Xiaomanyc
{{Short description|American YouTuber}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name = Xiaomanyc
| image = Xiaomanyc Cree.png
| caption = Smith in 2024
| birth_name = Arieh Smith
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|07|20}}[http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx2in5D5wOJaH4GYct_ZLJaBZLabcMk-Lo IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! To celebrate turning 34 tomorrow, I’m offering 50% OFF my Street-Smart Foundations courses in Chinese, Spanish, French, and German! All you have to do is use code 34YEARS at checkout.]. Youtube.com (2024-07-19). Retrieved on 2024-07-19.
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| education = University of Chicago
| channel_id = UCLNoXf8gq6vhwsrYp-l0J-Q
| channel_name = xiaomanyc
| years_active = 2017–present
| genre = Language
| subscribers = 6.61 million
| views = 1.5 billion
| silver_button = yes
| gold_button = yes
| stats_update = October 25, 2024
}}
Arieh Smith, better known as Xiaomanyc or simply Xiaoma ({{lang-zh|s=小马在纽约|p=xiǎo mǎ zài niǔ yuē|l=Little pony in New York}}), is an American YouTuber, best known for his videos where he speaks various languages with people from different cultures.{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Hannah |date=March 5, 2022 |title=Meet the YouTuber who makes a living learning languages |url=https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022/03/05/trying-to-learn-a-language-this-polyglot-s-tips-will-help |access-date=October 29, 2022 |website=EuroNews|language=en}} The New York Times credited his channel as one of the most popular YouTube channels in this category.{{Cite web |last=Knafo |first=Saki |date=April 28, 2022 |title=He Made Yiddish Go Viral |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/nyregion/frankie-light-youtube-polyglot.html |quote=The most popular of the YouTube polyglots is probably Mr. Light's friend and occasional collaborator Arieh Smith, a white New Yorker known to his millions of followers as Xiaoma (Mandarin for "Little Horse").|access-date= November 7, 2022 |work=The New York Times|language=en}} He has been profiled in news publications such as The Independent,{{Cite web |last=Marcus |first=Josh |date=March 2, 2021 |title=YouTuber Xiaomanyc explains why he spent $5K in tips at NYC Chinatown restaurants |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/youtube-chinatown-tip-5000-new-york-b1809871.html |access-date=November 7, 2022 |work=The Independent |language=en}} The Indian Express,{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2021 |title=US YouTuber speaks to New York shopkeeper in fluent Bengali, enjoys roshogolla |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/watch-us-man-speaks-to-new-york-shopkeeper-in-fluent-bengali-takes-all-by-surprise-7627396/ |access-date=November 7, 2022 | work=The Indian Express |language=en}} and The Daily Dot.{{Cite web |last=Neumann |first=Laiken |date=February 3, 2022 |title='What's wrong with my clothing?': Locals talk about 'foreigner's' clothing in China—but he speaks fluent Mandarin |url=https://www.dailydot.com/irl/locals-laugh-at-foreigners-shirt-speaks-fluent-mandarin-tiktok/ |access-date=November 7, 2022 | work=The Daily Dot |language=en}}
Life and career
Smith is a native of New York City and grew up speaking English in an Ashkenazi Jewish family.{{Cite web |last=Xiaomanyc |date=2019-05-09 |title=This is a picture of me enjoying some delicious Uzbek food... |website=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/xiaomanyc/photos/a.810865569070935/1309626465861507/?type=3 |access-date=2023-11-25}} After graduating from high school, he took a basic Mandarin Chinese class during the summer before attending the University of Chicago. He attained a scholarship to study in Beijing, China, for one year, where he delved deeper into the Mandarin language. He eventually learned other languages using his own method of memorizing translated versions of varying phrases.
Smith gained popularity on YouTube for his ability to speak Mandarin Chinese, alongside other languages such as Portuguese, French, Spanish, Yiddish, Yoruba, Tamil, Telugu, Navajo, and various Chinese dialects at a basic conversational level. Many of his videos showcase him partaking in diverse ethnic cultures while recording people's reactions to his varying proficiency in foreign languages.{{Cite web |last=Messner |first=Steven |date=March 19, 2020 |title=An American surprises Chinese PUBG players by speaking Mandarin, wholesomeness ensues |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/an-american-surprises-chinese-pubg-players-by-speaking-mandarin-wholesomeness-ensues/ |access-date=November 7, 2022 | work=PC Gamer |language=en}} His video with fellow YouTuber Frankie Light, where they travel around New York City speaking Mandarin, received 4.2 million views.
Smith has also travelled to Ireland, spending time learning Irish{{Cite web |last=O'Callaghan |first=Gavin |date=2023-02-04 |title=World famous Youtuber learns Gaeilge and records Irish peoples' reactions to it |url=https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/world-famous-youtuber-learns-gaeilge-26157971 |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Cork Beo |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Vaal |first=Danny De |date=2023-04-11 |title=American language learner Arieh Smith leaves Dubliners stunned by speaking Irish |url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/lifestyle/american-language-irish-arieh-smith-29673930 |access-date=2023-11-11 |website=Irish Mirror |language=en}} and spoke Welsh when visiting Cardiff in Wales.{{cite news |title=YouTuber Xiaomanyc from New York stuns by speaking Welsh |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67558892 |access-date=30 December 2023 |work=BBC News |date=27 December 2023}}
In November 2022, Smith interviewed Secretary of State Antony Blinken while Blinken was in Bangkok, Thailand,{{Cite web |title=Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Arieh Smith of Xiaomanyc on YouTube |url=https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-with-arieh-smith-of-xiaomanyc-on-youtube/ |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=United States Department of State |language=en}} to attend APEC Thailand 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-29 |title=YouTube's favorite polyglot interviewed world leaders in their native languages |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2022/11/29/apec-world-leaders-interview-google-youtube-arieh-xiaoma-smith-lda-world/ |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=Tubefilter |language=en-US}}
In May 2025, Smith received an honorary doctorate at Ohio State University for his contribution to language learning. {{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf_125ApDvw&ab_channel=Xiaomanyc%E5%B0%8F%E9%A9%AC%E5%9C%A8%E7%BA%BD%E7%BA%A6 |title=Nerdy Professor Shocks High School by Speaking Gen Alpha Slang |date=2025-05-07 |last=Xiaomanyc 小马在纽约 |access-date=2025-05-14 |via=YouTube}}
=Personal life=
He is married and has 2 children.https://www.instagram.com/xiaomanyc/p/CVNqHXZLx-h/https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G657SWAMZ0w&pp=ygUQI-aIt-WklumTgeadv-eDpw%3D%3D
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|handle=xiaomanyc}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Arieh}}
Category:21st-century American Jews
Category:YouTubers from New York (state)
Category:YouTubers from New York City
Category:University of Chicago alumni
Category:American Ashkenazi Jews
Category:Jews from New York (state)
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