The Buffalo Bills football safety, Taylor Rapp is one of the few footballers representing the Asian community and we have to thank his mother, Chiyan Rapp for this. The player has often expressed his respect for his culture and has used his position to promote it. This is all due to the way he was raised by his mom and his Chinese grandparents.
Being a Chinese descendant, Chiyan did her best to teach her kids about their heritage. Besides this, this woman has a marvelous history and this article provides all these details.
Chiyan Is From Shanghai
Born to Chinese parents, Chiyan is from Shanghai, China. She is very close to her parents. She was born in October 1966 and is 58 years old as of 2024.
As of now, she lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, Chris Rapp. Mrs. Rapp has two grownup sons, Austin and Taylor who live with their significant others. Her education and career details are hardly disclosed to the public but it is confirmed that she used to work as a language translator at some point in her life.
Chiyan’s Husband Is Canadian; They Met at Work
Chiyan married Chris Rapp, a Canadian man in the early ’90s. Nobody imagined a Chinese girl and a Canadian boy falling in love but their love knew no boundaries. Rapp went to Shanghai for his work in a steel mill where he met Chiyan. She was a student translator at that time. These two soon fell in love and got married.
The couple moved a lot in the early days. They moved to Toronto and then Atlanta and finally settled in Bellingham, Washington. Along the way, they became parents to two sons, Austin and Taylor.
She Is The Mother Of Two Sons
Her elder son, Austin Rapp is a mechanical engineer in Sedron Technologies. Before that, he worked as a structural design engineer at Bradley Engineering from 2017 to 2022.
Talking about his education, he did a Bachelor of Science, in Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University where he also interned in the Design Engineering Control Group.
The brothers are only three years apart. So growing up, they were always together playing football and baseball. Chiyan shared that they put their kids in sports to grow their talents but had no idea that they were facing difficulties in fitting in.
Chiyan’s Parents Helped Raise Her Sons
Her parents moved with the Rapp family and helped raise their grandkids as their parents were busy working. Austin and Taylor learned about their Chinese culture from their grandparents. They are very close to their grandparents and talk to them all the time.
They live in Seattle’s Chinatown area and are in their nineties. As a matter of fact, they hand-designed a tattoo on Taylor’s left arm. The NFL player also expressed his concern for his grandparents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her Son Is A Role Model For Many Asian Kids
Growing up, Chiyan’s kids faced difficulties adjusting to their Chinese culture and it was when they were in college that they finally embraced their heritage. Taylor said, “The Asian Community and my Asian heritage play a huge role in representation and who I am.”
The young player has expressed his love for his culture in interviews and has taken personal action for their support. He auctioned non-fungible tokens for four days online and donated a portion to the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
His mother is proud of his contribution and said, “He had a lot of fans, and he said even a couple times his first year there were little Asian kids who used to walk up, even their parents, who were so excited for Taylor.”
She Wore A Traditional Chinese Qipao At Her Younger Son’s Wedding
People wear fancy dresses at a wedding but Chiyan wore a traditional Chinese qipao at his wedding. She had her black dress completely customized for her to honor her culture. It was an emotional moment not only for her but also for her son. Taylor shared that it was one of the most special moments for him that day.
She has supported her kids throughout their careers. Though her older son’s career is off the spotlight, she is proud of how much he has grown. As for her younger son, Taylor, she shares that watching him work towards his dream, as his mother, she couldn’t ask for anything more. She is extremely proud of his impact on the community, especially, Asian.
Net Worth
With her career details tucked away from the public eye, there is no exact information about her net worth. However, her children are earning well. As an engineer, her elder son, Austin has an approximate net worth of $1 million. Similarly, her younger son, Taylor has an estimated net worth of $4 million which is bound to increase as his playing days are just starting.