Ray Whitehouse/The Daily Northwestern
Before arriving for her Northwestern speaking engagement Thursday night, Emmy Award-winning Fox News broadcaster Nancy Loo tweeted about it.
“For those of us in the business, we know – you either evolve or you get out,” Loo said in her speech. “And there are people who have gotten out. It’s important to know how to do everything. As Asians, or really whatever color you are, the bottom line is hard work. It’s a matter of survival.”
Hosted by the Chinese Students Association, Loo spoke to around 60 students at the McCormick Tribune Center about overcoming cultural stereotypes, embracing her Chinese heritage and the hardships of adapting to the rapidly evolving industry of journalism.
Today, Loo works as a co-anchor for the Fox News Chicago programs “Fox News at 5 a.m.” and “Fox News at Noon.” She was awarded an Emmy while working for WABC-TV in New York for Best Morning Newscast after continuing a broadcast in spite of going into labor with her daughter.
Loo urged students pursuing journalism to tap into social networking tools, from Facebook to LinkedIn to Twitter.
“These are incredible tools for reporters,” Loo said. “No matter what field you go in – being the most informed person and prepared person is not a bad idea.”
Chinese Students Association External President Wenhao Sun said the group brought Loo to NU because she was “outside the common stereotype” of Asian-Americans.
“Asians are sometimes portrayed as that in the media – quiet or subdued, not usually in a leadership position,” the McCormick junior said. “We wanted just to spread awareness that there are these people who are not the ones who study all day, even though that’s kind of what you see at Northwestern.”
Weinberg freshman Stephanie Fang said Loo addressed existing stereotypes about Asian-Americans.
“I think there’s this idea that Asians aren’t really outgoing, that they always have their heads in their textbooks, that they’re inarticulate,” Fang said. “I’ve felt that before.”
Loo said her Chinese heritage pushed her to prove herself in a field where she remained a minority.
“I was coming up at the time there was an emphasis on hiring minorities,” Loo said. “As a minority, I had to work super hard to prove that I’m not there just because I’m a minority. If everyone did a back-flip, I had to do a back flip with a twist.”
Dispelling expectations of what it means to be Asian is one of the association’s goals, Sun said.
“Not all people grew up like Amy Tan or ‘Joy Luck Club’ or whatever,” he said. “Most people grew up playing piano or doing math. But then you move away to become something that’s a little different.”
