one of my customers, who is like a regular customer, that comes to buy every week or so, I usually take his order. Based on how I dealt with him he says, ‘You know you act like a ghetto yute, yuh talk like a ghetto yute; so me just ago call you ghetto Kirk’. At first, of course, I did not like the name. In my mind, I thought, I am not a ghetto yute, why are you calling me that. But you know Jamaicans, the more you resist, the more you fight your name, the more they throw it at you and the more it sticks,” added Zhang.

Born to Chinese parents, Zhang, who moved to Jamaica at the tender age of three, shared that it was out of boredom that he decided to create content for TikTok.

“Well, essentially, the first thing that happened was I was bored at work- that’s really how it all started. I was bored at work and literally said let me give this Tik Tok thing a try,” he explained.

“I made a video about one of my customers giving me a hard time and it went viral,” added Zhang.

Since bursting on to the social media scene in July 2022, Zhang has amassed a large following, one which he partly attributes to the fact that there are not many Asian influencers; let alone Jamaican-Chinese influencers.

Zhang further explained that the perspectives of Asians, particularly in the Western world aren’t well known and, being in a space where he can share so candidly has helped people to realise that his experience is more relatable than assumed.

In addition to balancing his duties at the wholesale, Zhang plans to venture further into the social media space, adding that having attracted sponsors has really encouraged him to take the craft more seriously.

Zhang’s vlogs tend to address a wide range of topics, from his daily struggles working in a wholesale to social and political commentary and even relationship advice.