Raz Gal-Or

Raz Gal-Or, the son of Amir Gal-Or, originated from a community near Tel Aviv, and moved to Hong Kong at age 13; at the time, he lacked fluency in English and in any variety of Chinese. Frank Tang of the South China Morning Post wrote that "his China journey was driven by the ambitions of his father".{{cite web|author=Tang, Frank|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2121535/how-israeli-who-captured-chinese-hearts-plans-turn-online-fame|title=How the Israeli who captured Chinese hearts plans to turn online fame into fortune|work=South China Morning Post|date=2017-11-25|accessdate=2020-02-15}} Tang stated that by 2017 Gal-Or was embedded in a Chinese lifestyle and that his Mandarin was "fluent".

Gal-Or operates the {{ill|Foreigner Research Institute China|zh|歪果仁研究协会}} (FRI; {{zh|first=s|s=歪果仁研究协会|p=Wāiguǒrén Yánjiū Xiéhuì|l=The Crooked Nuts Research Institute|links=no}}), also known as Y-Platform, a social media group which documents lives of foreigners in China. It is headquartered in Zhongguancun, Haidian District, Beijing.{{cite web|author=Ma, Qian|author2=Deng, Xianlai|url=https://archive.shine.cn/sunday/people/Young-Israeli-entrepreneur-finds-his-future-in-China-with-expatfriendly-platform/shdaily.shtml|title=Young Israeli entrepreneur finds his future in China with expat-friendly platform|work=Shanghai Daily|date=2017-10-22}} The name is a pun as "crooked nut" ({{zh|first=s|c=歪果仁|p=wāiguǒrén|labels=no}}) sounds similar to that to the word "foreigner" ({{zh|first=s|s=外国人|p=wàiguórén|labels=no}}).

The organization had been established in 2016 by Gal-Or and his Chinese co-founder Fang Yedun (方晔顿), who Gal-Or met in university and originated from Zhejiang. The series, which as of October 2017 had fifty episodes, has accounts on Bilibili, Sina Weibo, and Youku.{{cite web|author=Pan, Mengqi|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-10/05/content_32863803.htm|title=Foreign faces win netizens' hearts|work=China Daily|date=2017-10-05|accessdate=2020-02-09}} Several of Gal-Or's social media profiles are under the name Ychina (meaning "why China?").{{cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-09/05/c_137446771.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905132733/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-09/05/c_137446771.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 5, 2018|title=Israeli entrepreneur shares "unlocking China" stories in Tel Aviv |work=Xinhua|date=2018-09-05|accessdate=2020-02-08}} Infinity Group, owned by Amir Gal-Or, and Will Hunting Capital ({{zh|first=s|s=唯猎资本|p=Wéiliè Zīběn|labels=no}}) had given Gal-Or's production company a 10 million yuan ($1.51 million U.S.) investment. By October 2017 the series, which began in December 2016, had over five million subscribers in its social media platforms. About 70% of the viewers, as of 2017, were female. The initial video, by that month, had over four million views. Tang stated in 2017 that multiple advertisers began using the series.

Coco Liu of the South China Morning Post wrote that FRI "helped to grow the online profiles of many expatriates."{{cite web|author=Liu, Coco|url=http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/business/article/2107339/how-expats-are-cashing-chinas-internet-celebrity-boom|title=How expats are cashing in on China's internet celebrity boom|work=South China Morning Post|date=2017-08-21|accessdate=2020-02-15}} Tang wrote that the series "propelled [Gal-Or] to nationwide fame". Charles Liu, a senior blogger of The Beijinger, characterized some of the videos produced by the FRI as "predictable responses expected of foreignness, which in turn is predictably well-received by the Chinese public."{{cite web|last=Liu|first=Charles|url=https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2017/07/17/foreigners-feign-shock-weird-chinese-cuisine-veiled-corporate-endorsement|title=Cultural Divide and Conquer: How Expats Are Exploiting Their Foreignness to Promote Big Brands to Chinese Consumers|work=The Beijinger|date=2017-07-17|accessdate=2020-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717102216/https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2017/07/17/foreigners-feign-shock-weird-chinese-cuisine-veiled-corporate-endorsement|archive-date=2017-07-17}}

• Afu Thomas (Thomas Derksen) - German social media figure in China
• Lee and Oli Barrett - British social media figures in China
• Dashan - Canadian television personality in China
• David Gulasi - Australian internet celebrity active in China
• Amy Lyons - Australian social media figure in China
• Winston Sterzel - South African social media figure in China

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web|url=http://media.people.com.cn/n1/2019/1204/c40606-31488310.html|title=歪果仁研究协会会长高佑思："90后"洋网红的中国追梦记|work=People's Daily|language=zh-cn|date=2019-12-04}}
• {{cite web|url=https://finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2019-06-12/doc-ihvhiews8389182.shtml|title=高佑思 一个90后犹太人的中国式成长|publisher=Sina Finance|date=2019-06-12|language=zh-cn}}

; Media

• {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppmS_W-q920|title=How this Israeli internet star, Raz Gal-Or, captured Chinese hearts|work=South China Morning Post|date=2017-12-05}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvVIk8oQ2vnZsCi4vR9O4dg 歪果仁研究协会 Ychina] on YouTube
• [https://weibo.com/u/6023864410 Foreigner Research Institute] on Sina Weibo {{in lang|zh}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Israeli expatriates in China

Category:Israeli Internet celebrities

Category:Peking University alumni

Category:1994 births