The Untold Truth Of Julie Chen

As the daughter of immigrants, Chen grew up in a bilingual household. She is fluent in both English and Mandarin. Her Chinese heritage had a strong impact on her growing up, especially as she comes from a family of all girls. "My dad's family grew very, very concerned that my dad had no sons," she said on The Talk (via CBS). Her grandmother was particularly upset, convinced it was shameful to only have daughters."It was almost shameful that her first born son, my dad, would have no sons of his own to carry on the family name from his lineage."

Chen explained the emphasis Chinese culture places on having a boy, as a son "allows a family to continue the family name and all the traditional Chinese customs." The pressure to have a boy escalated when Chen's grandmother tried to force her parents to adopt one of their nephews. Her mother, however, refused to allow her daughters to see themselves as inferior, saying, "I raised these girls to be independent, strong minded, and I am teaching them to never be ashamed of who they are, what gender they are."