Bowen Yang Parents: Meet Ruilin and Meng Yang

Bowen Yang is an Australian-born American actor, comedian, writer, singer, rapper, and podcaster. Bowen Yang is the son of Ruilin and Meng Yang

His father, Ruilin, was raised in a rural part of the Inner Mongolia region of mainland China, growing up in a straw and mud hut. Ruilin’s parents were illiterate, but he read books for hours by candlelight and eventually got into university.

Yang’s mother is an obstetrician-gynaecologist. The couple moved to Brisbane so Ruilin could earn his doctorate in mining explosives.

When he was seventeen, Yang’s father found out his son was gay from an “open chat window” on the family’s computer. His parents were not receptive to the news.

Bowen Yang’s father cried often over the revelation and, being non-religious but wanting to “solve problems”, arranged for him to attend eight sessions of gay conversion therapy.

Bowen attended conversion therapy to appease his parents. Yang moved to New York in 2008 to attend New York University (NYU) like his older sister.

Bowen Yang came to accept being gay, incorporating it into his comedy, and hoped his parents would learn to accept that aspect of him. They have since found a truce and enjoy a “great relationship.”